... what do you reach for?

Is it a watercolor "solid" batik?

Or a print?

Do you have a favorite?

I prefer the "print" to the watercolor. It's just more pleasing to my eye.

I prefer the watercolors! For me, there are a lot of ugly print batiks, while all the watercolors are pleasing.

i prefer watercolor - the eyes need some where to rest and most batiks are heavy printed designs so a neutral watercolor plays very nicely with the others.

Definitely watercolors for me. I agree the eye needs a place to rest

I have used both. Depends what's in the rest of the quilt.

watercolors..I find the prints have too much movement..they tend to distract from the other fabrics!

And they've gotten more so in recent years. I find myself buying less and less of them and going with a more solid texture - the 1895 Hoffman bali's always work for me.

Maybe because there's a lot of high contrast in the colors in the prints whereas before they were more monotone. :|

I was thinking of ordering these ... the first three are prints; do you think they have too much going on? In which case the fourth one would be better?

Many of the light watercolor batiks do not read as batik from a fairly close range. I have been dissappointed in the "read"of beige or muslin colored batik. This is also the HARDEST to purchase online, as those subtle shades read differnent, depending on the monitor. It is sometimes hard to distingush a grayish beige , from a warm beige, to a yellowy beige. This is the one category of batik I make sure I actually see before purchasing. Having a small print in it keeps the eye from concentrating on the tone quite so much.
I am always on the lookout for batik light nuetrals that have some type of "print" in them .. it just gives more depth and keeps the eye moving rather than stopping. The watercolor or the Hoffman 1895 lights read ... flat.
If I am working in small pieces less than 1 1/2 inch I ...might use a few... of the light water color.
I do like the samples you posted ... alot!!!
Just my couple of cents.... last year I ordered over 150 yards of batiks...

Ditto

I am LOOKING and LOOKING for those light batiks. Sat on the computer for hours the other night after running from LQS to LQS. I need 15-25 different lights. Could only find 16. Exactly what you have posted. The watercolors wash out too much. As soon as I get my camera to hook up to the computer I will show you what I am making.

Nan, I really like the last one. I'm also in favor of the watercolor look.

You're right about it being hard to get a feel for the color.

Would it be helpful if the item description said, in words, whether it had areas of beige or yellow or icy blue or gray or peach, to help the viewer decide whether the color overall was leaning the right way for their projects?

Perfect thread for a dilemma I've in now! I want a warm-neutral 1895 batik ---- which one should I look at?

I go for small, overall prints, not the watercolor solids very much at all...though the watercolor dots are good. I want texture and because I work in small scale, the watercolors just don't deliver it. I like several of the Hoffman texture line, Kaufman's elemental line, anything with a tight geometric, botanic, or organic monotone pattern, but then, I don't make traditional quilts much anymore so I'm probably not the target you're looking for. Light neutral batiks are not easy to find around here, so I would eagerly grab a bolt of that Kaufman elemental you have pictured in #3. ;)

I think the second one is my favorite. I kind of like the subtle prints the best.

What about these ones? They're "future" fabrics that won't hit the market until July...

I like the watercolors. And I LOVE Batiks!

It would be very very helpful.

I'm still learning my way as far as selecting batiks. The Kaufman rep very rarely stops by, but did this fall, and one thing that I noticed was that everything with the same color code (163 sand, for example) plays very nicely together.

The same is true of Hoffman... and I do have their 1895 color fan, but the sample swatches are so small that you really cannot see the "big picture".

Kaufman has almost the identical colors as the Hoffman 1895. If I put them side by side you would not know who's was who's. I do hate the small swatches , sometimes there is a color that does not show on the swatch. ... an issue when buying batiks online. This is why purchasing the 1895 types can be safer than some of the multi color prints when looking to create a dark area. The watercolors are a safe predictable batik.... but its the watercolor batiks that have the biggest issue with bleeding. I still want to do a side by side color for color test between the kaufman and Hoffman 1895 to see who's has less bleeding.

Please let us know the result, if you do the test!

Nancy, what is the line in your second set of photos? Definitely worth waiting for!

Is it possible that some of these have enough variation that they could qualify as another if you sort your pieces or fussy cut them? Good luck with your project.

Liked the #4 before and this #2 especially.

that kind of description would encourage me to make a purchase still with the understanding that not all perceive color the same way!

The first picture on this page is Artisan Batiks Tartans, and the second one on this page is Artisan Batiks Sorrento. Both are not shipping to stores until July.

Thanks. I can wait...just wanted to add them to my list. :)

Thank you for all your helpful suggestions! I did order the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th fabrics I posted pictures of... that gives me two that Kaufman calls "sand" and one that they call "ecru". And I ordered another one they call "straw", plus one of their FQ batik bundles so I can see the color they call "linen". That will give me an idea of what subtle hints of color are in these.

Definitely the watercolor.........the 4th one is my favorite of the four.

The ones you ended up purchasing are the ones I would have used as "neutral" for a background or something. The first one was too high contrast. I REALLY liked the second one (I think)- the one with the flowers.

Although I'd use either, my preference would be for a print. As long as it wasn't that funny looking leaf...

:lol: Too funny! The name of that print is 'Gordian Knot', it's not trying to be a leaf at all. ;-)

I think she was talking about another leaf fabric that I posted.

:-)

I had been looking for more light-colored batiks and innocently stumbled across a batik with marijuana leaves on it!

:shock:

oops, sorry. :oops: