Help - Polka dots directional fabric??
 

Hi ladies (and gents). I'm making a quilt for my daughter that is using a lot of polka dot prints, but when I look at them, they read really directional. I've attached a picture, so you can tell me if I'm seeing things or if they look directional to you too. I've been quilting for a few years, but have stayed away from directional prints so far because of how fiddly they are to keep straight. Any tips for how to do this? Especially for the borders and binding?!!!

I am finding that some dots do have directions since I have been using them in a hexagon quilt. As Tartan said, I wouldn't be concern with the small dots but you might want to watch the larger one. You might want to make a test block to see if the dots will cause any problems.

Thanks for the responses! The big dot is for the border, possibly some blocks, and the small will be for thin border and binding. Here is the pattern if it helps.

http://www.bunnyhilldesigns.com/stor...ls/?product=bc

I think I might try cutting the length of fabric, rather than the WOF, following the dots. I considered ripping, or washing and ironing, but that's all assuming the print is on the fabric straight. I think I'll just give it a good iron and starching and then go connecting the dots! Wish me luck!

I have found that images are rarely printed on fabric to the straight of grain. For the border with the big dots I would go by the line of dots rather than the grain assuming it is not too far off. You should be able to stabilize the little off grain by the quilting and the fact that it won't be a large piece of fabric. You will notice the off pattern more than the off grain. Starching might help stabilize things as well.

They don't look directional to me.....but I do see where the larger dots could look "off" if not cut/sewn straight. But they are cute!

They also look directional to me.

In fact, I have noticed that a lot of "all-over" designs when looked at in a certain way are bands or stripes.

To me there are directional and not directional. Yours is directional. If they are printed like yours in lines I do consider them directional and would have to lay them out and cut them straight because it drives me nuts if they would be uneven. The randomly printed dots I consider to be not directional. Hope this makes sense.

I'm opposite than most, when I have a directional fabric, I intentionally don't follow grain of fabric or the lines in the fabric. I will go out of my way to make them all different, blowing the linear look. Even if they end up bias edges. But the important thing is the test blocks. Make one perfect and one not perfect and see if it bothers you.

Thanks all! It would drive me nuts too if they were crooked in the borders, and with it being so big, it would easily be the thing your eye is drawn to. I realised that I don't really have to do LOF, I can still do WOF, but I will be using the dots as my guide for cutting!