Picking fabric
 

Im only on my 3rd quilt, first 2 were simple charm packs of which the 1st one turned out fine and the second was a bit more eek! Now I didnt have problems with the colour choices as they were charm packs so for the most part they blend together. This 3rd one is fairly straight forward again and its boring for me, I want to explore colour. And now Im starting to look at other quilts and thinking about colour choices and getting a bit freaked out by the whole thing.

I completely understand colour relationships and work with them quite well but for the life of me patterns terrify me and I dont really know where to start. Every quilt I look at I will either buy the fabric used or suggested but I want to be able to strike out and use fabrics that really appeal to me! Part of the problem is that I dont have that great a LQS where I can go and pull out fabrics and have a good look and whittle down a selection and its hard to do that process on the internet. So again I buy stacks of fat quarters and layer cakes and hope to pull them together with white, how exciting!

So tell me your secrects; how do you choose your fabrics.

Fiona (Fifi).

There was a wonderful link by Auntie V on the board to a website where you can get much inspiration for color combination http://design-seeds.com
I love it!

One way to go is to pick a print that you love and build around it, pulling fabrics in that complement your print.

Another way to select fabrics is to use complementary colors (those opposite on the color wheel) in a quilt, experimenting with value (light/dark) and texture.

Yet another approach is to use fabrics of a single genre like 1930s or vintage reproduction.

It's a shame you don't have a great quilt shop in your area, but maybe you can compensate by attending a few quilt shows in your area; studying the quilts there should help with your research. A visit to the quilt book reference section of your local library can also provide you with a lot of ideas.

I spent the first 5 years of my now 30+ years quilting career regularly buying 1/2 to 1 yd. blender fabrics to build my stash.

Blenders are those fabrics that almost read as solids from a distance; they compliment and can be used with many different larger print focus fabrics; they are best without a lot of contrast in their small prints; they cover the value spectrum from very light to very dark within each color.

Eventually I had collected 12"-14" high folded stacks of blues, reds, green, yellows, pinks, purples, aquas, blacks, and neutrals......most one yard or less in length. From these I can now make king-sized quilts directly from my own stash. I still buy fabric this way, picking blenders that appeal to me without haaving a particular quilt or pattern in mind. Now when I find a larger "theme" print that I can't live without I usually have most the complimentary fabrics I need to go with it. I recently made a curved log cabin quilt in yellow, aqua, and red using 30 different fabrics from my stash in those colors. It is my favorite quilt and I've taught workshops on this pattern.:) Wish I had a photo.

Jan in VA

I did the same as Jan.. I began with Fqs' then quickly realized that wasn't enough fabric then moved one to 1/2 yards and still wasn't enough, then yards, and, well now i just buy the whole dang bolt....

im a scrappy quilter so everything goes.. the uglies and brights, the vintage to modern.. it plays well when it cut up small....

however if im working on a specific quilt, ill begin with focal fabric and find coordinating "POP" fabrics...

there are a few on line shops that have a 'design wall' feature- where you can 'browse' their fabrics, add them to the design wall then look at them together, move them around, see how the relate to each other. fabric.com is one, I know there are many others- look for that feature when 'browsing' and try it out- playing with the fabrics might help. also, print off pattern pictures in black & white (like log cabins, stars, pineapples ect) and color with colored pencils or markers to try out the fabric colors you would like to try. there are sites that offer free (graph paper) you can print off- that comes in many different 'shapes' so you can design your quilt- in the colors you want.

I completely understand how you feel - I was the same! I used to paint ceramics and at one time had a small business. However when I learned to quilt a few years ago, it was like everything I had ever known about colour went out the window! My mind was just blank - I felt like an idiot.

I don't think there's a particular 'secret' other than the courage of your convictions and the confidence to trust yourself to pick what you like and go with it (remember there are no quilt police). This will come with time/experience. Also, your tastes may change over time - happened to me.

Have a look at the Quilt Gallery here to get some more ideas - there are 8 pages. Also, many selvages have little dots which indicate the colours that will coordinate with that fabric. happy quilting :)

I do the same as Jan. Another thing I look for is fabric that has a lot of different colors in it in somewhat of a small print. I find these fabrics so versatile as they go with so many other fabrics. It took time to build my stash but getting it a little bit of a time and the financial impact wasn't so great. I don't buy less than a 1/2 yard of anything but I also don't buy a lot either - no more than 1 yard unless I think I'm going to use it for a back or I'm really in love with it.
As far as color I spend a lot of time auditioning fabrics together. If I'm home then I put them together and put them someplace I'll be walking by throughout the day so I can see them in different light and moods. The color wheel works well to if you're starting more from scratch. The link that was shared earlier on this board was great as well. If you sign up get a daily e-mail with a color pallet suggestion. Here's the link: http://design-seeds.com

I will either pick a fabric that speaks to me/reminds me of someone and choose a design inspiration (or pattern) I think will work with the fabric or choose a design first.

Once you have a design you can break down what kind of fabrics you're looking for -- bright large print, earthy leaf type print, contrasting solid or marble, something with several swirling colors, ect. This will limit your choices into something manageable and make scale decisions for you.

From there find the fabric you think is most important and find the one that you think is going to be hardest. . . Say bright large print and color swirl fabric.

Once you find those two together the others are easier. You know what colors of green will match and what color they have in common that would be a good accent.

This method occasionally will leave you frustrated looking for that perfect piece. I have the luxury of several area shops so I sometimes go to several stores looking for the perfect fabric, but it also gives me freedom to start with my favorite clearance fabric for the majority of the quilt.

I take inspiration from magazines and quilting blogs and browsing quilt sites/stores. I seem to gravitate toward trendy colors/fabrics and patterns. This is not so good for using up the huge stash I've accumulated though.

Thanks for the replies ladies. I think my problem is that I'm scared of patterns and prints. In life I am a very plain person, clothes being very simple and self coloured. I've never been able to work them even though I can say that working with colour is fairly easy. I think for the time being I shall stick to pre-cut fabric packs, take the difficulty out of it.

Fiona.

You might try picking one print that really "speaks" to you and building the rest with blenders and solids. Then it's only a small step out of your comfort zone. Connecting Threads is an online shop that has a design wall. That lets you "see" six fabrics together. Their fabric is not very expensive so you won't break the bank and then end up with something you don't like. Maybe make some seasonal wallhangings. You can give them as presents.

Well, I have to say that I buy what pleases my eyes. Having said that, I also sew together what pleases my eyes. If you are worried that something you put together will not look good, I wonder if getting a color wheel would help a bit. It can tell what is a good contrast. Maybe for your first venture outside the comfort zone, you could keep it to about 3 different fabrics, that are not too "busy", then go from there.

Everyone's explanation and ideas were great. Additionally, I found this link interesting for value and hues of colors:
http://www.quiltingboard.com/links-r...l-t244777.html.

I just wanted to say thanks for this description of what a blender is. I've heard the term a million times but never really thought about what they are. You've made me realize my stash is really spare on blenders in most color ranges.

Oh so am I! I wear very dark, simple color clothes. But quilts are different, no color is off the list when it comes to quilts. I make some wild, some mild! Don't be afraid...nothing bad can happen!

Maybe you need to do a scrappy quilt. Pick colors you like and you know work together, find prints in those colors, and dice them into squares and put them back together at random. If you don't like it, just start showing it to people and when someone loves it, give it to them. :)

Or maybe a bargello will help, since you use a lot of different fabrics (like 20). They really aren't as hard as they look, I promise! You can mix solids, prints, batiks...anything you want, it's just the prevailing color that matters.

Or you might try several shades of the same color. That works for me, as I also don't lean towards patterns or prints. Or a Bargello, like Sewnoma suggested? I also like to use a lot of white. That works well for me. Anyway, food for thought when you are ready to experiment.

If I have remembered the order right, the first it s Trip around the World, the second is a Bargello wall hanging, and the third is called First Light Log Cabin, and it is free online somewhere.

Just in case any of these spark ideas for you. I like to use precuts too, but I like to select my own fabric more. :)

Dina