Tips for Choosing Quilting Fabric

When you’re first getting into the craft of quilting, one of the first steps is to seek out your materials. This can be an extremely exciting part of getting your project started, but you must know what to look for. Once you understand the kind of fabric combinations that work best for quilts, you’ll realize there are many options. Learn to narrow down what you need with these tips for choosing quilting fabric.

Look into a Pre-curated Fabric Collection

It can be hard to know where to begin when you’re new to quilting. A great place to start for choosing your fabric is looking at a pre-curated fabric collection. These collections are designed to include fabrics with various colors and prints pre-coordinated for contrast. This means you’ll have recommendations for colors and patterns that will compliment each other.

Consider the Color

There are endless combinations of color you can choose from when it comes to fabric. You can get inspiration from unique things like photographs, nature, and other quilts. You can also read up on color theory. This will refresh you on the principals and how to use a tool like the color wheel. If you see a print you like, make note of the color combinations it uses and buy fabric in that same color variety.

Find Low-Volume Fabric

If you’re new to quilting, you may not be as familiar with the term “low-volume” fabric. It’s important to understand what this fabric is and the purpose it serves. Low-volume fabric is always in a light shade and generally has a secondary design. The point of the fabric is to be the quilt’s background which will help the main or “featured’ fabric stand out. The featured fabric should already be a brighter color. The low-volume fabric against the brighter color will make your design pop that much more.

Be Aware of the Scale

Another important tip for choosing quilting fabric is to pay attention to the scale of the designs printed on the fabric you choose. Consider the look you want your quilt to have. Different quilts will work well with large pattern prints and some will look better with smaller prints. Certain small, printed patterns can almost resemble a solid color. If you want a large print to pop out to the eye, you’ll want to use larger blocks.

Lindley General Store is one of the best Canadian quilt shops for unique fabrics. Here you can choose from a remarkable assortment of specially-crafted product collections of the highest quality.