Tartan

If I order on line, I tend to stay with fabric from a collection. In the collections they always match nicely. Some sites also have a spot you can view your selections together. I figure if they all look good on the screen together, they should look good together off screen. They may not be the exact colour to your eye when they arrive but at least they all go together. Good luck.

Prism99

Wow, I have learned so much about solids!

Thanks for the heads-up on RJR, ghostrider. I was able to print out their color card and plan to cut out the squares to see if my daughter and I can find something that fits our requirements. She has a good eye for color.

What I may end up doing is deciding on a line first, based on the color selection I find online, and then order that line's color card. Or, if we are pretty sure of our choice, I will order 1/2-yard of each of the 3 colors first to make sure they really do go together.

I was over-thinking the process originally. This discussion has really helped me sort out what I actually need.

QuiltNama

Contact the shops you are planning to buy your fabrics from and ask if they sell a sample set. Explain what you are trying to make and sometimes they will send you samples of the fabric colors you are interested in making the quilt from. I work in a shop and the color cards are a great tool, but...only for a limited time. Some of the colors will stay the same but many of them do change.

jaciqltznok

if you are going to be machine embroidering the blocks, then what you really need to know how each fabric will do with the embroidery! For example, the hoffman batiks, might not do as well as say the Kona solids! Also the embroidery might not look as nice on a marble as a solid! you need to order some 1/2 cuts and play first then make the big purchase!