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 advise is that you ponder it before you go looking to avoid getting overwhelmed. For example, What's your favourite color? Do you like florals? Geometrical designs? Batiks? Plains (like Amish colors or soft colors? This will help to offer you a starting point and the sales helper will be in a position to guide you to the best fabrics for you.
Selecting Fabrics
When you are beginning quilting, I suggest that you start by selecting a patterned fabric in your favorite colour. That way, you'll enjoy working on the you'll like it for a long time after it's finished. Then you can choose some complementary fabrics to go with it. Maybe the simplest way is to choose other fabrics in the same Range. Usually manufacturers design a "Range" of co-ordinating patterns and colors round the same theme, including large and small patterns and several colours. If you choose your fabrics from the same Range, you know they will all work in together in your can't find other fabrics in the same range, look down the edge of your selected fabric (which is called the selvedge) and you will see the designers name, plus a few tiny numbered circles. These contain all the colored dyes that have 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'll 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
These are safe options that you can be certain will work. However if you'd like to be more adventurous, learn all about the color wheel and try some different color combinations e.g. A "Complementary colour scheme" incorporates colours that are directly opposite one another on the color wheel like purple and yellow, or blue and orange. Quilts made of these colours can look stunning and colourful.
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.
As a sales assistant I'd rather have to put away additional bolts of fabric, than see someone leave the shop not entirely happy with her purchase. And do ask for help if you cannot decide, but don't let yourself be bullied into choosing something you aren't happy with. Although it is in the end your call, sales helpers are there to help you with views, to suggest options you hadn't thought of, and just maybe, to find that elusive bolt of fabric that is "ideal" for you.
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 advise is that you ponder it before you go looking to avoid getting overwhelmed. For example, What's your favourite color? Do you like florals? Geometrical designs? Batiks? Plains (like Amish colors or soft colors? This will help to offer you a starting point and the sales helper will be in a position to guide you to the best fabrics for you.
Selecting Fabrics
When you are beginning quilting, I suggest that you start by selecting a patterned fabric in your favorite colour. That way, you'll enjoy working on the you'll like it for a long time after it's finished. Then you can choose some complementary fabrics to go with it. Maybe the simplest way is to choose other fabrics in the same Range. Usually manufacturers design a "Range" of co-ordinating patterns and colors round the same theme, including large and small patterns and several colours. If you choose your fabrics from the same Range, you know they will all work in together in your can't find other fabrics in the same range, look down the edge of your selected fabric (which is called the selvedge) and you will see the designers name, plus a few tiny numbered circles. These contain all the colored dyes that have 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'll 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
These are safe options that you can be certain will work. However if you'd like to be more adventurous, learn all about the color wheel and try some different color combinations e.g. A "Complementary colour scheme" incorporates colours that are directly opposite one another on the color wheel like purple and yellow, or blue and orange. Quilts made of these colours can look stunning and colourful.
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.
As a sales assistant I'd rather have to put away additional bolts of fabric, than see someone leave the shop not entirely happy with her purchase. And do ask for help if you cannot decide, but don't let yourself be bullied into choosing something you aren't happy with. Although it is in the end your call, sales helpers are there to help you with views, to suggest options you hadn't thought of, and just maybe, to find that elusive bolt of fabric that is "ideal" for you.
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To read heaps more clever hints for how to make a patchwork quilt, go to Maree Galt's patchwork quilt blog right now!
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