I recently bought fabric on line for a geisha panel.

When I arrived I was suprised to find that the blues and the greens did not match one another and that the rust had gold in it.

So if I'm determined to do art quilts do I have to find fabrics that I can look at in the real world? Is online buying impossibe if I need a match?

That's where having stash comes in handy. You can also over-dye, use fabric paints, markers, or other pigmenting techniques to change colors. Some gold (metallics) come out in the wash, so you may be able to adapt what you have already.

I have had this same thing happen twice. Now I only buy online if the fabrics are from the same line.

I have found that to be true too. I try to buy groups if I plan to use them together. Otherwise it's a gamble.

I guess I am very lucky. Every time I have bought online, the fabric was the color I had seen on the computer.

It's not impossible but it can be tricky.

First, the color that you see depends on your monitor. And they're all different... and the screens do change as they age.

As to buying fabrics that are all from the same line... that increases your chances of a match by a LOT... but it's not an absolute certain bet. I've seen it where colors don't agree within a collection. But probably 95% of the time, they do.

Most of the time, online sellers will use the pictures (digital images) that the fabric manufacturers create. The pictures give a good representation of the fabrics but are not necessarily completely accurate as to the colors. A good example of this is Moda's website; if you look at, say, all their green marbles some of the pictures are very muddy in color, and they (the pictures) do not have the same color flow as the fabrics do if you put actual cloth samples next to another.

A good online store will take a look at the fabrics when they arrive, and see if the pictures agree with the actual fabrics. If the colors aren't like the pictures, then that's the time they should color-adjust the images to correct what appears on the website. Some colors just cannot be represented well on a screen though, for instance a bright, clear, emerald/kelly green.

Bottom line, though, if you're in doubt as to whether the colors will work together, and you're shopping online, call the store and ask them to pull the fabrics and look at them all together and tell you whether they work. A good store will do this. It's called customer service!

I have had the same problem, so if I need a match I find I need to shop in person or purchase from the same line...

i'm not sure what purchasing from the same line means. Sorry about the questions. I'm just getting started with this.

I like to buy from keepsakequilting for that very reason. What shows on their website (and their catalog) is exactly what I expect to arrive at my house.

ah yes, the old monitor, it can really make a difference in what the color truely is.