Cheater Cloth is the name used to describe fabric printed to look like a traditionally pieced quilt top.  Some people believe it is a lazy man's approach to quilting, while others view it as a folk art form.  I support the latter.

What is it?

Cheater cloth is not a new "fad". In fact, the earliest emergence of this fabric was in the mid 1800's.  The log cabin and double wedding rings were popular patterns then and remain popular patterns today.  The fabric comes in a variety of widths, but can most often be found in the 36", 45" and 90" widths.  Patterns available today, especially in the 36" and 45" widths are quite varied, giving the crafter a great selection base.

What does it look like?

There are many patterns.  My photos are limited to those of 90" fabric, which is the width my father-in-law uses in creating his "works of art".  He only makes quilts and they are always the same size.  He requires three yards (108" ) of 90" fabric.  Below are some of my favorite patterns.

Sunburst

Home Sweet Home

Williamsburg

Here are a few of the other patterns I really like.

Where do I find the cheater cloth?

My in-laws used to be able to find the cheater cloth in the 90" width at the local discount department store's fabric section.  Several years ago, however, the pickings got rather thin.  They began finding that these stores carried only one or two patterns and they were always the same patterns.  The larger fabric stores might have a reasonable selection, but the large fabric stores were getting harder and harder to find!

About three years ago I decided to see whether eBay had any sellers offering cheater cloth in the 90" width.  I was pleasantly surprised to find a lovely selection of fabrics and sellers from which to choose.  Not as many sellers as were selling Beanie Babies, for sure, but sufficient numbers to offer me a selection, both in design and price.  I found three patterns I liked very well and had not yet seen gracing any of the beds in my relatives' homes, and made my purchase.  Since I purchased all three from the same seller, I was able to take advantage of her shipping discounts.  When I received my shipment in the mail, I was thrilled.  The fabric was beautiful and I couldn't wait to give it to my father-in-law for Christmas, so he would be able to use his millions of tiny hand stitches to bring the fabric to life!

What else do you make with cheater cloth?

OK, so he likes making quilts, but how many quilts does one person need?  Aren't there some other uses for cheater cloth?  Certainly! Cheater cloth is used in several crafting arts. Some examples of these are:

• Doll house bedspreads and quilts - for this use, the narrower widths are fine, and I select a fabric with a very tiny pattern
• Wall-hangings - for this, the narrower widths are fine, and I select a fabric with a very large pattern, as in a woodland scene, or a Thomas Kinkade bridge, or a solitary lighthouse, whose beacon guides me home.
• Christmas Stockings - here, the narrower widths are fine and I select fabric with a holiday theme.  These homemade stockings are wonderful and easy to slip those special gifts into, without worry that they will get stuck in the yarn as they often do in knitted stockings.
• Toaster covers, blender covers, pot holders, placemats -- OH, MY!  Well, pretty much anything can be covered or protected with a quilted piece of cheater cloth. (Please note that when creating potholders, make certain your fabric is flame retardant and that the batting is thick enough to ensure the cook will not get burned!)

And, what does it cost?

I try to keep the total cost of the cheater cloth quilt top at $30.00 or less including shipping.  This means paying $8.50 or less per yard.  I can spend a little more per yard, if the seller offers combined shipping discounts and has sufficient selection to allow me to find several that I like!  I have been successful in getting the 90" fabric for less than $6.00 per yard, but typically, this was a seller who had one huge hunk of fabric - not a selection of fabrics.

How do I find what I'm looking for?

OK, my father-in-law complains he can't find the cheater cloth he needs.  I tap my search into the eBay search engine.

"cheater cloth"

Hmm. not too good.  I got 4 hits!

What else would people call this stuff?  Let me try,

"cheater quilt"

Yes! Now we are cooking on both burners!  112 hits!

But a lot of these fabrics are 36" or 45" and I need 90".  Ok let's try,

"90 quilt top"

Nice! 40 choices and most of them are exactly what I am looking for.

But does this stuff really sell well enough to be a typical auction item?  Let me check the eBay store offerings.  This fabric probably is better suited to the store inventory than the auction offering. I select the link at the bottom of the search engine page:

See additional Buy It Now items from eBay sellers

Very nice! 48 new items and now I have a really nice selection from which to choose.

But, is it cost effective?

Well, no, probably not.  I know and you know that I can run into the local megamart and find a potholder or a twin quilt for equal or less than I will spend to make it.  But does that mean it is not worth the effort?  Of course not!  Quilting, at least in today's world, is primarily a hobby - an art form that allows the craftsman to make his statement to those who come after him. Something to be handed down. Something to keep us grounded. We don't typically make the quilt out of the old seed sacks because we are freezing and cannot afford the blanket for sale at the store 40 miles away!

When I climb into bed at night and pull the hand-stitched quilt up over my shoulders, I am enjoying not only it's warmth, but the feeling of comfort delivered from the loving hands that created it.  Just as his mother stitched the quilts when he was a boy, so he carries on her legacy.  My husband cherishes each quilt because it is his connection through the years.

If you are already a crafter, you will know that much of the reward of your labors is received when loved ones actually use the item you created for them.  This cannot be measured in  the world of cost effectiveness.

I can assure you, that Christmas stocking you make for your little one today will be the one they want to pull out of the attic when they have their little one.  Cheater cloth provides a more cost effective way to make many of the items which can also be made with traditional quilting techniques.

What equipment do I need?

Quilting Frame

Well, my father-in-law has a huge, unwieldy quilting frame which suspends from his basement ceiling.  He sits for hours in his chair quilting the winter months away.  But the huge frame is not necessary.  The same modern quilting frames used by traditional quilters can be used to make your cheater cloth quilts. 

Needles

Fine and sharp!  Make certain you have plenty.  Look for quilting needles at a quilting store as these are designed to make the work easier.

Pins

Pins? what do I need those for? Well, pinning is essential to keep your three layers (top, batting, back) from shifting while you stitch. While there will still be some shifting, you will not have your top extend 3 inches beyond the back, if you take the time to carefully pin your work.  Again, fine and sharp are the key elements to good quilting pins.

Thread

Spools and spools of good quality thread.  Don't waste you time with the cheaper thread.  It breaks and knots and results in projects left incomplete!  I have seen many partially completed quilting projects and it seems such a shame! Also, remember that each stitch you make draws the thread through three layers of fabric.  Similar to your shoe soles wearing down as you walk along the road, your thread is wearing down with each stitch.  It therefore becomes thinner and thinner.  To keep your thread from breaking, make sure you cut your thread shorter.  Rethreading the needle with new thread every 100 stitches is better than trying to get 300 stitches out of a really long piece of thread.  Your thread will get too weak and will break, often leaving you to pull out stitches in order to finish off the thread nicely.

Thimble

Try them on before you buy them. Thimbles need to fit comfortably so that you don't end up with a thimble blister, trying to avoid a needle puncture!  Have several.  Some people choose to wear the thimble on more than one finger.  With a little trial and error you will determine what is most comfortable for you.

Scissors

Don't use the paper scissors or the kitchen scissors.  Splurge for a pair of the really sharp fabric scissors.  You will not be cutting lots of squares like the traditional quilter, but you will be cutting your thread and you don't want to "gnaw" the thread to death with a dull pair of paper scissors!

Batting

Purchase the batting to match the width of your fabric.  You can double the batting or triple it to to achieve the desired thickness.  Choose the fabric content of the batting to match the desired washing method.  Cotton batting is nice and comfortable, but tends to break apart when subjected to repeated washing and drying in washing machines and dryers. A poly-cotton blend tends to stand up better to the modern washing methods.

Backing

If a quilt has a top or front, it goes without saying, it also needs a back.  My father-in-law uses different backings, depending on the overall look he wants.  Sometimes he uses the unbleached or bleached muslin, sometimes he uses solid or tiny print poly-cotton fabric.  The backing needs to extend six inches longer and wider than the quilt top, if you intend to use the backing as the quilt edge (folded and stitched over the edge of the quilt top).  If you plan to use a different border fabric, your backing should measure the same as your top and batting.

Details, details, details:

Remember to:

• Select your fabric based on fabric content suitable for your project
• Wash your fabric before your begin your project
• Plan your stitching pattern BEFORE you make your first stitch

Summary

If you are a crafter and have not yet tried cheater cloth, I highly recommend it.  If you have always wanted to try your hand at quilting, this ia a wonderful way to practice the quilting technique, before committing to the huge project of creating the quilt top!   I hope this guide has been of interest to you and that you can join the folk-artsy craftsmen, enjoying cheater cloth every day!