The first time I ran across the phrase 'low volume' in relation to fabrics was an article in Quilting Arts (April/May 2009) by Malka Dubrawsky. In the article, she describes them as "fabrics that don't rely on bright, saturated, or intense colors. They're characterized by qualities such as simple, sometimes large-scale graphic prints; the backgrounds are mostly white or paler shades with a variety of differently textured fibers."
She now teaches classes at Craftsy which may be why the phrase is showing up there so often. The article is titled "Turn Down the Volume: Quilt Design with Quiet Fabrics" and can be downloaded as part of a free ebook (Quilt Designs) on the Quilting Arts website.
Last edited by ghostrider; 07-06-2015 at 03:40 AM.