Selecting Fabric
A. Planning Colors and Fabrics
It is always best to make a sample block and live with it for a day or so to be sure it’s what you want. A good way to see what the finished quilt will look like is to place 2 mirrors at right angles on a table, then place the block on the table against the 2 edges of the mirrors. The reflections will let you see how the blocks will look when connected.
Diane Bachman, Leola, PA
Piece a block (or a few) and see how you like it on the design wall for a few days. Once, I removed a single piece from a completed Double Wedding Ring top because it was the one piece that drew everyone’s eye. I replaced it with a more blending color, not too much of a hassle for a major improvement!
Libbie Ellis, Tarpon Springs, FL
I understand the color wheel and know about complementary and contrasting colors. I also know that too much matchy matchy is boring.
Jann Dodds, Kenthurst, Australia
If you have trouble with picking colors or discerning whether fabrics are light, medium or dark, try making a black and white photocopy of the quilt you have in mind. It’ll help you get past the “color” and you’ll be better able to distinguish the tones of the fabrics instead.
Barbara Gentner, West Seneca, NY
Think outside the box at least a little and try something new. You might be pleasantly surprised. This is not brain surgery. If you goof it up, no one will die.
Annemarie (Nancy) Poorbaugh, Montgomery, AL
If you have a lot of small prints, your quilt is not dramatic when viewed from farther away. Scale is important.
Danette Lockler, Denver, CO
I focus on the contrast between a pattern’s pieces. There are always certain parts of a block that I want to bring forward and others that I want to recede. A general rule is warm colors (red, yellow and orange) will come forward; cool colors (blue, green and purple) will recede.
Kathleen Keough, Berwyn, PA
I allow the pattern to dictate the colors. If I’m making a modern quilt, I’ll use bold, bright, primary colors. If I’m making a traditional quilt, I’ll use more subdued, grayed colors, and if I’m making an Americana quilt, I’ll mostly use various tones of red, white, and blue. My personal favorites are scrap quilts with medium dark, and dark fabrics (all colors) with some tans thrown in for contrast.
Jan Fusco, Collegeville, PA
Advertising companies spend a lot of money picking color combinations for the packaged food items we buy. Pick one or two from your pantry and pull your colors from that.
Maria Goodwin, Washington, DC
I almost never use solid fabrics. I prefer fabrics that, when you squint your eyes, look solid. They add more interest in a quilt.
Nancy Henry, Rochester, NH
Take a piece of typing paper and cut a 2–3” square out of the middle, then lay this down on your bolt to see the perspective you’d have if you cut it into a square.
A good beginner’s tip is to take a piece of typing paper and cut a 2–3” square out of the middle, then lay this down on your bolt to see the perspective you’d have if you cut it into a square. A color may appear too bright when you are looking at an entire bolt, but if you are just using 3” squares, it just may be the punch you need.
Susan Bonilla, Clinton, UT
I like my quilts to have a “feel” to them—like bright and bold, soft and romantic, earth tones, or masculine. Once I have a feel for how I’d like the end result to look, it’s easier to audition possible fabrics for the quilt.
Barbara Gentner, West Seneca, NY
Since I am usually making quilts for other people, I go on what color they are using for the baby’s room or their bedroom. Or it may be just a grouping of fabrics that seem to be that person. I made a quilt for my son, and my husband looked at it and said, “It looks like him.” Exactly what I was going for!
Karen Kunte, Rome, PA
For soothing quilts, colors should have low contrast, and for lively ones, most contrast. I’m very picky and only choose what’s pleasing to me, for quilting is a hobby and I want to feel joy in working with the colors I choose.
Karla Santoro, Stanley, NY
Usually there is one fabric that I build off of. Sometimes it’s the fabric itself that caught my attention, or it could be that when thinking of the person for whom the quilt is intended, I find one fabric that he/she will love. Then I use the quilter’s color wheel and the pattern to build the rest of it.
Beth Artman, Red Lion, PA
I use a digital camera to help me finalize my picks. I lay out the potential fabrics side by side, take some photos and download them to my computer. It gives me a better perspective.
Suzanne Beringer, Greenacres, WA
Don’t go all matchy-matchy. Quilting is about contrast, not matching.
Don’t go all matchy-matchy. Unlike getting dressed in the morning, quilting is about contrast, not matching.
Janice Simmons, Fresno, CA
When I am planning a quilt, I leave the fabrics fanned out on the sewing table and look at them over several days. I will lay out more fabrics than I need and take things away until I have just the look I want. When a fabric is just not quite right, I keep looking for one that is, or I may go another color way with a different fabric. I recently worked on a quilt that started from a beautiful Hoffman cabbage rose print. I started working with the greens and gold in it, but in the end went more toward the burgundies based on the fabrics I liked layered on the table.
Stephanie Wagner, Bear, DE
I use Electric Quilt 7 to see how the colors will play and, many times, I end up moving my colors around for a more pleasing effect. Before purchasing EQ7, I used to sketch out the design on graph paper and color it with coloring pencils.
Donna Royson, Blythewood, SC
Make sure to incorporate fabrics that allow the eye to rest—too much pattern can be exhausting in a larger quilt.
Anne Jackson, Prior Lake, MN
Sometimes I like to go with a quilt just as I’ve seen it made. If I can’t find the exact fabric, I study the quilt. I learn what role each fabric is playing. I then try to find new fabric that can play a similar role to achieve the same effect. I can change color schemes. There is much to be learned. What recedes. What comes forward. What are the hues? Values? How do they relate to the overall quilt? Those fabrics adjacent to them?
Amy Rochelle, South Lyon, MI
Be careful of designs with checks and lines; they don’t always print straight on the fabric, and it is hard to match them up.
Shirley Valk, Ellerbe, NC
Don’t forget to use solid colors. The beautiful patterns will really pop out at you with a little plain color used here and there. It helps make the quilt more restful and relaxing to look at, too, instead of just too busy. My early quilts were more busy and the prettiest fabrics were lost in the mix.
Paula Clark, Ethridge, TN
I’m big on making sure the colors flow without a dominant color that takes over the quilt. I love white to tone and balance.
Barb Mikielski, Dallas, PA
The more happy colors the better! I like a lot of contrast and movement, and I almost always use red somewhere in every quilt.
Christy Proost, Mechanicsville, VA
You should always line your fabrics up in the quilt store, take a few steps away from them, and look at how they blend before you decide to buy them. Sometimes I’ll even walk out of sight of the fabrics so that when I look again I can be surprised by the stack of fabric. In this way, I can decide if I like how the fabrics look together from far away.
Kat Gatrell, Tucson, AZ
If the quilt will stay in my home, I consider the colors in the room where the quilt will be located. If it is for donation, I often select a color grouping I like but that will not work in my home.
Nancy Koyanik, Troy, VA
I like vibrant colors and use a lot of black in my projects as it makes the pattern stand out.
Lee Waltenberry, Wales, WI
I make bed-size scrappy quilts and use only 1800s reproduction fabrics in them. If I’m using any and all colors, then I try to use a common background color to tie everything together and give the eye a place to rest in viewing the quilt. Or, sometimes I select two colors, i.e. pink/brown, and use varying shades of those colors. I’m currently working on a quilt using 5 different fabrics and scrappy background colors—it all works together because it is reproduction fabrics.
I prefer limiting myself to 3–5 colors, but then I like to have many, many selections from those color families.
Jan Mast, Lancaster, PA
Start with a “focus” fabric and arrange the other fabrics in matching colors, then add one fabric in a deviate color so there will be something exciting to look at.
One of my color scheme books taught me to be happy with 95% of my fabrics/colors and take a risk with the last 5%.
Ellen Boes-Smit, The Hague, Netherlands
I usually audition fabrics, starting with a fabric that excites me and working out fabrics that work with it. I look for contrast as well as harmony in the colors. I sometimes include a color that would normally be considered discordant to add some zing to the color scheme.
I usually buy a collection of fabrics so that the colors are already coordinated.
BJ Chadwick, Marmora, NJ
I usually buy a collection of fabrics so that the colors are already coordinated. The artists that design fabric lines have much more artistic skill than I do.
Stephanie Leuthesser, San Ysidro, CA
I particularly enjoy sewing with multi-colored fabrics—those you’d have trouble defining as one color because they have equal amount of several colors in them. I make a lot of controlled scrappy quilts—that is, I choose pastels or brights and I don’t mix them in the same quilt. Scrappy quilts are bordered and bound in a single fabric used in the quilt body to draw it all together.
Nancee McCann, Wilmington, DE
I usually use colors that I like or have in my home.
Susie Young, Anthony, KS
I start with one fabric that I really like and then find complementary fabric to go with it. Then I look for one color that pops and use a limited amount of it so my eyes will move across the quilt.
Robbin Golden, Summerville, SC
I’ve done quilts in combinations I never thought were possible, whatever pleases my eye. I recently completed a magnificent quilt in purples, blues and rusts. I love to go outside the box with colors!
Sue Levin, Blue Bell, PA
I slip into my comfort zone of the 1800–1900 colors. I love turkey red and ick (olive) green, browns, cheddars, federal blues and pinks. I am not fond of bright jewel tones or of dyed fabrics.
Joanne Picicci, Spokane, WA
When I’m shopping for quilt fabric, I love to take my daughter along with me even though I’ve been quilting for quite some time, and she is not a quilter. She definitely has an eye for putting fabrics together that I may not have considered.
Geralyn McClarren, Harrisburg, PA
B. Color Inspiration
Nature gives us beautiful color combinations. Have you ever looked at a flower garden? Just the blends of the zinnia patch can present ideas. Or how about the variations of blue and white skies adjacent to a hundred shades of green of a wooded scene?
Color is my favorite part of quilting.
Sharel Etheridge, Lennon, MI
Paint chips are my favorite color play. I own color wheels from all the major paint manufactures, and I mix and match all the time.
Susan Ache, Jacksonville, FL
When I was teaching, I was often amazed at some of the garish cloth people would bring in. But I was the one surprised, because when we were finished cutting and sewing, none of the quilt tops were ever ugly. I tell my students that handmade quilts seem to mystically take on some special attribute, and the quilts become infused with love for the intended recipient, and all become beautiful, regardless of color or design.
Violet Thetford, Forest Grove, OR
I love the website Design Seeds. It takes any photograph and breaks it down into the color story. Many of the pictures I use are of nature, or other forms of art such as a painting.
Kathleen Keough, Berwyn, PA
When we travel, I often come home with fabrics that remind me of where we went. Yellow and turquoise from San Diego, navy and camel from Charleston, red and black from Disney World . . .
Mary Jo Millonzi, Mt. Prospect, IL
I love to peruse books on vintage quilts and find lots of inspiration there.
Karen Martin, Breezy Point, MN
Nature is inspiring. I love to try to reproduce a summer sky, a sunset, or a winter landscape. I use a lot of batiks for those. For reproduction quilts, I try to visualize what my predecessors would have used to make a quilt, relying on books, websites, or designers for guidance.
Deborah Gross, Willow Grove, PA
I find clues in nature. For instance, one of my favorite roses has petals with deep pink, pale yellow, and peach. What a pretty quilt that would make for a baby girl.
Carole Sibley, Mt. Laurel, NJ
I look at oriental rugs, paisleys, and tapestries for color inspiration. For tonal quilts, I find flowers are great inspiration.
Beth Miller, Arena, WI
I love following the Pantone Color of the Year and then a fun seasonal fabric each season.
Anne Jackson, Prior Lake, MN
A major source of fabrics for me is the scrap/share table at my guild meetings. Even scraps as small as 3” square can inspire very large wall quilts. There are also a variety of old or vintage fabrics and also fibers other than cotton. Scrap tables are incredibly popular at my guild meetings—the tables are rushed and the fabric goes flying. Every piece is taken. This is a guild fundraiser.
Favorite Color To Use In Quilts, According to Our Survey
I love bright colors, but I have a stash of all colors, even ones I don’t like. It is amazing how different projects need different colors to create the effect I want.
Bev Day, Grand Bay–Westfield, New Brunswick
Valerie Turer, Brooklyn, NY
I love the internet! I have a folder on my computer labeled “quilt inspiration” and save pictures of random items there. The last photo I saved there was of an advertisement for a Mother’s Day flower arrangement. I just loved the colors, and it immediately made me think how pretty the colors would be in a quilt.
Terri Overton, San Tan Valley, AZ
Look at nature. There are many greens that don’t match, but they look beautiful together.
I went to a color lecture by Jane Blair, and she said look at nature. There are many greens that don’t match, but they look beautiful together. I do that with my quilts. It really adds a special punch to the quilt.
Kris Newlin, West Chester, PA
Once, I challenged myself to create a quilt which reflected the feeling of a painting I liked.
E. Anne Hendrickson, Toledo, OR
Don’t be afraid to try your hand at choosing your own fabrics. Yes, there are beautiful kits to be had, but it is okay to try that for yourself. Every one of us manages to dress ourselves in a presentable way each day. Trust your instincts and what you love in the colors you wear.
Colleen Coffman, Mulino, OR
I received a beautiful bouquet of flowers from my son on my birthday. I took a picture of it because I just loved the colors and said that would be awesome colors in a quilt. I downloaded the picture on to my computer and saved it there until I found the right fabrics. Four months later, I made the quilt.
Ann Ouellette, Meriden, CT
Sometimes I see museum displays—such as Egyptian art—with interesting color combinations.
Valerie Turer, Brooklyn, NY
My husband and I spent almost 4 years cruising on a small sailboat throughout the Bahamas and the Caribbean. I love the colors seen in the waters there, the deep blues to soft turquoises to pale greens. The bright fruits and flowers and the brilliance of the sunrises and sunsets are so cheerful and vibrant and show up in many of my projects. But I also favor the deep greens and browns of the temperate rain forests I grew to love during my high school years on the Olympic Peninsula in the state of Washington.
Libbie Ellis, Tarpon Springs, FL
My husband is a hobby photographer, so he has lots of interesting photos to analyze for color.
Laroletta Petty, Breckenridge, CO
I am most often inspired by a photograph, so I always carry a camera with me. I also clip photos out of magazines and save these in a scrapbook for future reference.
Barbara Merritt, Brackney, PA
One day, when I was making a pot of minestrone soup, I took a photo of the bacon, onions, carrot and celery. The colors all mixed together as they were frying off were amazing.
Louise Lott, Healesville, Australia
I live in Southwest Virginia, tucked in a “holler” in the Appalachian mountains. I can see greens, purple, white, pink, browns, and yellow right from my window. Whenever I wonder if this shade will match with that shade, I think of the mountains.
Kellie Hewitt, Marion, VA
I get a lot of quilting inspiration from Monet, the French Impressionist painter.
Susan Lesko, Bloomingburg, NY
I find color inspiration in unusual displays in stores, accidental placing of towels in my linen cupboard, magazines, paint chips and other quilters’ work.
Adrienne Wilson, Ada, MI
I find inspiration taking a walk through the woods; there must be 45 different shades of green.
Denise Mincek, White Lake, MI
I sometimes sew bright cheery colors in the winter and colder colors in the summer to help balance the seasonal temperature.
Paula Clark, Ethridge, TN
C. Fabric Quality
I recommend 100% cotton or organic cotton for all quilting. I do not use any poly-cotton blends. Cotton is easy to work with, will not stretch out of shape, and always looks crisp and clean.
Sharon Sutton, Lindsey, OH
There’s no need to waste your time sewing something if you’re going to use inferior fabric. The fabric will fight you along the way, and the finished piece will not withstand the test of time. Buy the best quality fabric you can afford from a reputable quilt fabric store. Yardage should come off the bolt (not flat goods that are strike-offs or remnants) and should come from a respected manufacturer whose name should appear on the selvage.
Jan Mast, Lancaster, PA
Established manufacturers such as Windham, Marcus, Moda, and RJR, to name a few, are known to carry excellent fabric.
Shelia Smith, Goldthwaite, TX
Keep in mind that flannel will stretch more, so it is not as good for intricate piecing; it will usually shrink more in washing, too. Flannel is good for backing because it is soft and cuddly.
Sherry Waite, Albuquerque, NM
The higher the thread count, the happier I am, therefore I’m especially partial to batiks. The tighter the weave, the easier is needle-turn appliqué and, it seems, the stronger and more long-lasting the quilt will be. I’m often found holding a single thickness of fabric up to a light to see how much light comes through the spaces between threads. Yes, it’s subjective, but it works for me.
Libbie Ellis, Tarpon Springs, FL
Hold your hand under one layer of the fabric. If you see your hand, the thread count in the fabric is not high enough.
Faye Sykes, Rocky Mount, NC
Tug a little at the cut edge of the fabric and you will know it’s cheap if a bunch of threads pop out.
Cheaper fabrics do not cut well or hold their shape. Simply tug a little at the cut edge of the fabric and you will know it’s cheap if a bunch of threads pop out.
Kevin Kern, Paradise Valley, NV
If I like a fabric and I’m not sure it is 100% cotton, I use my lighter to burn a small piece of it. If it burns without making a sticky ball, only leaving a kind of powder, I am sure it is cotton.
Maria da Conceição Amado de Sousa Martins, Alges, Portugal
I look at the cut edge for fraying—it shouldn’t fray much. I also look at the selvage edge for the fabric maker.
Mary Andra Holmes, Prescott, AZ
I find quality fabrics have better color intensity, and the fabrics fade very little or not at all when washed. Quality fabrics have a tight weave and feel silky.
Beverly Baxter, Troy, PA
A good quality fabric will make the project easier to cut out and sew together. There will be no stretching and the pattern will stay on grain.
Tammy DeLeebeeck, Vittoria, Ontario
Fabric of lesser quality is stiffer, and some hardly drapes at all. I only use it now for small pieces that aren’t meant to last a long time: table runners, placemats, etc.
Barbara Kunkel, West Bloomfield, MI
Many fabrics of lower quality add a lot of sizing to try to hide the fact that their fabric is of lower quality. I have learned that excessive sizing makes fabric stiff and hard to work with.
Claudia McGriff, Piqua, OH
Fabric quality is very important to me. I want to make quilts that will be here long after I am gone. Good quality fabric stands up to washings and use, it’s nice to work with, it lays better in the piecing, and looks better than less expensive fabric. While I always check to be sure that the bolt says 100% cotton, I also feel the fabric with my hands to be sure it is soft rather than hard, not thin/flimsy and has a nice density. If it doesn’t “feel” nice, I won’t buy it.
Kim Loar, Lancaster, PA
I look at the strength of the material. If I pull on the diagonal, will it return to its shape or look stretched out? If it returns to its shape, that’s quality fabric.
Arlene Greenwald, West Chester, PA
The fabric can make or break a quilt . . . good quality is essential. Fabric with a lower thread count can be stiff, thin and shrink a lot. The batting can also beard in lower thread count fabric. Check to make sure the colors are printed correctly and in the right places.
Linnette Dowdell, Apopka, FL
I check the weave by using my nail to see if I can move the threads. If the weave is loose, the fabric probably has a low thread count and will likely deteriorate with use. If I put my hand behind it, and see the outline of my hand, this is a lower quality fabric.
Rosemarie Garone, West Islip, NY
Good quality fabric means higher thread count, less shrinkage, less color fading, durability, stability and consistency. Quality fabric gives much less frustration for someone new to quilting; there is enough to deal with without worrying about if the fabric is going to fade or bleed.
Teresa Caldwell, Long Valley, NJ
If I plan to hand quilt the project, I look at the fabric to make sure it is not too dense as that makes it difficult to get tiny stitches in the quilting.
I always look at the back of the fabric where you can more easily see the quality of the dye and the weave of the fabric.
Dagmar Yaddow, Rhinebeck, NY
I always look at the back of the fabric where you can more easily see the quality of the dye and the weave of the fabric.
Barbara Merritt, Brackney, PA
I want my fabric to be of good quality, for I think anything that I make will be around for grandchildren and beyond. It is my legacy.
Nancy Olsen, Scotia, NY
You won’t save money buying cheap fabrics. You will make a temporary quilt.
Diane Bachman, Leola, PA
I always buy good quality fabric which I can tell by look, feel, and price. I am fortunate I can afford this. I dislike when people look down on other people with cheaper fabric, because if the cheaper price enables them to sew, then that’s terrific.
Jude Simmonds, Hobart, Australia
I have been disappointed sometimes to find that a higher price does not always mean a quality fabric. I check quality by feeling the fabric and looking to see how tight the weave is.
Charlotte Kewish, Gibsonia, PA
Checking for fabric quality, I look for color brightness and fastness. I will take a white cotton t-shirt and rub it together with the fabric to be sure color does not rub off, which means it will likely run in the wash. This is particularly important when using red fabric, as it has a tendency to run.
Ellen Volker, Lancaster, NY
If it does not have a name on the bolt or selvage, I don’t usually buy it.
Cathy Washburn, Tucson, AZ
I would say fabric quality is about 80% important to me. Since I do a lot of fusible appliqué, the quality for the small appliqué pieces does not have to be of the highest caliber. My borders and pieced blocks, however should be of the best quality I can afford.
Barbara Theriault, Brooksville, FL
I scrunch it with my hands and feel it to see if it is wrinkled. If it is, it is too thin and of poor quality for my quilts.
Karen Richards, Cerritos, CA
A very sweet smell means too much stabilizing product in the fabric. Heavy dyes smell, too.
Mardi Niles, Scotia, NY
If you rip out a mistake in poor fabric, you can ruin it.
Brenda Radzinski, Albion, NY
I think you have to judge fabric quality on an individual basis and not just by where you bought the fabric. There is good and bad fabric in every store. Sometimes I make real scrap basket quilts and everything goes!
Cincy Bailey, Valrico, FL
I like a good, tight weave; I don’t like to use fabric if I can hold it up to the light and see through it!
Linda Hahn, Chelsea, MI
D. Shopping Online
I do a lot of online shopping. Usually I will have a small first order to test the company’s product quality, promptness, and customer service.
Karon Chigbrow, Marysville, WA
If shopping online, I read customer comments, policies, and “about us.” I want to make sure I am dealing with a shop with a good reputation and good customer service. If I get something I don’t like, or the order is not correct, are they going to fix it for me nicely and quickly?
When you live two hours from the nearest quilt shop, you depend on the internet a little more. Our little shop can’t afford to get all the latest fabrics in. That is also why Block of the Month quilts are so handy for me. I get to use all the latest fabrics and some wonderful patterns. I can always use more shops that do these Blocks of the Month!
Carol Lewin, Hay Springs, NE
In an online fabric store, I appreciate handwritten notes from the women who cut and prepare my orders. I like to be on mailing lists about sales.
Kathy Perry, Sugar Land, TX
I use True Up Sales Alerts (www.trueup.net) to find fabric sales online, but when I want a certain fabric, I buy it, regardless of whether it is on sale or not.
Kathleen Keough, Berwyn, PA
The pros of shopping online: The prices are usually better. You can shop in the middle of the night.
The con: You can shop in the middle of the night so that makes impulse buying way too easy.
The best thing about shopping online is it’s easy to see whole lines of fabric on one page.
Cincy Bailey, Valrico, FL
The best thing about shopping online is it’s easy to see whole lines of fabric on one page. The down side is that there’s no one to ask for an opinion, or help figure yardage, or maybe know where that perfect companion piece is hiding. When I buy online, it’s usually for something very specific or more of something I already have. To me, shopping in a brick and mortar store is more casual, more social, more fun and, in the end, I usually spend more money.
Barbara Gentner, West Seneca, NY
I work long hours, and many stores are closed when I have time to shop. Online shopping is more convenient and easier on my feet.
Becky Garten, Overland Park, KS
When searching for fabrics online, you have the advantage of shopping anytime, day or night with no waiting in line. You can also do your shopping on holidays when fabric stores are closed. You have the ability to search and compare prices without leaving the comforts of your home, without driving to different stores using up your gas.
Debbie McAdam, Holbrook, NY
It is very much easier to shop online but does nothing to support the wonderful people at my local quilt shop who are making a living in my community.
Elizabeth Beardsley, Boulder, CO
Shipping can be expensive if you don’t buy a large quantity and the colors aren’t always true. However, you can usually get some great deals, and often complete collections of materials if a “bricks” store is out of certain patterns.
Linda Hahn, Chelsea, MI
If you are just trying to add to your stash, online shopping may be okay, particularly if the fabric is on sale. Colors online do not always look the same in person, though.
Faye Sykes, Rocky Mount, NC
For me, the absolute best place to shop for fabric is eBay. There is always a great variety, you can ask as many questions as you like, and you can always find a sale.
Kellie Hewitt, Marion, VA
I have purchased fabric online but only after I’ve actually seen the same fabric in a shop. I like to be able to feel the fabric and see the colors. Usually, the online price is better.
I like sites that have design boards to view fabrics together.
Ann Hay, Carlisle, PA
Online shopping allows me to see more options. I like sites that have design boards to view fabrics together. As I age, I find online shopping takes less energy, and I like shopping in my jammies.
Carolyn Simons, Apple Valley, CA
I remember one time I was looking for something cute for a bathrobe, just a sweet little print. I found pretty red pairs of cherries on a buttery yellow background at this one online retailer. Well. When the fabric arrived, I was shocked. My sweet little cherries were bigger than my fist! I made the bathrobe anyway and I get a chuckle every time I wear it.
Michelle Harrison, Morganton, GA
E. Shopping in a Physical Store
Here is a valuable reason to buy from a local quilt store: if you don’t, they may disappear and your only choice will be a chain store. The fabric may be more expensive than a chain store’s for several reasons: chain stores buy in larger bulk and the quality is usually lesser. However, the quilt store is where many people learn to quilt, continue to get support and have their questions answered, and there is a much greater variety of fabrics. I can’t stress how important it is to support your local quilt stores!
Nancy Henry, Rochester, NH
Buy what you love, and don’t take the shop ladies’ advice unless you have seen their quilts and you know that you like what they make. So many of us are brought up to please people, we find it hard to say, “Hmmmm. No, let me think about that one. I am not sure I want to put that fabric in this project.”
Michelle Harrison, Morganton, GA
I shop my local quilt shops first because they are dedicated to me, the quilter. The help, inspiration, classes, knowledge, and support from quilt shops are priceless to me. I sign up to receive quilt shop news so I am aware of new classes, fabric, events, and sales.
Darly Dulion, Laguna Beach, CA
Look for salespeople who are passionate about quilting. They will be eager to help you find fabrics and not just make a buck.
Krista Schwabe, Lakeland, FL
There are two kinds of fabric shopping: browsing and focused. Browsing is wandering into a store or a web site in the expectation of a “wow” moment. If you love it, buy it right now, because fabric is so often unavailable a short time later. Focused shopping is going for the stuff you need to make or finish a quilt. If it is in process, I take swatches and always measurements.
Carol Nussbaumer, Estes Park, CO
Treat every trip to the fabric store as a design session. Take your pattern and swatches of fabric with you. I use a spiral notebook and double-stick tape to create a page for every project, so I have everything with me that I need.
Barbara Merritt, Brackney, PA
I take my notebook with the diagrams I drew, and the list of how much fabric I need for each part of the quilt, such as the main fabric, sashing, borders, backing, etc. I also take a small calculator to figure out if I need more or less depending on fabric width.
Karen Richards, Cerritos, CA
Every year I go to the Houston International Quilt Show. My best friend and I always make a “wish list.” We decide what color fabric we are looking for, we select patterns for future quilts and then while we are at the show, we evaluate all the booths before we start buying. We write what booths we are going to re-visit and what we like at them. Yes, we spend about two days before we buy anything. Yes, there is a chance that the fabric or product might not be there when we re-visit, but that’s the chance we take. If it was meant to be, it will be there!
Carolyn Landers, Lincoln, CA
Be sure the store has good lighting, or go to the window, or ask if you may take the fabric outside.
Karen Crossland, Riverside, WA
Wear comfortable shoes and carry a purse with a long enough strap for crossbody wear so both arms are available for toting bolts to the cutting counter. And I take my own bags to save the store money which I hope, in turn, saves me money!
Beth Fisher, San Antonio, TX
When exploring a new shop, I try to avoid weekends if possible. I take along a list, fabric to match and either the pattern or yardage requirements. My Smartphone is also a new tool in my bag—pictures, lists, names of gadgets are great to store and bring along.
Pamela Olson, South Windsor, CT
Take a snack and some water. Shopping is tough work.
Pat Deck, Oreland, PA
If you need to refer to formerly bought goods, Swatch Buddies, the new plastic tags for adhering fabric swatches, are a helpful gadget.
I prefer to buy everything I need for the project at one time so I can match all fabrics, get assistance from a staff member if needed, and buy the necessary quantities with pattern in hand rather than guessing. If you need to refer to formerly bought goods, Swatch Buddies, the new plastic tags for adhering fabric swatches, are a helpful gadget.
Jan Mast, Lancaster, PA
Get a business card or stamp from each shop you deal with. Keep all buys from each store in one bag. Snip off a little of your fabric each time you purchase and glue it and the business card into a book. Find any manufacturer’s information on the selvage and write it in the book. Sounds like tons of trouble when all you want is to quilt, but it’s so worth it when you’re trying to track down another 25cm of the perfect fabric you have discovered in your stash.
Penny D’Aloia, Coburg, Australia
When I need small amounts of fabrics, buying at a store will make my money go farther because I can buy as little as ⅛ yard, while the online minimum is usually ½ yard.
Kari Vojtechovsky, Centennial, CO
When I go fabric shopping with a group of friends, I try to have in mind a few particular items that I need. If I don’t, I can get carried away and spend way beyond my budget on things that may end up not being used.
Susan Chandler, Solon Springs, WI
Before leaving the house to go fabric shopping, I take a phone picture of my stash to remind myself how much blue (for me it’s blue) fabric I already have. Always take someone with you—your mom or a friend—even if she doesn’t sew or quilt. It’s just more fun!
Before leaving the house to go fabric shopping, I take a phone picture of my stash to remind myself how much blue (for me it’s blue) fabric I already have.
Beth Artman, Red Lion, PA
I carry a swatch book of all my batiks so that I don’t buy one I already have. My swatch book is the fabric cut in 3½ × 1” strips, laminated to the card stock.
Barbara Hill, Huntsville, AL
Always check out every quilt store when traveling because different shop owners purchase by their taste or their clientele, and you can discover fabrics that will amaze you.
Susan Riley, Hingham, MA
I love to visit quilt shops. I plan our vacation destination, and then I check out all the possible quilt shops I can visit. This summer, I have 11 quilt shops in one province and two states on the list to visit. I check out their websites. I check out new fabric lines from the different suppliers. Then I decide on next years’ projects and make a list of what fabrics I am looking for. That way as I go from shop to shop, I can gather more of the various collections than by going to just one shop. When I’m shopping, I make notes, so when I get home and need additional fabric, I know where I shopped and can contact the store through the internet or by calling directly.
Bev Day, Grand Bay–Westfield, New Brunswick
Shop hops are the best for scouting new ideas or looking for a piece to complete a project. You usually visit many stores out of your area on a hop.
Brenda Seth, Waterford, PA
My quilting friends and I go on F.A.R.T.s (Fabric Acquisition Road Trips). It’s fun!
Suzanne Beringer, Greenacres, WA
I take a small photo of my project and attach it to an index card with the yardage needed for each part of the quilt. Then as I shop I take a small swatch as I buy and attach it to the card so I can refer to the card when needed
Arlene King, Baldwinsville, NY
Always take along whatever fabrics you are trying to match. There are just way too many different shades of color to try to match by memory.
Leanne Skoloda, New Holland, PA
The Joen Wolfrom Color Tool is a good thing to take along when I go fabric shopping, as well as samples of fabric I want to use and pictures of quilts I like.
Linda Arkens, Hatfield, PA
I take the Ultimate 3-in-1 Color Tool with me, which is a spiral bound book with many various shades of colors. I write down the colors I’m trying to match before leaving home.
Michele Rutolo, Sinking Spring, PA
I shop for fabric all the time, not always with a project in mind. If I am looking for particular fabrics to match other fabrics I have, I snip a small piece of each fabric and use a safety pin to hold them together. I carry these with me when shopping for fabric until I find all the fabric I need.
Barbara Isaak, Lakeville, MN
I bring samples of fabric I need to match up, and often I have a quilt top that I leave in the car just in case I find the perfect backing or just one more border. Then if I see something that might suit, I go back to the car and retrieve the top to see how well suited it might be.
Michelle Harrison, Morganton, GA
I sometimes take a whole tub of fabric with me to the quilt shop if I am looking for something that needs to fit into a particular quilt—tiny swatches don’t work for me!
Karen Martin, Breezy Point, MN
A tape measure can also come in handy for measuring remnants.
Sharel Etheridge, Lennon, MI
If I am looking for fabric that will be cut into a certain shape, I cut that shape out of a heavy piece of paper or folder and take along the paper frame with the cut-out shape in the middle. That way I can hold it up to the fabric and see just the portion that would be in the quilt.
Lorraine Reid, Pottstown, PA
When I was working, I tried to shop for fabric one evening a month. I made dinner for the family and went for a hour or so to shop with my samples or patterns.
Dianne Deaver, Yuba City, CA
The best time to shop at a bricks-and-mortar store is in the morning on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday.
Denise Rosbicki, South Prince George, VA
F. Fabric Bargains
One of the best times to shop is when there are stores near a big quilt show. There are many special sales that are going on then, and many stores will be stocking up on lots of fabrics, knowing that crowds will be coming. There are often great specials. Holiday weekends often are a great time for sales. Look in your local newspaper for ads from say, JoAnn Fabrics, or even various craft stores.
One of the best times to shop is when there are stores near a big quilt show.
Susan Louis, Briarwood, NY
Many times I will recycle or re-purpose some beautiful cotton fabric that started life as a dress, shirt, etc. I feel connected to my grandmothers when I take “nothing” and make it into “something.”
Andrea Mitchell, Silver Spring, MD
Don’t buy pre-cuts unless it’s the only way to find that fabric. You are paying a high price to have the fabric cut for you. If you’re doing small blocks or appliqué, buy a quarter yard off the bolt rather than a fat quarter. It will be much cheaper in most cases.
Diane Linker, Scarsdale, NY
I know people who will not quilt with anything other than the most expensive fabrics. But quilting as a craft started as a recycling project, and the quality of the fabric was not a consideration. The main consideration was if it had a worn out spot or not.
Nancy Quade, Newark, DE
I am in a group of eight ladies who get together at each others’ homes every other month to quilt for a weekend. We usually try to align it with a time when one of the local quilt stores is having a sale. Then we take a little break and a road trip to break up the day.
Susan Chandler, Solon Springs, WI
Sometimes I’ll use very old, worn fabric simply because I like how it looks in my quilt.
Sandy Helin, Watsonville, CA
I don’t remember the last time I bought a fabric that wasn’t on sale. Being a scrap quilter makes that a lot easier to do. I usually buy ½ yd. That is plenty for anything I want to make, except sometimes borders. In that case, I will usually complete the quilt top, except for borders, and take it to the store with me.
Cincy Bailey, Valrico, FL
I always look at thrift stores, consignment stores, yard sales, or even craigslist. Once I found the most awesome deal from a lady selling all her name-brand cotton fabric for dollars a yard. I spent about $200, but it was fabric I may never have bought at a store for full price.
Bobbie Haynes, Shepherdsville, KY
I am on a very limited income, so price is very important to me. I don’t feel I need to have the most expensive fabric to have a lovely quilt. I would prefer cheaper fabric and more opportunities to create. I expect my quilts to be used and not kept as heirlooms. When they wear out, I’ll make another one.
Marion Eggers, Winter Park, FL
I go to yard sales and see what people have. I get many old Key West Handprints fabric in my hometown of Key West, since they often gave the employees misprinted fabric. The factory is no longer operating, so these are collectible pieces that go back many years. I purchased my first piece in 1968 and recently used up the last of it.
Margo Ellis, Key West, FL
My husband reads the ads in the paper, and I have bought fabric at auctions.
Vera Wolf, Union City, PA
Try Goodwill, Value Village or Salvation Army thrift shops to find great cotton broadcloths in originally expensive men’s shirts. I loved the multi-colored cotton plaid I found for the back of a cubicle quilt for my son.
LynDee Lombardo, Olympia, WA
Remember what our forebears did: recycle. I have started collecting cotton shirts and skirts from yard sales and second hand stores. Even at $3 for a man’s shirt, it is a good buy when one considers that yardage from the store can be more than $12 a yard.
Sheri Ketarkus, Glidden, WI
We’re on a tight budget here at home, so I’ve built part of my stash at yard sales by careful selection and also absolutely during quilt shop sales.
Libbie Ellis, Tarpon Springs, FL
I know a lot of people don’t like excess emails, but I always sign up for quilt shop email lists because that’s the best way to find out when their sales are and when new collections of fabric arrive.
Geralyn McClarren, Harrisburg, PA
I use Twitter to find out if my favorite shops are having a sale.
I use Twitter to find out if my favorite shops are having a sale, or to ask if they carry whatever I am looking for.
Mary Andra Holmes, Prescott, AZ
There seem to be sales for just about every holiday. Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day, Veterans’ Day, Super Bowl Widow day all seem to be good days to find sales at both your local quilt store and online stores.
Janice Simmons, Fresno, CA
Don’t wait until November to buy Christmas fabrics. Look in the spring and summer for the best selection of those fabrics.
Susan Vargo, Avondale, PA
I do shop sales at quilt shops, looking for suitable quilt backing fabrics. Neutrals are always good. I try to buy a 10-yard piece. That will back a king size quilt, with some fabrics left for pillow shams, etc. While I like to find fabrics on sale for the backs of my quilts, I won’t use just any fabric. If I have gone to the expense of quality fabrics for the front, I definitely want equal quality fabric on the back of my quilt.
Marti Blankenship, Pleasant Valley, MO
If you find something you love, buy at least one yard. If it’s on sale, consider it for a backing and buy five to seven yards!
Lynne Fraas, Peachtree City, GA
Most clearance fabrics are located near the back of a shop, so I start there and work my way up to the front of the store.
Robbin Golden, Summerville, SC
Be sure to buy enough yardage the first time as you can rarely track down the same goods as much as six months later, unless it’s a “basic.” The couple dollars spent for the extra ¼ yard will seem like a worthy investment, compared to running short by a ¼ yard and wasting hours searching for it.
Jan Mast, Lancaster, PA
I do not specifically shop sales, because I know what is going to be there: every fabric that has not sold previously. There are reasons fabric does not sell, and a lower price is usually not going to make a bad fabric look good.
Barbara Hutton, Carolina Shores, NC