 |
Kona Cotton: The Quilters & Embroiderers Dream
Fabric
What, Exactly, Is Kona Cotton?
Kona(R) cotton is a premium, 100% cotton broadcloth from Robert
Kaufman Fabrics in Los Angeles. The company introduced the fabric
in the 1980's in response to the then rapidly emerging quilting
industry, an interest that continues unabated today. It is a
soft, light fabric, often called the 'Quilter's Cotton', that is
also ideal for fine apparel such as children's clothing; soft,
comfortable shirts; dresses; applique and home decorating. It has
a 'meaty' hand, which means you can really feel the difference
when you touch the fabric and that makes it a joy to work
with.
Warps. And Wefts, Too
Kona cotton has a high 60 by 60 thread count. This means there
are 60 warp threads and 60 weft threads per square inch of
fabric. Until I did some research, I didn't know what warp and
weft threads were. (I had never even heard the word 'weft'.) A
warp thread is a support thread in the loom, long and strong and
usually tied down onto the loom; a weft thread is passed back and
forth between the warp threads to form cloth. It is that high
thread count, all those warps and wefts playing together, that
make Kona cotton a soft, light, yet very durable material; one of
the best woven fabrics available for hand or machine
quilting.
Pre-use Care
It's a good idea to launder the fabric to remove any
sizing/finish before using it in your project. Treat it as you
would any new 100% cotton fabric: Gentle wash, mild detergent,
tumble dry low, remove promptly and iron. Expect about a 1-3%
shrinkage.
What About Color?
Kona is available in plenty of colors, 170 solid colors according
to the manufacturer's web site, RobertKaufman.com. And a quick
search for 'hand dyed Kona cotton' will pop up vendors offering
hundreds of colors and patterns of beautifully dyed Kona cotton
fabric.
But Aren't You an Embroiderer?
Yes, I am a machine embroiderer and those same qualities that
make Kona cotton ideal for quilting and sewing apply to machine
embroidery, too. That meaty feel I mentioned makes it very easy
to hoop and quick to stabilize. The push/pull factor is minimal
and, best of all, the stitched out designs are gorgeous on it.
Even though there a many cheaper fabrics, I test all my
embroidery designs on Kona cotton and turn to it first for any
finished embroidery project I have.
Embroidery design digitizer Deb Schneider offers her
machine
embroidery designs on her website, WindstarEmbroidery.com.
You can contact Deb by visiting her website or by email at
[email protected]
 MORE RESOURCES updated Tue. January / 31 / 2023
|
|
|
Related Hobbies - Crafts articles:
Making Your Own Bird
Feeder
There is estimated to be over 100 billion individual wild
birds on earth, and each one needs to eat certain amounts
of food on a daily basis in order to survive. That's where
we come in! Birdfeeders are fun to make and are essential
in order for birds to live.
Is There Money To Be
Made In Depression Glass
You've seen the shows on television. You've watched the
auctions online.
What Do I Need to Start
Scrapbooking?
The best thing about scrapbooking is that although there
are a plethora of scrapbooking supplies available on the
market, you really don't need a lot to make your very first
scrapbook. Basically, all you need to scrapbook is an
album, some glue, a pair of scissors, and some photographs
or newspaper clippings.
Embroidery Sewing
Quality of Machine Embroidery Designs
Many new to embroidery have experienced numerous problems
because of the inferior quality of free embroidery design
files that they downloaded over the internet. One of the
biggest mistakes that many new seamstresses make is using free
designs patterns that have problems built in.
Stress-Free Scrapbook
Journaling Ideas
Do you find it intimidating when you come to journal your
scrapbook pages?You are not alone! Many scrapbookers find
it hard to get started when it comes to adding journaling
to their scrapbooking layouts.If you are one of those
people who go blank at the thought of having to journal,
don't worry.
Money Making Hobbies -
Which Ones?
Which ones can be money making hobbies? A friend made a
life-sized cow out of plywood once. He painted it, put it
in the yard, and people started asing if he would sell it.
Scrapbooking Yourself as
a Girl, Youth, and Your College Days
Now that you grasp the importance of scrapbooking yourself
and see how it can add value to your life, you've decided
to go ahead and do it.The next question would be, "What's
there to scrapbook about me? I don't have a fabulous or
most interesting life like Rosanne.
Rubber Stamps : 10 Great
Tips For Making Multiple Cards
You know the feeling. The kids have tons of demands,
vacation is just around the corner, that big project at
work is eating all of your free time.
Airbrushing Does Not
Have to be All Disappointment, Heartache, and Bloody Hard
Work!
A smart, but irritating man once told me that Airbrushing
did not have to be all blood, sweat and tears. If only I
had someone guiding me back in those hard, frustrating and
sick in the stomach days of airbrushing, I wouldn't have
wasted all that time and money!So here you are.
Make Your Own
Professional Gift Baskets
Ever given your family or friends a beautiful gift basket?
Gift baskets are such a wonderful gift and can be given for
any occasion. However, if you are like me you don't have a
clue where to start, let alone how to put one together?.
Genealogy - Why You
Should Get Involved in Your Family History
A few years ago I read a statistic that said that genealogy
was the second largest hobby in the United States - second
only to gardening. It was no surprise to me as I have been
finding and documenting my family tree for almost 30 years.
How I Spent My Summer
Vacation
The song says it all, "Hot Fun in the Summertime." Our
summer was certainly full of fun: outdoor barbeques,
neighborhood cookouts, making ice cream, 4th of July
parades, a trip to grandpa's house, sleeping late, moving
my oldest daughter into her first apartment? It never seems
like the season is long enough to do everything we want to
do.
Starting A Coin
Collection
The best place to start collecting would be with pennies,
we will focus on the Lincoln Cent for the years 1909
through 1958, which are the Wheat Cents. There are still a
number of "wheat cents" showing up in circulation, so it is
possible to start a coin collection without spending a
great deal of money.
Getting Started Selling
Your Crafts
Until recently crafts were usually sold locally or, at
best, regionally. Now you literally have the whole world at
your fingertips! Some of you may choose a gradual
progression from selling to friends, to selling at fairs
and shows, to retail selling ? and so on.
Organize That
Stash!
Do you control your stash or does it control you? I have
become the master of my stash. When my husband found out
that his sock drawer had become yet another place for cross
stitch supplies, it was either get it under control or end
up in divorce court.
Sewing Embroidery
Designs in New Ways
How many of you are always looking for new ways to use your
embroidery designs - always, or never? If never, you are
overlooking wonderful opportunities! Do you optimize the
use of every design? Do you routinely review your library
of designs to see if you can combine motifs from one set
with another? Have you noticed how embroidery design styles
have changed over the past few years? Give those old motifs
a new look by using the designs that you got way back when,
again! Add new motifs under, or around, them to create a
whole new look! My last big project, a wind jacket back, is
a good example of what anyone can do with a little time and
imagination! With fall already upon us, I wanted something
tropical in my wardrobe as it's still every where in
ready-to-wear & home dec. The colors are just as
exciting as leaves turning colors.
50 Ways to Use Your
Ribbon for Scrapbooking, Home Decor, Crafting and
Fashion
Scrapbooking:Tie onto a tag, photo mat, border, or photo as
an accent. Use with a hole punch to make a booklet.
Genealogy / Family
History
One huge advantage of knowing about family history is that
sometimes it can help you to trace and pinpoint occurrences
of illness.My father and two of my brothers had all died of
heart attacks at a fairly young age.
The Theme and Title of
Your New Scrapbook
The theme of your scrapbook can be simple or complex. Your
theme could be a special event such as a birthday, a baby
shower, a wedding, Christmas, or Halloween.
Craft Fairs, Bazaars
& Flea Markets? Oh, My!
Many names are associated with events such as these. Craft
Fairs, Bazaars, Flea Markets and Swap Meets are a few names
you can find.
|
|
