Hi everyone, it’s your host Pat Sloan here today talking about fabric styles.
When I made my ‘first first quilt’ I did not have many fabric options. Calicos, Calicos, Calicos, and solids. By the time I made my official first quilt the variety of fabrics had greatly increased, let’s do a big cheer for THAT!
Quilters now have so much variety of fabric it is wonderful, but it could be a tad confusing. When you hear someone describe a ‘style’ of fabric what do they really mean?
The other day I did a very scientific study of quilt styles when my friends showed up for sewing night. I asked the first three who arrived their thoughts on quilt Styles (well we DID have a very thorough discussion on it…. Wink!)
These are my thoughts on style, and I’m sure I’ve missed one or you will have your own take on it.. that is what our comment section is for!
Fat Quarter Shop has been super generous and allowed me to share photos from their store.. and.. hold on.. you are NOT going to believe this.. Fat Quarter Shop is sponsoring this post with a FQ bundle give-away. Which FQ bundle? Well the winner can pick the Moda bundle they want.. be still my heart!! exciting eh? See the end for how to enter.
My first observation about style is that color matters. Take the paisley above. This is a very traditional if not leaning towards civil war type print. This is a Jo Morton paisley that she is famous for.
This is NOT traditional by anyone’s terms. BUT it does have a paisley in it. Interesting eh? (I say eh to fit in with Michele.. she is Canadian ya know). And scale. Look how much larger this paisley is.. and more playful. This is what I’d call a contemporary fabric, from Heather Bailey
So let’s look at some BROAD categories (remember the comment section down there!)
Traditional
In this group you will tend to find lots of warm toasty colors, some call them muddy fabric (wink!). There are really a lot of styles within the traditional category.
Civil war prints are loved by many. They are reproductions of fabrics from the civil war era and use the same colors and patterns. The photo above is classic from Judie Rothermel.
People who love and use civil war fabrics are often recreating quilts from that time period. Historian Barbara Brackman has a blog about civil war quilts… check it out to learn more!
Calicos are generally small prints… a bit harder to find in this day and age as we tend to want more from our fabric! But Calico’s are fantastic blenders.. as is shown by this piece in Prairie Paisley II from Minnick/Simpson.
I feel like a country style fabric is cozy. It does not need to be ‘brown’ but it should be warm, toasty and full of the feeling of a farm house or your grandma’s kitchen. This line from The Quilt Patch feels country to me.
Americana and patriotic, whether in a traditional design or a contemporary, is classic! This line from My Mind’s Eye is bright and fun and waves the stars and stripes proudly! Great for solider quilts and decorating for 4th of July!
The 1930s prints are like civil war, they are reproductions of a time period of fabrics. They tend to be pastels with some reds and blacks. Lots of small prints. This is a new favorite of mine from my friend Darlene Zimmerman. And this line is called Adventures with Alice… I LOVE Alice in Wonderland!
Not Traditional
There are so many fabrics that fall into what I call “Contemporary” fabrics. This line called Candid Paparazzi from Red Rooster fits the contemporary class for me. Clean shapes, clear colors, and big bold sweeps of shapes.
Fresh Cuts from Heather Bailey is a classic Contemporary fabric. So much so this is a repeat of the line loved by many! (me included!)
I asked my good friend, and 3 time winner of the Modern Quilt Guild challenge, what she thought a current modern style fabric is. Heather Jones of olive & ollie said:
John Adams, QuiltDad, is not only a modern style quilt maker, but one of the editors of the online quilt magazine FatQuarterly. I asked John what he considered some of the current Modern style fabrics on the market. John said …
- Echo by Lotta Jansdotter
- Curious Nature by David Butler
- Anything by Pat Bravo
- Hello Luscious by Basic Grey
- Lark by Amy Butler
- Grunge solids
- Hello Pilgrim by Lizzy House
- Anything by Kaffe or Brandon Mably
- Tilly by Daisy Janie
I also think that Miscellany and Cut Out & Keep by Cloud 9 Fabrics are great examples, too. – Thank you John!
Wow oh wow are Batik fabrics POP-U-Lar!! Serious.. do you have a piece in your collection? How many… wink! Many companies produce batiks. I feel the draw of a batik is the often subtle color changes and the tone on tone ‘feel’ with more pizzazz! This is a selection from Hoffman. Fat Quarter Shop has a whole category for batiks on their left side bar.. go cruise!
Asian Style Traditional or Modern? This classic piece of Asian style fabric is from Kona Bay. They really do a wonderful job with this style. From a focus piece like this one to blenders and overall florals. Visit their web site for loads of inspiration!
Good Fortune by Kate Spain is a contemporary take on Asian fabric and I love it.. I even used it in a quilt for my latest book!
Other
“Other” is a lovely category. A place to slot solids, Novelty prints and seasonal.. which are a form of novelty but I think they deserve their own category!
Bella Solids by Moda are so darn popular you can even get a color card!
Also Michael Miller solids.
and Robert Kaufman solids.. oh yeah!
Going Coastal by Emily Herrick is a perfect example of a novelty print. Who uses bottle caps with seaside images.. umm…err… I do!
Or Peace Love and Rock and Roll man.. yep… any fabric with funky fun images is good to be called a novelty
one more!! Space fabric from Andover.. gotta love it!
Seasonal for me are those Christmas, Halloween, St. Patrick’s day, Easter or any other fabric that is very focused on the season. I tend to make quilts using them that stay within that theme. And these tend to lean heavy towards a novelty print feel. Like this Halloween print from Teresa Kogut.
And the Fat Quarter shop loves Christmas fabrics ALMOST as much as I do.. wink! They love it so much they put them ALL in one place for us Christmas crazy collectors! I’m loving this Basic Grey line.. all for that snowman!
Kathy Miller of Michael Miller fabrics does a fantastic job on the company blog with fabric inspiration boards. I am currently obsessed with Gray and Yellow combinations, so I really loved this board she did called Citron Gray.
Cruise the fabric company blogs and web sites for great fabric selections.. here are just a few of the many fabric companies out there today:
- Moda Fabrics
- Robert Kaufman
- FreeSpirit
- TimeLess Treasure
- Riley Blake
- Andover
- P&B Textiles
and I could go ON and ON and ON! Love a company? Put their name in Google and see what you find!
A few weeks ago I interviewed 4 fabric designers on January 30th including Kathy Miller of Michael Miller fabrics. And I interviewed Kimberley Jolly of the Fabulous Fat Quarter shop too!
Give-Away
Enter to win a Moda fat quarter bundle of your choice from the Fat Quarter Shop! Tell me below in the comments What is YOUR favorite Fabric Style?
One winner will be randomly selected next Wednesday, March 21, 2012.
Winner announced: Congratulations to #573 Renate. Check your email for a message.
Pat Sloan is owner and founder of the quilting design and publishing company Pat Sloan & Co. She has published over 25 books, more than 100 patterns, nearly 10 fabric lines, and has had her work featured in all the major Quilt magazines. In January 2010, Pat started hosting her weekly Internet Radio show called Creative Talk Radio.
Find Pat here:
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My favorites are usually Kansas Troubles fabrics, Minick-Simpson, reproductions, and something Sandy Garvis. I love batiks, but am never quiet sure what to do with them. The ocean ones above are gorgeous. On this page I would buy Shasta, Ocean Waves, Candid Papara…, and Adventures. That would be if I could afford it. I’m pretty much outpriced at $12 a yard. I do watch for the 40-50% off sales.
Having only started sewing in the last two years, I am so thankful for the amazing array of fabrics that are available! I suppose I would have to say that my favorote style is “non-traditional,” though the mental categories I use for fabrics are quite a bit different. I love modern “cartoony” fabrics that tell a story, like Outfoxed or Little Apples or A Walk in the Woods. I guess I enjoy whimsy! ;)
Thanks for the chance to win!
I am a Batik girl, I love them.
But I will admit I am more of an Art quilter.
Thanks for the article. Tell more about mixing styles. Can it be done tastefully?
I hate to camp in just one spot…so I’ll say I love color. I want all of the fabrics in my quilt to play nice together, but am not convinced that all of the fabric needs to be from the same style group. (I’ve not made it work yet.)
From a more realistic perspective I am probably a modern quilt fan.
I’m loving the non-traditional fabrics with strong color. Love the batiks! I’m flexible when it comes to fabric. Can love it all.
Kaffe Fassett was my first love in the contemporary fabric world which has since expanded to include many designers and fabrics. It’s great that there are so many wonderful choices out there!
I love modern fabrics, but I like some traditional ones too. For example, I like 1930 prints. I also like some of the floral traditionals too. I think I just like fabric, especially the kind they sell at FAT Quarter SHOP!!!
I am a Moda girl! I did find that I really liked Shasta, Stars and Stripes and Candid Paparazzi though. Maybe I need give those a try! Thanks for the chance to win a Moda bundle.
It is had to choose one category. I’ve been collecting 1930’s reproduction prints for years – love the bright pastels and cute prints. Novelty prints are my other favorite – looking forward to the Blitzen collection to come out for Christmas.
I lean towards fabrics that say country like the Shasta line above by The Quilt Patch. I love Kansas Troubles.Lately maybe because Spring is coming I am loving the fabrics by Cotton Way and also Joanna Figueroa of Fig Tree, What better place to go then the Fat Quarter Shop to see ALL the different fabrics available to us.
Parabéns pelas explicações menina linda!.Hoje dia de costura aqui,estamos em três,e a conclusão que chegamos é que não sabemos quais são os mais bonitos,preferidos e interessantes,até pela falta de conhecimento que tínhamos até o seu post.A dúvida é cruel…Mas vamos escolher um:Roberto Kaufman.Essa pilha de sólidos está nos encantando.Obrigada,quem sabe não será dessa vez que esses tecidos lindos viajará para o Brasil?Beijos e Bençãos.
I have to choose just one? I love that there is such a variety from which to choose and yes, it can be overwhelming. I’m a scrappy kind of gal so I love just about everything. I adore 30’s prints, hoard western fabric, and love patriotic for QOV. If the fabric speaks to me, then I find it hard to resist.
I tend to lean toward country colors. Especially those in Civil War Style prints of Jo Morton and Judie Rothermel. This is a wonderful giveaway. I will definitly check out the Fat Quarter Shop. Hugs
I like novelty prints, especially cats!
Batiks have stolen my heart. I love that you can get different effects from the same fabric.
I think someone drooled on those Michael Miller solids! Delish!
I had to think about this. I am not sure if I have a fabric style. I tend to go for the colors and prints first before even thinking about traditional or modern. If you look at my “stash” You’ll see all of them — traditional, modern and even novelties. I have 30s fabrics and a few civil wars. I have Sunkissed, Pure, and some wild looking fabrics. I guess I just go with what I like and am feeling at the moment! LOL. :-) Yes, I know, I’m weird. :-)
I love reproductions! I just keep collecting them. My newest love are Batiks. Though I’d always appreciated their beauty they didn’t want to really join my collection until I saw a quilt that a friend had made and decided that would be the wedding quilt for my son and his fiancee. Now, I’m hooked and want to make the quilt again for myself.
Oh that is such a hard question. I think I would have to say contemporary, all though I really love 30’s reproductions. I have little kids so novelties are very popular here too. I also really like seasonal fabrics, I guess there are too many to choose. I do know that I don’t like civil war fabrics, or home spuns they are to dark and gloomy.
Pat! so much work you went to! And thank you Fat Quarter Shop. Yummy, yummy samples to ogle! As I read through your line up my mind nodded, said, ‘nice, pretty, unusual…’ but of course when I came to MY style my heart sang, fireworks burst, an opera singer hit a high note-Batiks!!! Amen and hallelujah!
i am a mix and all over the place. i love the 30’s prints because they are small and tiny cute. however i totally go for the big noisy prints too and love the lizzie house style.
I am for whatever can be sewn…..and color goes a long way to help the love.
My favorite is BATIK – I love that to me there is no right or wrong side of the fabric. I like the richness of the colors.
Currently I totally gravitate toward Modern lines. I love Basic Grey and have a LOT of fabric precuts from their lines. I am currently in love with a quilt I’m making with Power Pop by Jenean Morrison. I have some country styles in my mix too, but mostly Modern.
What I like seems to change every once in a while. When I first started to make quilts I was all about novelty fabrics, then for a sort while I tried the repo’s of the 30’s fabrics. In the past year I have fallen hard for the modern style fabric, bright colors and geometrics have me hooked right now.
Great article, thanks so much for posting it,.
I am definitely of the Modern school. I love the bright colors and large prints. I do sometimes like to mix it up with the more traditional fabrics; my favorite quilt I’ve ever made is from 1930s reproductions. They are perfect for little girls!
I like bold modern stuff, like the Candid Paparazzi above, and novelty prints with cute animals or fun patterns (currently looking for an excuse to buy massive quantities of the Timeless Treasures Black Solar System print).
I love all fabrics but I’m now leaning towards the modern fabrics for their bright colors and clean lines. Of course, I haven’t met a batik that I did not love!
Quite a few of my favorites are shown or mentioned here. One that I would love to have is Parson Gray’s Curious Nature. I haven’t seen the line in person yet, but have wanted it since I first saw it online.
I would say I’m leaning more toward the modern fabrics right now. Fabric is addictive for me though and I adore so many of the patterns and color choices.
Thanks for the great discussion on fabrics.
My taste in fabric seems to be changing. I look in my stash and it feels “old”. I confess to loving all the new modern prints although I do love many of the traditional styles as well.
Oh Pat,
I confess that I love most of them, but
most of all I LOVE BATIKS!
And, I like to mix them in with lots of other styles,
themes, modern, you name it!
jean
I am a traditional girl at heart but love all fabric! Once I see the beautiful colors on both solids and designs I start imaging all the things to be made with them!
I am really loving the bright geometric fabrics, my latest was the pezzy line.
I love, love, love floral fabric, not so much the new stylized versions, more the lovely lush traditional florals! Thanks so much for the chance on this giveaway!
Right now my fabric style is traditional. I really like civil war fabrics and am working on several quilts using these fabrics.
I have several favorites but I would have to say that Batiks are my all time favorite. The colors are so beautiful.
Of course, I love the batiks, but I also like the non-traditional. I do not usually go for the traditional unless there are lots of flowers. I am not a fan of the most modern designs.
My fabric style is 1930’s. I love the bright colors and tiny prints. I make these fabrics into crazy quilts with hand embroidered seams. To my mind the more these quilts are used and washed the lovelier they become.Thanks for hosting the give away.
I think you could find any of those fabric types in my stash –
I’m a sucker for batiks but I mix them in with other fabrics all the time. I love many of the modern designers because of the clear, uplifting colors they use. In the end I think that is what grabs me first – the color not the style.
My style right now is try something different …making myself look at different styles and color combinations, different hues, shades, tones etc. Really a steep learning curve to understand how color combination works. Lusting after every grey and yellow quilt I see right now though! Thank you for a great post and a lovely giveaway offering.
I love the classic Contemporary style, especially FreshCut by Heather Bailey. That collection was one of the first that I started sewing with and I am thrilled that it has been re-released.
I love the Kona solids when they’re in a monotone palette like that. So pretty!
THANK YOU PAT+FQS !
I’M A FLORAL-TYPE QUILTER; BUT ADORE DOTS AND STRIPES TOO!
THIS IS A REALLY NEAT GIVEAWAY ♥
GOOD DAY ALL!
I can’t say that I have a favourite fabric ‘style’, I tend to like a particular designer and collect them. I am loving all things Denyse Schmidt right now but have collected Heather Ross, Annela Hooey and Dr Seuss prints.
I would have to say my favorite would be country. I’m a “muddy” kind of gal. Even my house colors are “muddy”, I’ll paint burgundy/wine, but never purple or red! The modern florals are starting to grow on me, I think that happened when they introduced colors other than pink and chocolate. I’ll eat chocolate, but not decorate with it!
I do love the brightness of batiks, and am collecting them, but I’m overwhelmed at the lqs with too large of a selection.
I’m a contemporary girl!
My favorites are moderns & batiks. Thanks for the chance to win!
I love the 30’s fabrics but I also like using funky fabrics. For example at the last quilt show I attended I came home with bright yellow fabric with happy toasters on it. I was calling my name!
These days I lean toward the Contemporary fabrics. But I’m not such a fabric snob that I would pass up on anything given to me for sure.
I am going to say that I like the country style best BUT I also love solids and holiday fabric……..I often go with whichever fabric is calling my name at the time I have an opportunity to “handle” it!
Really like modern/contemporary right now and solids, love solids!