Choosing fabrics
 

Hi everyone. I want to make this baby quilt:

http://www.ohfransson.com/oh_fransso...ice-quilt.html

for a friend, but I'm having a lot of trouble figuring out how to choose fabrics. I think the patterns should be quite small, since each section of each block will only be about 3x3. Is there a rule of thumb for this? I keep looking at this big, bold fabrics and then realizing they'll look weird cut so small. Any advice?

I really like that pattern, and my how quick and easy it looks!!

I suppose you could use perhaps 1 larger print but would use mostly small to medium prints. I'd love to see that pattern done in some Kaffe Fassets prints.

You know ... I might have to whip that one up real quick for a baby quilt I need to make - baby due in 3 weeks. Then I can take my time with the baby quilt I'm working on. Hmmmmm ........

If you do, post some pictures! I need inspiration and information!

I love those Kaffe Fassets fabrics! Where can I get them???

You can find Kaffe in lots of places online. My LQS carries them as well.

I just picked out about 30 B&W prints and I think the large plain squares will be a bright blue batik. I'm going to think on it a while. Might change my mind and do blues and greens in the wonky squares and WOW on the solid squares.

Will see how I feel about it in the morning.

Fabric.com has quite a few Kaffe prints.

This looks like a great baby quilt!! I think you could use small and medium scale prints, polka dots, and even a stripe or two. If you have a large scale print that you love, go ahead and use it!

It depends on the look you want.

Do you want a theme, or a specific color to dominate (or be the accent)?
And if you choose a bunch of Kaffe&Co. fabrics, it could be interesting as you wouldn't know what you're going to get when it gets cut up.

I learned this technique around 10 years ago - took a class at the City Quilter called Slice and Dice.

I changed it a bit to Slice & Mince - I put 2 extra cuts in because I wanted it less chunky than just the 9 patches.

Each of my blocks has 16 different fabrics.
(Trick is start off with a bigger block and leave a larger section in the center so the pieces will be similar sizes.)
I make the blocks but set them together without a common background fabric.

Can you see how some of the individual fabrics are more graphic than others? Or more solid/blender types?

I can't find the pic but a friend did a brilliant baby quilt using just Aunt Grace fabrics - usually not my favorite but it looked fabulous.



67"x67" (over 150 different batiks)
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A small wallhanging - I had a FQpack of "skins" and wanted to use them up quickly
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A quick baby quilt - start to finish in an afternoon.
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I started with 8.5" to 9" squares (depending on which square ruler I could find).

By the end, I trimmed them down to 6" or 6.5" UNFINISHED - I usually just found the smallest ones and used that as the determining factor.

Cut a 3x3 window in a piece of cardboard or cardstock and take it with you when you go to select fabrics for the quilt. It'll give you a good idea of what scale prints to buy.

MTS ... I like those too!!

Update ... I took the photo from her blog, changed the image to black and white, increased the contrast. Now I had my B&W "weave" blocks. I then colored in the solid white block to solid blue and presto/bango I had an idea of what my color combination would look like ... and I didn't like it :)

I think I'll stick with my original idea of blues with a touch of green (or green with blue - depending on what fabrics I can find).

BUT at least I know I can get the quilt done in time as my husband will be flying there before the baby is due and he can deliver it (the quilt ... NOT the baby!!).

Quilt is for our 2nd grandchild, a boy. I'll be going there to see them in December and can give her the "real" quilt (appliqued bunnies) at that time as a Christmas present.