I did bring samples of the fabric that I was using and I'm telling you I think I just had a brain lapse. I made a bad choice that day. But today I made a much better one. I guess there's quite a few of us that have done the same thing.

Done the same myself, now I take a piece of the fab with me. I've also packed a queen size quilt with me to match up binding.

It's the light spectrum of the bulb. Many of the big box stores have a display in the paint department with the different bulbs showing how the light effects the color.

I've told the helpful sales lady that no matter what type of wonderful lighting the store has, I need to compare with nature light because that's what I have at home. But thank you for your help.

I've done that. Picked out a backing fabric and binding fabric looked at it a few days later and said Ewwwww. Went back again and finally found some that worked really well.

I was speaking with a quilting instructor Lanette Edens the other day at a quilting expo and she says you always pick the border fabric first then the center fabrics, that way everything will match up. I have always completed the center then looked for border fabric to match. No wonder I can never find just the right one.

The lighting in stores makes fabric appear different than natural lighting or lighting in the home. Sometimes it will look like it matches well in the store, and when you get it somewhere else, it will look horrible. Don't really know what the solution for that one is!

I do that on just about every quilt I make. That's why I have a stash. It's also rare that I get all fabrics in just one store. When I get home I think a different fabric may work better and off I go to a another store. With the last quilt I made I had enough fabrics I didn't use to make another one....lol

I have done the same thing just 3 weeks ago. What was I thinking.

I've done that but usually happens from a particular store. I later found out that it was the poor lighting in the shop. She moved from a smaller shop to a much bigger store and the lights were very high. Over time ( about 2 years), she's put in a drop ceiling and much better lighting.... big difference.

And if the border is a solid? I buy all my fabric, from different stores, before cutting any of it. I have changed color/fabric placement from original plan on more than one occasion. I am satisfied with what I have when I finally start.