How to Choose Fabric for a Quilt
Sometimes pulling together prints for a quilt can be a daunting task. So, today let’s talk about six easy tips that will teach you how to choose fabric for a quilt. They are simple and straight forward ways to bring a quilt together!
SCALE
The first thing we need to talk about is scale. Within the quilt you are going to want different scales of prints. Small scale, medium and sometimes even large scale prints in a quilt can give the quilt the depth and texture it needs to look pulled together.
COLOR
Color is also an important part of a quilt. I really like to use color websites (or pinterest) to pull together a color palette that I like and then you can take that to your stash or the fabric store to find prints in a color scheme you have already picked out and like. One such site is Design Seeds. The concept of the site is to use beautiful images and pull together color palettes out of the image that work great together. I fully admit that I sometimes get lost on that site for hours! It’s a great way to pull together your favorite colors for a quilt.
SOLIDS
I love mixing and matching prints in quilts but adding some solids can sometimes give it the “umph” that a quilt top needs. And it can also give the quilt a more modern feel. They give the eye and place to rest when looking at a quilt, which also elevates the look. So choose 1 or 2 solids that go along with the prints you have chosen to add to the mix.
SHAPES AND TEXTURE
Shapes and textures can also be important when choosing fabric for a quilt. One of my rules of thumb is to use a dot, a line, a directional print, a non directional print as well as some kind of plaid in a quilt. I think mixing up shapes and textures in a quilt top can make a big difference in the final outcome of how “scrappy” and great it looks!
CONTRAST
Contrasting in quilting can be light v. darks, large v. small, color values, or creating defined lines in quilts to visually draw the eye in. It goes along with the old adage “opposites attract” and can be more visually appealing to the overall look of a quilt. I love this quilt from Rebel and Reunion to show contrast.
MIXING FABRICS
If mixing fabrics can seem to be a struggle for you it can be great to buy a pre-cut bundle to save you the trouble because designers can do the thinking for you! They already have small and larger prints in the bundle as well as a dot and a stripe with other shapes to compliment the prints.
Hopefully one or two of these tricks will help in choosing fabrics for your next quilt! Any other tips you would add?
