Quilting & Embroidery World of Magic

Egyptian Cotton : The Myths and The Facts Egyptian cotton is very well known around the world to be the best cotton used in threads and fabrics. Why Egyptian cotton is considered the best? The climate in Egypt allows the Extra Long Staple fabric to grow much longer than any other cotton in the world including the American Pima cotton which is also a long staple cotton. The problem that most consumers are facing is the lying by manufacturers.  Egyptian Cotton should refer to a certain type of Extra Long Staple cotton that is grown in Egypt not elsewhere. If you look at world-wide statistics of Egyptian cotton produced you will be amazed that Egypt produces less than 1% of the Egyptian cotton in the world.  Obviously many manufacturers are lying to the consumer. Also not every cotton grown in Egypt should be labelled Egyptian cotton, so the lying does continue unfortunately. For any cotton to be labelled "Egyptian Cotton" it must be Extra Long Staple (ELS) an...

What is a Quilt? Quilting is an art. To put things in perspective and for the sake of simplicity lets define a quilt as a sandwich. This sandwich has 3 parts to it. Usually Quilts have been used as bed covers, but in all honesty such a quilt like the one above by Colette Dumont is a museum-class piece of art.  Just like a sandwich there is a middle part, a top and a bottom. Let me explain:   1-        The Top of the Quilt This is the layer where the quilter spends the most time and effort sewing different fabric pieces together into a beautiful design (woven patchwork). It could also include applique and embroidery.   2-        The Middle of the Quilt (The Batting) This part of the quilt which is also called the patting can be cotton  or a variety of different materials.   3-        The Bottom of the Quilt (The Backing) This part usually is a one piece of fabri...

What is Huck Embroidery? In a simple explanation, Huck embroidery is a method where the thread does not show on the back of the fabric, only the surface. To accomplish this method of embroidery you need a special type of fabric, called Huck; hence the name. Many people use different terminology for this method of embroidery including : Swedish Weaving, Yugoslavian Weaving, Punto Oitinho and Huckback Weaving. To accomplish this embroidery you need the huck fabric as well as a thick thread (eg. 8 wt Rayon).  Most embroiders get nervous when someone flips their work to see the back, therefore this style is perfect because you have a totally neat back. Watch this video to understand how Huck Weaving is done:

What is Mercerized Cotton? While most cotton thread manufacturers neglect to say their cotton threads are mercerized or not, many are. I think most manufacturers of high quality cotton threads mercerise their cotton. John Mercer from England in 1844 (hence the name of the Mercerizing process) treated cotton with sodium hydroxide because he believed it made the cotton swell. The process was done because it made the cotton stronger and much easier to die.  The process was not mastered until another guy by the name of H A Lowe innovated the process and resulted in a lustrous cotton. Nowadays the mercerizing process treats cotton with sodium hydroxide bath then neutralized afterwards with an acid bath. Sometimes mercerized cotton is referred to as Pearl or Pearle cotton. Mercerized Cotton Thread

What is the Shelf Life of Cotton Threads? This question seems to circulate around so much. I believe many people inherit cotton threads (spools or cones) from their grandmothers and wish to use them. Cotton threads if kept in a dry place will last for a long time, maybe even 50 years but remember that today we have advanced manufacturing processes including mercerising and double gassing cotton threads to get rid of the lint. I would avoid using old cotton threads altogether and stick to double gassed cotton threads. Cotton Threads Shelf Life

Hello, I am starting this blog to share my experience in the world of Quilting and Embroidery. There are a lot of myths about this beautiful hobby and I thought I would share some of the knowledge that I have about quilting and embroidery. One more thing, I am not an expert and I continue learning everyday. Enjoy! This embroidery digital design is courtesy of suebox.com.