Where to Start
When learning how to make a patchwork quilt, choosing your fabric can be one of the most fun parts, or the most daunting. One of the common phrases I hear in the patchwork shop where I'm employed is "I will know what I need when I see it". Considering there may be more than 12,000 bolts of fabric in the shop, they could be looking for a quite a long time.
What I suggest is that you think about it before you actually go shopping to avoid being overwhelmed. As an example, What is your favorite colour? Do you like florals? Geometric designs? Batiks? Plains (like Amish quilts)? Bold colours or soft colours? This is going to help to give you a starting place and the sales aid will be able to steer you to the right fabrics.
Selecting Fabrics
When you are beginning quilting, I suggest you start by selecting a patterned fabric in your favorite colour. That way, you most likely like working on the you'll adore it for a long while after it's finished. Then you can choose some complementary fabrics to go with it. Maybe the easiest way is to pick other fabrics in the same Range. Most often manufacturers design a "Range" of co-ordinating patterns and colors round the same theme, including big and small patterns and a couple of colours. If you choose your fabrics from the same Range, you know they may all work in together in your cannot find other fabrics in the same range, look down the edge of your selected fabric (which is named the selvedge) and you will see the designers name, plus one or two little numbered circles. These contain all the colored dyes that've been used in the printing process of that fabric. You may then use these colour spots to match with other fabrics to go with your main fabric, knowing that if you use those colors they can definitely go together.
When choosing fabrics, choose a variety of small, medium and larger prints for contrast. Also remember that depth of colour is important. If you select a mixture of light, medium and dark prints you'll have good contrast and the quilt you have chosen to make will have life e.g. wholly of pale pink, mid sized floral fabrics might be very uninteresting. Add in some deeper shades, maybe some green, and maybe some spots or stripes, and suddenly you have got a quilt that's fascinating.
Add A Touch of Adventure
Add A Touch of Adventure
These are safe options you can be sure will work. However if you want to be more bold, learn about the colour wheel and try some different colour combos e.g. A "Complementary color scheme" incorporates colors that are directly opposite each other on the colour wheel such as purple and yellow, or blue and orange. Quilts made from these colors can look amazing and colorful.
When you're choosing colors, make sure you "audition" them. Take the bolts off the shelf and test them together, take one away and see if it looks better or worse, put in a darker one, or an accent color. Take away any which don't "go together". The ones that don't match may be because they have got a cream background rather than white, or because it's an orange-red instead of a blue based red.
When learning how to make a patchwork quilt, choosing your fabric can be one of the most fun parts, or the most daunting. One of the common phrases I hear in the patchwork shop where I'm employed is "I will know what I need when I see it". Considering there may be more than 12,000 bolts of fabric in the shop, they could be looking for a quite a long time.
What I suggest is that you think about it before you actually go shopping to avoid being overwhelmed. As an example, What is your favorite colour? Do you like florals? Geometric designs? Batiks? Plains (like Amish quilts)? Bold colours or soft colours? This is going to help to give you a starting place and the sales aid will be able to steer you to the right fabrics.
Selecting Fabrics
When you are beginning quilting, I suggest you start by selecting a patterned fabric in your favorite colour. That way, you most likely like working on the you'll adore it for a long while after it's finished. Then you can choose some complementary fabrics to go with it. Maybe the easiest way is to pick other fabrics in the same Range. Most often manufacturers design a "Range" of co-ordinating patterns and colors round the same theme, including big and small patterns and a couple of colours. If you choose your fabrics from the same Range, you know they may all work in together in your cannot find other fabrics in the same range, look down the edge of your selected fabric (which is named the selvedge) and you will see the designers name, plus one or two little numbered circles. These contain all the colored dyes that've been used in the printing process of that fabric. You may then use these colour spots to match with other fabrics to go with your main fabric, knowing that if you use those colors they can definitely go together.
When choosing fabrics, choose a variety of small, medium and larger prints for contrast. Also remember that depth of colour is important. If you select a mixture of light, medium and dark prints you'll have good contrast and the quilt you have chosen to make will have life e.g. wholly of pale pink, mid sized floral fabrics might be very uninteresting. Add in some deeper shades, maybe some green, and maybe some spots or stripes, and suddenly you have got a quilt that's fascinating.
Add A Touch of Adventure
Add A Touch of Adventure
These are safe options you can be sure will work. However if you want to be more bold, learn about the colour wheel and try some different colour combos e.g. A "Complementary color scheme" incorporates colors that are directly opposite each other on the colour wheel such as purple and yellow, or blue and orange. Quilts made from these colors can look amazing and colorful.
When you're choosing colors, make sure you "audition" them. Take the bolts off the shelf and test them together, take one away and see if it looks better or worse, put in a darker one, or an accent color. Take away any which don't "go together". The ones that don't match may be because they have got a cream background rather than white, or because it's an orange-red instead of a blue based red.
About the Author:
To get more great tips about how to make a patchwork quilt, check out Maree Galt's patchwork quilt site now!
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