MAKE GREAT FABRIC CHOICES FOR A FABULOUS QUILT!

Please be sure to vote on my guide at the bottom of the page - Thanks!

So often beginners to quilting play it safe and traditional when making their first fabric selections.  Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned quilter, choosing fabric can be one of our greatest challenges.  For a few lucky people, fabric and color choices seem to be instinctual, but for the rest, we often labor with this task.

Let me run down some basics on fabric selection as well as a few tips to make your quilt sparkle.

One of the tricks that many experienced quilters know is to include many different pieces of fabric in ANY given quilt.  Even that quilt pattern that calls for three basic colors or prints will benefit from using a variety of prints within your chosen color family to add depth to your quilt.  Don't worry about "matching" colors perfectly.  Your quilt will be better for it if you let a few pieces slide in that aren't a perfect match.

Here are some basic concepts:

VALUE:  is the lightness or darkness of color.  You need to use a variety of values in a quilt to create contrast.  Quilts made of all one value will come across as dull and lifeless.  A useful tool to use to determine the value of a fabric is called a Ruby Beholder.  It also works to squint at a line-up of fabrics and see which one appears to pop out or be out of place.

INTENSITY OF COLOR:  is the brightness or dullness of the color.  Try to keep to the same palette within a quilt.

PRINTS:  will add texture, interest and enhance your ability to blend fabrics in a pleasing way.  Mini-prints and calicos are small enough to "read" as solids in many quilts.  Medium to large scale prints are great for blending the colors from the fabrics on either side.  When you cut up a large scale print to use in your quilt, it will help to move the eye around with more random color placement.

TRANSITIONAL FABRICS:  are fabrics used to bridge the gap when moving from one color to another or one value to another.  These are used when a gently blended flow is needed.  Transitional fabrics usually are multi-color, blending the prints from fabrics on either side of them.

STRIPES AND PLAIDS:  can be incorporated into many designs successfully.  You can "fussy cut" them or rotary cut (if you don't worry about them being straight!).  Strips are great in borders.  Plaids can be really fun in block quilts - try a whole collection of plaids in a quilt!

DIRECTIONAL PRINTS:  are one way prints.  You'll need to be carefull in their use (especially if it will drive you crazy to see a print upside down in a project!)

PERSONAL FABRIC TIPS: 

• Do not be afraid to experiment with your fabric choices. 
• Make it a challenge to try something new or add a color that you may not normally use.
• Keep in mind that your quilt need not all come from one "family" of prints!
• Bring together a variety of prints, scale of print and value to keep it interesting.
• Try some color wheel compositions, i.e. colors opposite one another - complementary, ajacent colors, monocromatic, or primary. 
• Colors from nature tend to be a great choices to combine in a quilt.
• Go ahead and try substituting some fabric for another - a scrappy approach can add interest!

Thanks for reading - now go ahead and jump in to take some risks!  Please remember to vote on my guide.

Visit our ebay store at Stitches-Quilts-Fabrics-Gifts

Sign up for newsletter for newly listed products & promotions!