How important are solids to your quilt?
 

Just opened a site from Quilting Twins where they have a "looks like burlap" half yard pack on sale and it made me wonder how many solids besides Kona white and snow do I have. Not many... maybe a pink and a little aqua. Would I really use it if I bought it this morning? Do you add solids into your quilt here and there?

I use very little solids but I love Moda grunge and have a nice selection of colors in my stash.

I don't use solids that much, but I love blenders and have quite a few colors of Quilters Linen (Benartex?) and Dimples in my stash.

I don't have a lot of true solids, but it is just because I don't have them in my stash and like so many, I am trying to use what is on hand. I do use a lot of fabrics that "read" solid, very small print of white on white and some times very fine dots.

I don't have a stash - just buy for projects. And like WMUTeach, I tend not to use true solids, I will use tone on tone or other fabrics that 'read' solid if the quilt calls for something 'solid'.

I use solids, mostly Northcott Colorworks all the time. Mostly white, ecru, snow, oyster. I have a habit of scrappy and pick up fat quarter bundles of collections. To me the eye needs a place to rest with alot of prints. I do like blenders as long as they are not directional.

I have never used a true solid in a quilt. Like the others have stated, I use blenders and such that "read" as solid. It's just a personal preference with me.

I don't use many solids either. I use white, off white etc as backgrounds quite a bit though.

I made a quilt from one of Charisma's patterns for one of my sons that is all bold solids. Just didn't thrill me but he loves it.

As with many quilters, I mostly use "reads as solids" nowadays.

Still, there is a crispness to solids that I rather like. I went through an "almost Amish" period and used a lot of solids for a number of years. Here's one, the background is actually "midnight purple" and there is at least one purple piece in each striped half. Having problems finding the actual picture, so I think you have to be logged in to see this:
https://www.quiltingboard.com/member...14-621637.html

This year I'm hoping to use my box of solids for the Bonnie Hunter Mystery. If there is a good choice for a consistent fabric, I might use a print for that to bring in the colors I will be using.

I use a lot of solids in different quilts. It could be the type of quilts I am working on at the time. I think this happens in blocks that are samplers more often than not. My sister recently came of and raided my stash, of course it was a blessing, and took a good number of solids for a quilt she was working on. I use a lot of black solids.

I go through quite a bit of white for backgrounds, but not true solids for blocks. I've found myself gravitating to a more "contemporary" aesthetic over the years, though, which has me using lower and lower volume prints. Lately I seem to be addicted to ombres, which are kind of "solids with movement". I love how they give pieced blocks almost a three-dimensional quality.

I don't usually mix solids with printed fabric in a quilt. I think I would be more inclined to do a whole quilt in solids than to mix solids with prints.

I forgot to mention in my previous post that I typically do not use solids as random "scrappy" fabric. Is hard to explain, but the solid pieces next to the busy prints make a empty spot. I certainly will use solids with scraps but they are two different categories for me.

I will use solids in my more planned projects. Am using one now for my Froggy Beach. I bought an entire bolt of "Olfa Green" solid at the thrift store for $15 -- so now I need to find ways to use it! So here I have an actual solid, a reads as solid and a busy print for what probably should have been a solid...

That Roman Stripe Amish pattern is one that's been in my mind for many years, since visiting Amish communities in Illinois. The one solid I have is black and that's how I've been visualizing it. I've been carried away with art quilts, but am getting back to the pleasure of semi-traditional quilting now. Thanks for the reminder, Iceblossom!

I order from Quilting Twins a little too often, mostly batiks and blenders and maybe now I have to have that burlap pack. Oh, no!!!

solids work well as background fabric, to help break up any busy-ness inside the quilt. but I have also made quilts that use only solids, no prints. some may find that boring, but there is something clean and crisp about the look it provides.

That Roman Stripe is indeed classic. It is basically what I call a "direct lift" from the project shown in the book World of Amish Quilts by Rachael Pellman. I think there is a pattern in the companion book but that I just randomly chose 1" wide finished for the strips. If I had to do it over again, I think I'd go a little thicker, But it has the same basic border construction, etc.
https://www.amazon.com/World-Amish-Q.../dp/1561482374

I do find the use of solids to be very bold and graphic and modern, and maybe with my vision issues I should do more with it again. I like contrast... My cousin who will receive the quilt, she won't know that it is "Amish" she will just know it is purple and graphic and she will like it on that basis. I am planning on a pretty traditional quilting pattern, have been trying to work my skills up. Have drafted up a triangular design that I will do on both sides of the triangle, and then a cable border. Machine quilted, of course, and I don't feel like my skills are quite ready. So still a few projects ahead of it. Good thing is I have plenty of other projects to improve with first.

I probably have more quilts with no solids than I do quilts with at least one solid. If I use solids, it is likely to be a quilt with Thirties reproduction fabric. I have no problem mixing solids with prints in a scrappy quilt.

Almost no solids, with the exception of off-white. (I rarely use pure white, and when I do it's a WOW. Solids are boring.

When I first started quilting, I never bought solids. But as I have progressed, I find that I have about equal numbers of solids and prints. I have been doing a lot of checkerboard quilts lately.

I struggle with solids. I have a lot of blenders, or tone on tones, but not true solids. I have a few blue, green, a coral that I am using instead of neutrals in those quilts. That's about as far as I go. I have seen some gorgeous quilts done all in solids, often the quilting really carries them - but I know that they would remain forever UFO's for me.

I use a lot of solids, all colors. I like modern quilts and tend to use solids for them. And sometimes, I can only find the exact color I'm searching for in a solid.

I have an assortment of solids, but I tend to use only white and black. I've seen some very impressive quilts made with all solids, and I always think I'll try to make one someday, but that day hasn't come yet. In fact I have a Craftsy kit that is all solids. Hmmm...maybe time to make it?

I rarely use solids. I prefer blenders in my quilts. Of course I do keep a bolt of muslin in both white and beige just in case I need it for whatever. Mostly I use the muslins for backing on utility quilts, wallhangings and table runners. Tone on tones I keep on hand and blenders for my solids.

I have been using a lot of solids. I have made two string quilts QAYG and I use solids in between the larger flowered strips. all flower strips would not look good all together.

I have always used solids as well as blenders. I like the looks so much better.

No I do not use many solids and if so it is planned.

I rarely use solids. Mostly I use subtle tone on tone fabrics in the place of solids.

Solids have a solid history in quilt making!

I grew up with generations of quilts around me that were part of my grandmother’s quilt collection acquired from family members. There were many that utilized solids. A few were dramatic Amish type quilts with black backgrounds. But many were much softer, from hand dyed fabrics. There was a soft pink and cream. There was a brown from Walnut hulls made into a drunkards path. There are beautiful Irish chains using a solid white/ivory and either red or yellow for the chain. They are so cheery! There are diagonal four patch arrangements (Field and Furrow is another name) that have alternating plain with print fabrics. The plains are chosen to showcase the print and allow for gradual color variations across the quilt surface. Trip around the world uses them to break up the pattern and make a far more interesting quilt. My personal favorite is a hand stitched sky blue sawtooth star with a white background. The sashing of each star is blue with white cornerstones. It is both delicate and stunning! In short, Solids can be well used and always have been. They also are great for spaces to see the quilting pattern that is used.

‘Yes, I know textured backgrounds with slight variations that “Read” as solids are all the rage. And there are wonderful uses for those, as well. But solids can be used in such a wonderful variety of ways. They always have been.

To each their own, but I love both solids and grunge backgrounds. They can really make a design pop. Planning on doing a Hunter’s Start out of two shades of solids with a white. I saw one and it was exquisite!

Just my two cents!

The only solid I use is black. My whites are always white on white, with one exception. I often makes quilts with all prints.

I just got a flyer in the mail for the virtual Wisconsin Quilt Show in September. There's a lesson on solid color quilts.

I use solids a lot. I like modern quilts and even with some prints, the solids tend to dominate. I have 2 baskets full of true solids plus most of the rest of my stash "reads" solid or are blenders. I think the reason I love Amish quilts is the solids.