Sewing with Shannon Fabrics Quilting Cuddle: What I Learned

My tips, observations, and experience sewing with Quilting Cuddle.

When Shannon Fabrics offered to send me samples of their new Quilting Cuddle, I couldn't wait to give it a try.

As someone who almost exclusively sews with quilting cotton, I was excited to step outside my comfort zone and experiment with something completely different. Shannon Fabrics Quilting Cuddle is an ultra-soft, low-pile (1.5mm) polyester fabric that feels velvety to the touch, and the moment it arrived, I understood why people rave about how soft it is.

My original plan was simple: make an entire version of my Yum Yum Candy Quilt Pattern using Quilting Cuddle.

As it turns out... the fabric had a different idea.

After spending time cutting and sewing with it, I quickly realized Quilting Cuddle has strengths that are different from quilting cotton. Instead of forcing my original plan, I decided to let the fabric guide the project. That unexpected change of course ended up inspiring an entirely new creation... one that couldn't have been a sweeter fit.

Before I share that, here are the biggest things I learned along the way.

First Impressions

The first thing you'll notice is exactly what you'd expect...

It's incredibly soft.

I found myself reaching over and petting the fabric every time I walked by my sewing table. Completely professional fabric research, of course.

The colors Shannon Fabrics sent were vibrant and cheerful, making them a perfect match for the candy-inspired palette I had in mind. For this project, I worked with Sunshine, Orange, Fuchsia, Jewel, Leaf, Blue Bonnet, Teal, and Quilting Cuddle Lots of Dots Pastel.

Cutting Quilting Cuddle

Overall, I found Quilting Cuddle very easy to rotary cut, especially with a fresh blade.

One thing I noticed almost immediately, though, was that the fabric shifts just a bit while cutting.

My biggest tip is to place the cuddle side facing down against your cutting mat. Doing so helped reduce movement and kept both the ruler and fabric from shifting nearly as much.

A fresh rotary blade also makes a noticeable difference. Quilting Cuddle cut cleanly and smoothly without much effort.

Does Quilting Cuddle Shed?

Yes...

But not nearly as much as I expected.

Most of the shedding happened while cutting rather than sewing. I also discovered that the fibers liked to cling to my cutting mat after each cut.

I'll admit, I became a little compulsive about reaching for my lint roller after every cutting session because I preferred not to have little bits of fluff floating around my studio. Using an older cutting mat and giving both the cut edges and the mat a quick pass with a lint roller became part of my routine.

For me, it wasn't a dealbreaker. It simply became part of working with the fabric.

Sewing with Quilting Cuddle

Once I moved to my sewing machine, I found a few adjustments made the experience much more enjoyable.

For this project I used:

• Universal needle
• Polyester thread in a medium gray
• 3.5mm stitch length
• Walking foot

The walking foot made the biggest difference.

Quilting Cuddle naturally wants to "crawl" or shift slightly as it's fed through the machine, so slowing my sewing speed and letting the walking foot do its job produced the best results.

I also found it helpful to keep the pile running in the same direction on every piece. Everything behaved more consistently when I paid attention to that detail.

Interestingly, I didn't find pins or clips made much difference in preventing the shifting while sewing.

Another pleasant surprise was the amount of lint produced while sewing... almost none. Compared to the cutting stage, my sewing machine stayed remarkably clean.

Sewing Quilting Cuddle with Quilting Cotton

One discovery surprised me.

Whenever I combined Quilting Cuddle with quilting cotton, I had the best success placing the quilting cotton on the bottom against the feed dogs.

Doing so noticeably reduced shifting and helped keep my seam allowances more accurate.

It's a small adjustment, but one that made a big difference throughout the project. I'll share more about that when I reveal the finished quilt.

Would I Make an Entire Quilt with Quilting Cuddle?

Absolutely... if the quilt pattern was the right fit.

Going into this project, I planned to make my entire Yum Yum Candy quilt using Quilting Cuddle. Once I started sewing, however, I realized the fabric naturally shifts a bit as it's fed through the machine.

For larger pieces, that wasn't much of an issue.

But Yum Yum Candy includes several smaller flying geese units, and I knew they would require much more precision than I wanted to wrestle with using this fabric.

Rather than forcing Quilting Cuddle into a project it wasn't ideally suited for, I decided to use it where I felt its softness and texture would have the greatest impact.

Personally, I think Quilting Cuddle is a wonderful choice for quilt patterns with larger, simpler piecing where its softness can really become part of the design.

An Unexpected Detour

Since I wasn't able to finish the quilt top before other projects demanded my attention, I still wanted to make something fun with the Quilting Cuddle I'd already cut.

That unexpected change of plans led me to create Sweetly Wrapped, a giant candy pillow inspired by the same colorful candy pieces from my Yum Yum Candy quilt.

Looking back, I can't imagine a sweeter project for this fabric.

The ultra-soft Quilting Cuddle brings the candy to life in a way quilting cotton simply couldn't. What started as a fabric experiment ended up becoming the perfect project for showcasing everything I enjoyed about sewing with Quilting Cuddle.

In my next blog post, I'll share how I made Sweetly Wrapped, along with step-by-step photos if you'd like to create one of your own.

Final Thoughts

Trying a new material is always a learning experience, and Shannon Fabrics Quilting Cuddle certainly taught me a few things.

The biggest lesson?

Every fabric has its strengths.

Rather than expecting Quilting Cuddle to behave exactly like quilting cotton, I found it much more rewarding to embrace what makes it unique. Once I adjusted both my expectations and my project, it became a joy to sew with.

If you've been curious about trying Shannon Fabrics Quilting Cuddle, I hope these tips help you feel more confident diving into your own project.

And who knows... you might just discover an unexpected creative detour of your own.