mrsg730

Have you ever purchased fabric because you liked it, then got it home and didn’t like it so much anymore? What do you do? I ordered a layer cake and when I got it, I realized it had way too many solids and there were only a few of the really pretty fabrics. I decided to make a double sliced layer cake hopefully once in a quilt I’ll warm up to the fabric, which has happened to me before but am curious what others do with their I’m not crazy about fabrics.

Mkotch

I don't usually buy charm packs or layer cakes for just that reason. However, I would merely divide them up and store them with other fabrics of the same color (most of my fabric is organized that way). They may work individually with other fabrics.

quiltingnewf

yes ... my LQS had "new" and "sale" signs over a line of pastel cottons. Of course I had to have it. I bought a meter of 8 different colours.
When I went to make a quilt from it, I realized how much I dislike pastels. The quilt top is completed, but I have not finished quilting it. And I have lots of it left over.

Hopefully, I will find a use for the rest of it. I guess Im just a sucker for a "sale sign".

SusieQOH

That happens to me sometimes. I don't worry too much about it though. I may just gift pieces I'm not wild about. I don't like using a fabric I don't like. The good thing about fabric is that there is always someone who will like it. Or- if you cut it up and use it in a scrappy quilt, for example, it looks better. That's been my experience.

Annaquilts

It just sits there. If I do not like it it is hard to give away too.

Jordan

That is why I don't buy layer cakes or charm packs. I like to just cut my own 10" or 5" squares of the fabrics I like.

Iceblossom

My natural taste in fabric tends towards the "tiny vine-y" so I've been trying to learn to appreciate and use larger scale prints which often requires larger sized blocks/pieces. Sometimes you want your piecing/applique to be the star, sometimes you want to let the fabric shine through.

One thing to consider is look at different log cabin settings and realize that you can get a similar effect by using large half-square triangles. You can put sashing between the squares as well.

Another idea is to use the print squares you like as whole blocks, and use the fabrics you don't like so much (plus others) in pieced blocks.

Here's one of my recent ones (from my thread titled "Black or White", top is currently the last post). One of the ladies at my small group offered up the large scale print which I loved on sight. There wasn't much left of it, I had just enough to cut (12) 8.5" squares and had a bit left over, but not enough to make larger squares or really more of them. You should also check out the glorious stack & whack style quilt picture in the middle of the thread. Wow!

Edit: The piece I had in mind to use for the back was a couple of inches too short, darn! I bought sufficient yardage to easily make borders on the top and still have plenty of extra fabric to use on the long arm. Still considering my border options, will be taking the completed top to small group to get opinions but am going to remeasure everything today. I think I have enough to make a narrow row of black and then a slightly thicker row of the polka dot fabric as a border. The polka dot however doesn't work so well with the back so am thinking solid black binding.

Black or White

meyert

yes I have done that! I tend to steer clear of precut bundles because of that, but I have bought plenty of jelly rolls anyway. I usually just use what I like. Then I use the others to make scrappy quilts for Quilts for Kids donations.

Stitchnripper

I did that in the beginning but haven't in years. I'm trying to incorporate that old fabric with new. I quilt with some kindred spirits every Friday at the local quilt shop and I told them I know where fabric is if I need any! I do get most of my fabric from that local store. I don't have a stash except for some fat quarters and some remnants.

Anniedeb

It's not that I don't like it, it's just that it didn't fit/match/blend/ with what I had in mind for it. That results in my having many pieces I love, but don't know what to do with. Currently that's not a problem, in that I have tons of fabric and projects that fit/match/blend just perfectly!!