As a handquilter it is all about the feel to me. If it is for me I go around petting the fabric. If I don't like the feel of it I won't be happy handling it for the time it will take to complete the project. I like the looks of batiks but hate to handle them. I like to use a lot of solid colors to set off the prints etc. I want them to also feel good. I don't care much for civil war prints or Thimbleberries. I will even purchase a bolt of something if it feels good and is a color or print that I think I can use up. I currently have 4 sealed bolts of fabric under my cutting table. One red, one black, a racing black and white check and a bolt of 60 inch muslin. The colors will probably end up either in Linus quilts or as part of baby quilt gifts. The muslin is for my private projects.
Another favorite of mine are panels that I can handquilt to look like applique. I have several made up that look like Baltimore Alblum applique that even fooled other quilters.
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