sewing with voile

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Yesterday and today, I've been sewing with voile.  I've made a St Louis 16 patch quilt top.  Conceived by Steffanie of Sew With Sass, this quilt design has been sweeping the internet.  In Steffanie's tutorial, she cuts 4" strips from FQs for 14" finished blocks.  I pushed that to 4 1/2" strips for 16" finished blocks so the finished quilt which is 5 blocks square, is 80" square.  It's quick, fun and easy to sew - two FQs make two blocks and you can cut whole stacks of FQs in one go, chain piece and get the whole top made in half a day.


I'd been looking for a project that showed off this incredibly beautiful iridescent bundle from Westwood Acres.  I'd been advised you need to starch voiles, use a 70 needle, a lot of pins and to be ready for a lot of fraying.  In fact, I didn't starch, found that it was easier to sew without pins and used the same needle I'd just quilted a quilt with (probably a 90) and didn't notice  any more fraying than with quilting cottons.  They're slippery so you have to press them down hard when you cut because they can slide about under the ruler.  Unpicking is a nightmare because they are so soft and lightweight that it's easy for the seam ripper to rip them rather than the thread.  Photographing the quilt top was hard because it slid off everything I hung it over.  But sewing with it was not especially tricky - no more so than with Liberty lawns or Oakshott shot cottons which are also lightweight and slightly more slippery than quilting cottons.


But the feel and weight of the finished top is just divine.  I've never worn a sari but the colours and shimmer of the voiles made me think that's how a sari would feel.  So what about you.  Have you sewn with voiles and, if so, do you have any tips?

Comments

  1. memmens12 July 2013 at 19:53

    That is gorgeous, I can imagine it will be delicious to curl up under. I'm sewing with voile this evening, don't really have any tips although I have bought a 70 needle which I've not done before.

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  2. Angela12 July 2013 at 20:07

    This is so pretty Lynne! I have a ton of voile that I'm still waiting for the perfect pattern for. I'm impressed you tackled it like a quilting cotton.

    My suggestion for voile is that you prewash it because it really does shrink a fair amount in one direction. (you can see Anna Maria's site for photographic details on that). I've also found that when it is prewashed then it loses a bit of the slippery feel and has a bit more tooth to the fabric. So it holds a little better to itself for piecing and sewing.

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  3. the running hare12 July 2013 at 20:32

    I've never sewn with voile but I'll give it a try in the future. Your quilt top is so very pretty!

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  4. Phyllis12 July 2013 at 20:35

    I already saw it on IG, it is lovely!

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  5. Strawberry Patch12 July 2013 at 20:42

    Lovely, I just have to bump Trudis postman off before he can get the bundle to her then I can make my own ;-)

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  6. Dolores12 July 2013 at 23:39

    I've not sewn with voile but I tend to pin things.
    My 16-patch is made of 2" finished squares - mainly solids or fabrics that read as solid. It's busy but colourful. Yours takes a lot less time.

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  7. Jodi Godfrey13 July 2013 at 00:30

    Haha, Yes I've never sewn with starch or pins with voile. I made a diamond quilt with Field Study voile. Probably wouldn't try that again! Your quilt inspires me to cut into my voile scraps. Beautiful!

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  8. Serena @ Sewgiving13 July 2013 at 01:03

    Oh that is such a colourful and happy quilt. It made me smile immediately when I saw it. I'm going to give it a go myself :)

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  9. Danielle13 July 2013 at 01:22

    Lovely lovely lovely! I've made a quilt using these voiles and found them not difficult at all. I didn't use any pins. Rebel! But I did prewash, based on the shrinkage advice.

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  10. carla13 July 2013 at 05:02

    I have not used voiles but yours is so pretty!!!

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  11. Chrissy13 July 2013 at 07:28

    That is stunning. The more photos I see of voile fabric, the more I want to try it!

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  12. Charlotte13 July 2013 at 09:25

    it's GORGEOUS!!!!!

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  13. Anonymous13 July 2013 at 09:31

    What a gorgeous quilt.....I just love it! Haven't sewn with voiles, have some in the stash and appreciate all the feedback. Thanks for sharing. Marie

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  14. Made by Mrs Jones x13 July 2013 at 10:36

    Beautiful quilt and very summery.

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  15. Kathleen13 July 2013 at 11:28

    Pretty quilt, it almost looks as if some of it has been fussy cut.

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  16. Michele13 July 2013 at 12:54

    Very pretty. Any idea to get it completed faster is a great idea in my book.

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  17. Ginny13 July 2013 at 13:58

    Have not sewn with voile before, I have a few scrappy pieces but your quilt is gorgeous and I am so very tempted!!

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  18. Susan R13 July 2013 at 14:26

    I haven't sewn a voile yet but I envision a beautiful scarf when I think of voile. I think that's something I'd like to try.

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  19. Betty13 July 2013 at 14:59

    Your quilt is very nice, did you use fat 8ths for this? (the bundle from Westwood Acres is now a fat 8ths bundle)
    I made a voile quilt for my youngest: sewed like a dream, pinned it as normals (i.e. not very much) and the quilting was great too. (Flower Power: http://bettyvanos.blogspot.nl/p/finished-quilts.html)

    The feel of the quilt: aaaaahhhhh & oooohhhh

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  20. rolleiflex13 July 2013 at 16:30

    Well obviously I have never sewn with voile (only sailed with voile) as I have never sewn anything, BUT that is one Refreshers coloured quilt top. Beautiful.

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  21. No Regrets, Inc.13 July 2013 at 16:52

    Pretty quilt! I bet the voile makes a really luxurious quilt.

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  22. jeifner13 July 2013 at 18:54

    Instead of sewing with it, I have it decorate my shelves. I take it down once in a while to pet it and tell it what good fabric it's been.

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  23. Trudi13 July 2013 at 21:54

    Like quilting butter! Can't wait for my bule to arrive, probs whilst in London!

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  24. Mrs Flying Blind...13 July 2013 at 22:11

    I made a Staple dress/tunic in AMH voile, and to be honest I just sewed it up the same as always; another urban myth along with bias stretch and the Lockness monster!

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  25. Gertie Pye13 July 2013 at 22:36

    This is such a lovely quilt Lynne. I have never sewn with voiles but have bought some AMH voile to make a dress with. However my toile has come out so badly that I need to totally refashion it. I'm glad I didn't dive straight in with the lovely AMH fabric without testing the pattern first! It is a lovely feeling fabric and I can only imagine that a quilt made out of it would be wonderfully soft and light.

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  26. Jazz @ My Oh Sew Sweet Life15 July 2013 at 00:19

    Absolutely gorgeous

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  27. SIMPLESEW16 July 2013 at 01:06

    Its the first fabric I bought so I didnt know any different, so when I did order something else 100 % designer cotton, I thought it was so dull and rough.

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  28. My Recent Favorite Books16 July 2013 at 17:07

    So pretty!
    Im new to your site, and just love quilts!

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  29. Anonymous17 July 2013 at 15:19

    I don't know how I missed this quilt design sweeping the internet, being that I've lived in St. Louis, MO all of my life. A St. Louis 16-Patch is definitely in my future. Thanks for sharing.

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  30. Anonymous17 July 2013 at 21:04

    Love the colors. It does have a Indian feel to it.

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  31. Julie18 July 2013 at 15:19

    (An audible gasp.)That's so beautiful!

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