As I was ironing a floral fabric I noticed that the reverse side of the floral looked beautiful in a soft muted way. Has anyone ever made a quilt using the reverse side of the fabric or am I just weird?! If you don't believe me (or rather help me feel I'm not way out there) take a piece of a floral or bright fabric and see what I mean. Would the fabric, after it is washed, fade differently?

I'm anxious to try this but not if it's not a good idea. Thanks fellow quilters! I look forward to hearing from you.

People use the reverse side of fabric all the time ( sometimes by mistake! ) If it looks good to you, it will to others too and they will never know you used the reverse side.

I am doing one now..I bought some teal fabric that the "right" side was too blueish but the "wrong" side was just perfect..A soft teal..

Watercolor quilts use the reverse side of the fabric. there are other 'mirror' techiniques that also use the reverse. If you like it, use it!

I did an attic window quilt this way.... one side I used the "front" and for the part across the bottom, I used the "back".... gave the perfect contrast I was looking for. ;-)

you pay for both sides of the fabric- why not use both sides if they suit your purpose? sometimes the muted side is the perfect side...there's no such thing as a wrong side.

i use which every side works best in the project

You are not weird or way out there you are "innovative". It's your fabric and you can use any side you like.
You go girl.

Exactly.. Well said!..

i use whichever side that works best. Good way to get shading and blending.

Haven't done it with a quilt but did use the "wrong side" when I made the dress that I wore to my daughters wedding. The colors were much softer!

Thank you for the laugh - couldn't have said it better.

"you pay for both sides of the fabric-"

My thoughts exactly ~ Your quilt. Do what you like best. Just be sure to shows us the finished quilt :)

My quilt teacher told us to always consider using the reverse side of fabric. I've not done it, but apparently she has.

my avatar was made with the fronts and backs of the fabrics to give me the right colorways but different values for the background

Some Stack-n-Whacks require you too. I made a butterfly stack n whack quilt and the reverse of the fabric made the wings look like they had movement to them...

I buy both sides :wink: and I will use them both :D:D:D
Sometimes they just work better, especially if your block calls for shading, they blend well together :D:D:D

Oh yes! I did use the reverse side of a beautiful red rose pattern fabric on a quilt for the same reasons you stated. No one knew the difference and the finished quilt was much prettier than if it had that bright red side showing to distract from the rest of the pattern.

The "right" side is the side you like best

SOME OF THE JEAN MATERIAL THAT I CUT FOR A RAG QUILT WAS PETTIER ON THE REVERSE SIDE AND MY DD LIKED IT SO WE CALLED IT THE FLIP FLOP JEAN QUILT.BARB

I recently did a challenge quilt. I had to use at least 2 inches of a fabric. It was purple with small greenish flowers, the back was the greenish color with a shadow of the flowers. I won first place. Several people told me they voted for my quilt over other favorites because of my unique use of the fabric.

I have used the reverse side of fabric a lot over the years for many projects - I even made a wedding gown using the reverse side of a curtain material which had a sheen and nap much like raw silk (per customer's request). So forge ahead and remember - first we learn the rules and then we learn rules are made to be broken :thumbup:

I have occasionally used the fabric reversed-can remember doing it in a log cabin.
It did not wash differently.

in several classes I've taken the teacher often speaks of using the reverse fabric for a shadowed or distance effect.

Absolutely, what ever your choice is, if the reverse side is pretty use it.

I do this with batiks... when I am appliqueing.... two fabrics for the price of one.

You can call it the "other side". Heard that on a sewing show.

I do that lots of times if the back is the correct color for what I want/need. I actually got the idea from other quilters. LOL

I usually look at a fabric before I buy it to see if the print goes through to the back side. It won't keep me from buying it if it doesn't, but its a plus if it does. Using both sides is good for color wash quilts.See, you learned a new trick...er, technique.

I usuall like the back side of upholstering fabrics better.It has a much softer look -But I've had fabrics that after piecing together and laying them out before being able to really see the difference

I can't stand it. It bugs me forever. However, others aren't in the least bothered by reverse fabric and put it in without further thought. Up to you.
Stephanie

I do this all the time. You pay for both sides. Why not use both sides?

WOW, you do learn something new everyday, I have never thought of using the reverse side of fabric.

On a quilting show I once heard the comment that there is the right side and the other right side, because whatever works best in what you are making is correct.

I tell my students "you pay for both sides, use the side you like the best".

You bet it have. I also repaired a quilt for my daughter's customer and found that she had used the reverse side of the main fabric to make it look aged. It was a beautiful quilt. Go with your 'gut' feeling.

It's fine to use the reverse side of the fabric to get an totally different effect. Go for it.

When making log cabin blocks, I often use the back side of the fabric. This adds variety to the fabrics I already am using in their similar shades. I consider it a bonus to have a fabric you can use either side of. :-D

When I buy fabrics, I am assuming that I am buying both sides. :-)

I recovered a chair years ago. I found some scraps recently and realized I had used the back side of the fabric.