Really tough to hand quilt because of dense weave. Think one stitch at a time. Also a problem for applique, because every stitch shows. From MACHINE QUILTING SOLUTIONS by Christine Maraccini: Another type of fabric that can be difficult to quilt on is batik. Oh, batiks are beautiful, but be prepared to treat them with special care. Because batik has such a tight weave, your needle will actually puncture the batik instead of sliding between the weave. This makes a very jagged hole for the thread to pass through, and therefore is quite abrasive on the thread. Think "sandpaper." If you encounter either of these fabric issues and have thread breakage, you will need to slow down. When quilting on batik you should free-motion quilt at about half the speed you are used to. You can also spray a mixture of one part fabric softener to two parts water onto the fabric. Let it dry completely prior to quilting. This seems to lubricate the fabric so the thread can pass through without so much friction. This is a great book on machine quilting, and I recommend it to all. It has actually made it possible for me to move ahead with free-motion quilting. One of my 3 favorite books on subject.
Patty loves batiks and has a new batik quilt almost every month. I'd guess she has lots more scraps than this. 
How pretty! I haven't used batiks yet. I wonder how they hand quilt?
ReplyDeleteReally tough to hand quilt because of dense weave. Think one stitch at a time. Also a problem for applique, because every stitch shows. From MACHINE QUILTING SOLUTIONS by Christine Maraccini: Another type of fabric that can be difficult to quilt on is batik. Oh, batiks are beautiful, but be prepared to treat them with special care. Because batik has such a tight weave, your needle will actually puncture the batik instead of sliding between the weave. This makes a very jagged hole for the thread to pass through, and therefore is quite abrasive on the thread. Think "sandpaper." If you encounter either of these fabric issues and have thread breakage, you will need to slow down. When quilting on batik you should free-motion quilt at about half the speed you are used to. You can also spray a mixture of one part fabric softener to two parts water onto the fabric. Let it dry completely prior to quilting. This seems to lubricate the fabric so the thread can pass through without so much friction.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great book on machine quilting, and I recommend it to all. It has actually made it possible for me to move ahead with free-motion quilting. One of my 3 favorite books on subject.