Here are some of my favorite blog posts about choosing fabric for a quilt project:
Pile O Fabric: Fabric 101, part 1
Pile O Fabric: Fabric 101, part 2
Craftsy: How To Choose Fabric For a Quilt
Diary of a Quilter: A Few Tips on Choosing Fabric
In Color Order: The Art of Choosing (this is a very in-depth - but awesome - blog series, in case you want to go deep into the topic of choosing fabric/understanding color)
Design Seeds is a fun site for getting color scheme inspiration
**Read on to the bottom of this post for a list of my favorite fabric shops!**
And here is my two cents about choosing fabric for a quilt:
Fabric Collections
These
are usually a set of 10-40 fabrics all by the same designer that are
specifically designed to coordinate.
Most of the time there will even be a good mix of focus prints and
blender prints. They come in
yardage and in precuts. Precuts
are AWESOME – they are packages that include smaller cuts of each fabric in the
line and come in common quilting sizes.
They are usually a little pricier, so you have to decide if the
convenience is worth it.
Most Common Precut Sizes:
-Layer cakes - 10”
squares
-Jelly Rolls –
2.5” x WOF strips (WOF is usually about 42-44 inches)
-Charm Packs – 5”
squares
-Fat quarter bundles
(Fat Quarter = 18” x 21” – equivalent to ¼ yard, but not long and skinny like a
regular ¼ yard cut)
Choose Your Own Fabric Collection
-Start with one print that you love, then pull fabrics that
have similar colors
-Start with a color scheme, then pull fabrics that fit the
color scheme
-If you love it, use it!
-Ask the shop owner for help, if you are still struggling!
Some Things to Think About
-Fabric Quality: Quilt shops will have the best quality
fabric, but it is more expensive.
High quality fabric will last better over time and is much easier to sew
with – it is usually softer, stronger, doesn’t warp/shrink as easily, and won’t
fray as much. Always use 100%
cotton.
-Scale: How large/small the print/design
is. Think about the size pieces
you will be cutting it into. Large
scale + small pieces = not always a good thing
-Contrast: If your fabrics are too similar or
too “busy,” your quilt design will become muddled. It’s a good idea to use a variety of hues (colors), values
(light/dark), scale, etc.
-Print vs Solid: Solid fabric is cheaper. Solid-only quilts can be very striking
and really show off the pattern,
but busy prints tend to hide mistakes better. Try mixing prints with solids for more contrast
-Complimentary Colors: Colors on the opposite end of the color
wheel
-Analagous
Colors: Colors that are right
next to each other on the color wheel
-Warm vs Cool
Colors: Warm = red, orange,
yellow; Cool = blue, green, purple
-Monochromatic: Many shades of the same color
-Low Volume: Prints that “read” neutral (usually
white or cream with a light color print)
Pre-wash or don’t pre-wash? It’s up to you.
Washing precuts is a bad idea – they will warp out of shape. Most quilt shop quality fabrics should
be safe from bleeding in the wash.
A color catcher is a great option for those who prefer not to pre-wash.
Some of my favorite fabric shops:
Local shops:
Gracie Lou's
Corn Wagon
Broadbents
Online shops:
Connecting Threads (GREAT prices on thread and fabric)
Fat Quarter Shop (huge selection, check out their 24 Hour Flash Sales)
Southern Fabric (I love their precuts, and the Deal of the Day is awesome)
Hawthorne Threads (they do an awesome weekly giveaway!)
Green Fairy Quilts (precuts only, great prices - free shipping!)
Westwood Acres (local shop - lots of gorgeous fat quarter bundles)
Fabric Fly (Amazing sales/clearance prices - also local)
Etsy (search for pretty much anything you want!!)
