Help using velveteen in a cotton quilt

[quiltingntexas]

I am going to start a double irish chain quilt. For one of my "chains" I am going to be using a velveteen fabric. the other two fabrics are just your basic 100% cotton quilting fabrics. My questions are: 1) do I need to interface the other two cotton fabrics to have a more balanced thickness when sewing the cottons to the velveteen? 2)What machine needle should I use? a quilting needle #14? 3) Should I use tissue paper under the velveteen? Please help with any knowledge that can help in any way. Thanks

[quilterbee]

Yikes! You are brave soul, there are so many points coming together in the Irish Chain, the velveteen could cause some think and lumpy intersections. If you do decide to run with it, make sure you use a fusible interfacing to the back before cutting, just a featherweight/lightweight. I'll bet it will be the softest quilt ever, if you can get it to behave while piecing. Please, post pics! I love looking at them, Amie )

Ps- A longer stitch length and a size 75-80 Sharps needle will work fine. :oD

[Evie]

No advice, just wanted to say good luck and please post a picture when you finish.

[SewSew]

No advice just wishing you luck.

I have never used velveteen on anything other than a crazy quilt block using muslin foundation squares.

Ann

[quiltingntexas]

Thanks ladies...
Amie, when you said to make sure I interfaced the back of the fabric before cutting, did you only mean to interface the remaining two lighter weight cottons, or include the velveteen, too? Pam

[quilterbee]

Hi Pam, you only want to stablize the velveteen becasue it's not stable. When using alternative fabrics (anyhing other than 100% quilter's cotton), you need to use a lightweight interfacing. Minkee is another one that will not behave without interfacing. Once, you stablize, treat it just like your cotton fabric, just a little more patience. I've been working with cotton chenille alot lately, interfacing is my best friend! Amie )

[SFOQuilter]

I used black velvet (not velveteen) in the border of my black and white quilt and I will never do it again unless some has some good advice for me. Sewing it was no problem. Velvet is stiff enough and it sewed to the cotton nicely. However, from the cutting table to the sewing machine to the ironing board was a nightmare. The edge was unraveling, not seriously, but enough that it left tiny specks of black ALL OVER my carpeted sewing room. Then when I rolled it onto the HQ same thing. I have black stuff everywhere. It's totally possible I could have done something to prevent this but I didn't know it at the time. What a mess!!

[quilterbee]

That cheap ol' lightweight weight interfacing is the trick for making an alternative fabric behave itself. Anything that has a stretch to it, the interfacing is the cure. I just press it to the back of the stretchy fabric and cut and piece just like it was a quilter's cotton. As Martha always says, It's a Good Thing, lol! Amie )

[gardenquilter]

i have quilted a couple of these and they seem to have no issues from the quilting aspect they are beautiful and provide wonderful accents none of the ones i have worked on had interfacing but i did have one i thought interfacing would have done it a world of good because it was raveley

[quiltingntexas]

I appreciate everyone's advice and tips. It is really helping how to procede with the quilt. I still welcome everyones comments. i had a question for "gardenquilter" to follow up on her response. When you said you had made a couple of these quilts, did you mean a couple of irish chain quilts or some quilts with the velveteen in them?