Back from the slopes and using Vlieseline Wadding – 279 Soft Cotton Mix 80/20

Well it’s been a bit of a while since I’ve done a lot of sewing. In January the family and I took to the slopes of Bulgaria for a ski trip and, you guessed it, I was taken out by a snowboarder on the first day and broke my wrist.. Had to be the right hand, didn’t it! I spent the week kidding myself I hadn’t really broken it but only managed to ski one other day as my knee was twisted too. I’m getting too old for this! 

I was able to do a little hand stitching, a pretty cross stitch using the prettiest Aida I’ve ever seen from zoesgiftsncrafts.com. Some of the fabrics are so beautiful and can act as a background to highlight your designs. The cross stitch design was from ‘Cross Stitch Christmas’ by Héléne Le Berre but I digress. After the usual six weeks of recovery the sewing machine is back out, and I launched into a small table runner, Bargello style, to utilise for a workshop at Strictly Quilting HQ. 

Bargellos can be made in many different patterns from the usual Wave or Flame to something like my favourite, the Heart. (This one is getting on now but I do love it.) I had always wanted to try to do a simple diamond pattern, which worked really well for this smaller table runner and, looking around the cabin for some wadding, I found this piece of 279 Soft Cotton Mix 80/20 Vlieseline had kindly sent me to try.  For those newer to quilting, or who have often wondered, 80/20 stands for 80% cotton and 20% polyester. It also has a scrim, which helps bind the fibres so as not to wander around and ‘beard’ your fabric with a pale, fluffy top coat.

Soft and white, with a lovely drape, it was perfect for my needs and certainly lived up to it’s name.  I quilted it with a Walking Foot on my new JUKI DK7.  (There’s another blog in there as she is a thing of beauty.  I need a name for her!…) The wadding sewed like a dream, no bearding at all and, as I used a plain backing,  this would really show any stray fibres. 

The advantage to using 80/20 for something like a table runner is that it usually washes very well. I do like the rustic look you get after the first wash from slight shrinkage, so I don’t tend to pre-wash my wadding. I know some people do, and it is recommended should you wish to avoid this.  The suggested quilting distance (the maximum space you should leave between lines of quilting) is 20cm, advice I normally follow. With the Bargello pattern I simply followed several of the fabric lines which accentuated the diamond shape of the pattern.  

If you are interested in a Bargello workshop I’ll be running two – the table runner as a one day workshop and a full, Bargello two day where we launch into a full quilt, later in the year.

Bargello Table Runner: Saturday 4th May 2024. £65. 10:00 – 16:00hrs. We will learn the tube technique for making a Bargello inspired quilt, a little of the history behind this pattern and given advice on how to quilt and take this technique further. Suitable for confident beginners. Email Helen@strictlyquilting.com to book.

This wadding is suitable for quilts, quilted cushions and table runners but can also be utilised in bags and pouches or for light clothing such as jackets and coats, something I’d like to try, but haven’t as yet. Perhaps that will be my next project. Hummm, I’m off to rummage in my fabric stash…..