Fabric for Bookshelf Quilt
 

Hi, everyone! I'm starting to pick fabric for a bookshelf quilt. The gal I'm making it for wants colorful fabric with text and book titles (not necessarily the fabric with book spines). I've found a few things on Spoonflower, but not much of a variety.

Any ideas on a good search term or maybe designer? Carolyn Friedlander has a bunch of text prints, but they're architecture based, and low volume prints. Gorgeous, but not what I'm looking for.

Hmmm. I could make my own on Spoonflower, but that gets so pricey!

Thanks in advance!

I got some of this Timeless Treasures fabric to make a tote bag for a friend who is a librarian. It is very nice with gold accents. I used a woodgrain fabric for the lining and trim - kinda like a bookshelf. I bought mine locally but I found it online:

http://www.overrainbow.com/cgi-bin/S...214-multibooks

http://www.quiltingboard.com/attachm...d=494804&stc=1

A member of my guild made a wonderful bookshelf a few years ago that took best of show at at our quilt show and the state fair. She got her daughter to give her a list of her 100 favorite books and machine embroidered the title and author name on different fabrics - to look just like separate books. She also added decorate items on the shelves like framed pictures and vases and knick-knacks. I wish I had a picture, Wait, maybe I do, let me look.

Here it is, by Wilma Zucker, I think about 2009 at the Mid-Valley Quilt Gilde show.

http://www.quiltingboard.com/attachm...d=494807&stc=1

Skyangel - embroidering the book names of the books is a great idea. I was thinking of just writing the name on with pens. I was thinking of making books of different solid colors - just strips of different heights, with the rest of the height being the background of the bookcase, probably the same as the bookshelves. Try googling "bookcase quilts" - you should find a number of examples.

Thank you, ladies! Embroidery is a great idea. I'm also going to make some blocks from the Harry Potter Project of Doom.

eBay has the same TT fabric but in different lengths for sale.

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odkw...Panel&_sacat=0

I made a bookshelf Wallhanging. http://www.quiltingboard.com/picture...g-t221363.html

I used batiks for the spines of the books. I googled for images of the books and printed the names on fabric. The recipient loved it!

Ooo! Ebay! Printing on fabric! Genius.

Skyangel, the photo didn't come through. I would love to see it if you could try again, as I was thinking of doing the same thing with the knick knacks!

Thank you so much for this idea! I passed it along to my friend and she loves the batiks and the title idea!!!

I love this forum! :D

This is a great idea and I'm definitely looking into it. I saw a few "print on fabric" packages, but they say not to wash the fabric after you've printed on it. Have you used these before? Have you found that to be true?

Thank you!

I finished the quilt! I used batiks (jelly rolls) as suggested, and I used spoonflower to print book spines! i'll post a pic shortly. I was wondering about washing it. I pre-washed the first jelly roll (by hand), the second jelly roll (in a lingerie bag in the washer) and did not wash the third jelly roll.

Pre-washing jelly rolls.... oh man. There's a reason people discourage it.

Anyway! So I have all of these bright batik "books" with a (of course) white background. I"m worried about the color bleeding. I have a box of those color catchers, but i'm still terrified of all of my work becoming a mess! My aunt suggested having it dry cleaned, but I love the feel of a freshly washed/dried quilt.

Should I just cross my fingers, throw a few color catchers in the washer and hope it all comes out okay? When I washed the jelly rolls by hand, a lot of color came out in the water.

Thank you!

I would google 'word fabrics, click on 'images', and then click on the individual images to see if those fabrics are currently available.