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 dschneider@WindstarEmbroidery.com

In The News:


pen paper and inkwell


cat break through


Finding The Best Display Case For Your Treasures

Maybe you have a bunch of collectibles sitting in your... Read More

Amish Quilts ? A Dying American Art

Amish quilting has been a tradition for more than a... Read More

Aromatherapy Candles - How to Select the Right Scent

Feel sad, tired, or a little bit stressed? Something as... Read More

Roasting Your Own Coffee - A Hobby You Can Love

There is nothing like a cup of coffee that has... Read More

Beautify Your Stamped Cards with Creative Coloring

Stamping is one of the most versatile crafts around because... Read More

Plastic, Zinc, Brass, Embossing and Marking Stencils

Marking StencilsStencil is a cut-out form for an alphabets, numbers,... Read More

Create A Gift Basket For A Dog Lover!

The choice of what gift to give your family and... Read More

Gourd Enthusiasm Growing Around the World

Gourds played an essential role in the daily life of... Read More

How to Make Quilted Silver Beads

After making the leaf bead, I was impressed with the... Read More

Discover the Truth about Comic Book Collection; Nerdy Geeks or Shrewd Investors?

It is unbelievable when one says, yeah, I collect comic... Read More

How to Make Your Own Soap Favors for Weddings and Baby Showers

Want to make soap as a gift for your party... Read More

Rubber Stamps and Scrapbooking ? Keep Kids Busy with Crafts This Summer

They're out of school and back to torment the neighborhood... Read More

Scrapbooking on a Budget

Memories are priceless, but the cost of preserving them can... Read More

A Brief History Of Reverse Painting On Glass

Reverse painting on glass has been a form of art... Read More

Easy Steps to Scrapbooking with Young Kids

Kids grow up so fast and if you don't try... Read More

Woodworking ? Creative, Relaxing and Timeless

The title reflects Woodworking as a hobby, not as a... Read More

How to Clean Your Jewelry at Home or Work

It looks like a million dollars but after a couple... Read More

Do You Really Know What You?re Buying?

Recently, I had the opportunity to attend a popular gift... Read More

The Nuts and Bolts of Vintage Tin Toys

Before Game Boy and Play Station, there were tin toys.... Read More

Embroidery Digitizing Software

Embroidery Magic 2 software is very easy to use to... Read More

Coin Collecting ? A Fun Hobby

Over the years, collecting coins has grown from being just... Read More

Bartering: A Modern Day Phenomenon

Back in the early days of America, families didn't have... Read More

Ribbons and Lace, Embroidery Cotton, and Hemp to Spice Up Your Scrapbooks

Ribbon and lace are by far the most common, and... Read More

Money Making Hobbies - Which Ones?

Which ones can be money making hobbies? A friend made... Read More

Scrapbooking Ideas for Kids

Many times at auctions, or estate sales, a box of... Read More

Rare Depression Glass Pieces

Depression Glass - The Rare PiecesDid you know that if... Read More

What Is A Reverse Painting?

Welcome to the world of Reverse Painting on Glass. Reverse... Read More

Diet and Fitness ? Help from Your Hobbies

Everybody battles with their weight from time to time. It's... Read More

Genealogy / Family History

One huge advantage of knowing about family history is that... Read More

Origami Instructions - Getting Started

The birthplace of origami is still a mystery. Paper was... Read More

Security Advice for Gold Jewelry, Diamonds, and Gemstones

For you to enjoy your treasures, they need to be... Read More

Saltwater Coral Reef Aquariums - 5 Tips for Success

Do you dream of watching the natural beauty of the... Read More

Gemstone Collecting

Personally, I have become fascinated with gemstones (precious and semi-precious... Read More