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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I love texture! I love movement! I love when the fabric does the work for me, or appears to. I am drawn to texture in fabric and when light seems to be glowing in the pattern of the fabric. After that I have to admit I am a sucker for novelty prints… going through my stash just yesterday I discovered a fat quarter of 1950’s TV’s, TV dinners, etc…awesome!
Bottom line, I love fabric that moves me, quite frankly…that makes me drool!
I love 1930’s and batiks and red+aqua and civil war and retro and………………………….
I used to be soooooo traditional (growing up in New England will do that to you – ayuh) and then I moved to the south and the brights and tropical colors just grabbed me, yet I’m also so very fond of black and whites…I’m an odd eclectic mix of a quilter…and for the moment, have to go with Contemporary – give me bold untraditional prints baby!
I have to admit to being a traditionalist although you’re starting to sway me toward those beautiful modern florals.
I love, or my husband would, Candid Paparazzi from Red Rooster. He loves blacks and reds and you have to throw in the white to balance. A nice summer quilt would be in his future if I won this… I love these give-aways and appreciate the hard work y’all put in !!!
Thanks and I’m crossing my fingers, toes, legs, arms (right after I finish typing this…lol) and hoping I win this!
I love contemporary fabrics and solids!
I love reproduction from late 1700’s through depresseion era 1930’s. But I also love the beautiful florals of today, esp. roses. And Bali’s, tone-on-tone, oh so many fabrics, so little time.
I love batiks, but I have to say that my favorite “style” is country and maybe what I would call “modern country.” I think there are a lot of warm, soft, cozy fabrics that say “country” but are not limited by an older style. I think of Holly Taylor and Deb Strain for some of these.
Altho’ there are many colorful calicoes that i like I really love batiks for backings & I’m also into really colorful right colors of practically any modern print.
I think that a quilt should be a “riot of colors.”
I have always been a traditionalist in fabric choices and designs. However, lately there are so many bright, bold, delicious colors (especially with a black background), that I find myself gravitating toward them, yet I still prefer the traditional quilt patterns.
My favorites are the civil war fabrics… especially the eggplant/purples and blues!
next I like the 1930 reproductions!
Although I use many different styles of fabrics when I make quilts, my favorites will always be traditional. I absolutely love 1930’s &I Civil War reproductions the most.
If I had to choose, I’d say Asian and batik with some other types of kawaii/novelty fabrics…
I absolutely love seasonals…namely Christmas! I could make Christmas quilts all year long! I find I have to give them away as I have so many.
The fabrics that always speak to me are ones with vintage roses in soft pinks and greens…just can’t resist them!!
My current favorites are the Kaffe Fassett and Amy Butler collections, but I have an ongoing love affair with Batiks and some Asian inspired fabrics (especially if they have that vintage feel). But, like most quilters, I just LOVE fabric!In past years I have made quilts using Civil War reproductions, as well as depression era prints and I really appreciate the classic black and whites to mix with it all….
Modern is definitely my thing at the moment. Bright, vibrant colors and bold shapes just make my fingers sing when I’m sewing. The result is definitely NOT my mother’s quilts. :)
I am more of a traditional quilter an d’i love the civil war fabrics.
I am tending towards ‘contemporary’ prints that have a sixties type feel.
My favorite is definitely modern style – I love Hello Pilgrim! Thanks for the chance to win!
well, who am I to turn something down? TRADITIONAL all the way with me–i LOVE them all! I do have some contemporary kits and to be honest, I may never make them up! and right now I am working a Judy Neimeyer which is TOTALLY out of my comfort zone–I just cant seem to work batiks (which I am increasing fond of) in to traditional designs! :-) ..and I do love them…and I have made an art quilt and the list goes on….mostly whatever appeals to me –traditionally speaking :-) *~*CAROLE*~*
Guess I’m a “not traditional.” altho I call them “modern prints.” I have a lot of Amy Butler, Heather Bailey and Kate Spain. But I also have an *extensive* collection of 30s repros!
Oh thank you and fat quarter products are some of my favorite they go with so many quilt blocks. I think I would choose batik and I like that paprazzi set. Thank you for the chance.
i have developed an obsession with bright, modern, happy. The QUITE CONTRARY fq pack has been at the top of my wish list for quite a while! Thank you for the chance to win!
I have an obsession with fabric, in general. I like the way it feels. I like the look of it folded neatly on my shelves, all the different colors seperated, but blending so beautifully. Reproductions have been a long favorite (Rothermel/Morton), because I am so fond of the older, more primitive look. Homespuns fit in well to the older look.
But, close behind would be what I consider “whimsicals”. Adventures With Alice and Shasta are good examples of my idea of “whimsical”, along with so very many of the children’s flannels. I’m not a contemporary kind of sewer at all, although I do very much like Baily and Butler’s fabric lines. (Just not for me :) I have been known to just tea dye a fabric or finished project if it doesn’t suit my style…….
Fabrics, I love fabrics!… My favorites are Batiks, nature, black and whites, greens, earth tones, jewel tones, and lots of others.
I am partial to civil war prints!
My house is decorated traditional but looking at the fabrics I reallyl love the bright colors of the contemporary line. The seasonal lines, especially Christmas also pull at my heartstrings! Thanks for the chance!
My favorite colors are pink and purple, but I do love anything bright and cheery, like Kaffe Fassett fabrics
I don’t have a favorite style. I love ALL fabric of any kind. My color preferences change every so often, altho RED is always my favorite no matter what else . . .
My 1st choice in fabric is Traditional followed by Seasonal, followed by retro, followed by Modern,followed by Batiks. I have faced the fact that I just love fabric!
I like country and patriotic and greens and florals – wherever they fall.
That was a great discussion about different fabric styles. I think mine have changed over time but right now I love 30’s prints. I also really like classic contemporary.
Boy this IS a hard question in this day and age!
I have been a mostly traditional lover like repro’s and the
ever so sweet 30’s. The beautiful contemporary florals are really jumping at me nowdays. These would have to
be my choice… “at this time!!!”……:)….
I really love all fabric, but I would have to say that my favorite right now is 30″s prints. I can’t seem to get enough of them. Everytime I think I have enough variety I find some different ones. Thanks for the contest.
I’m a traditional floral kind of girl!! I love flowers!! I love blending batiks with my prints, too. I also enjoy Civil War and 30’s prints, too, because they can be so much fun! Great post!! Thanks for the info.
I love 30’s Reproductions and Civil War Repros.
wow – how to pick just one? I think it depends on my mood at the time. I love the look of Fig Tree and 3 Sisters, OR anything Batik, OR 30’s, OR Kansas Troubles — oh heck, you see my point! Thanks so much for the chance to win :)
Do we Really only pick one?? Well, I guess it would
have to be something like Basic Grey. But I also
love Batiks, and 30s.
I better stop.
It’s hard to pick just one. Three months ago I would say I’m more of a traditionalist but then my niece picked out a very modern large print fabric for a quilt and I’m really enjoying working with it. It’s very much in the Citron Gray colors. So who knows what tomorrow will bring but Bring It On Baby!
I like it all ..love to shop.. but my favorites are designed by Sweetwater or American Jane and Joanna Fig..
If it catches my eye, I’m inclined to go home with it, what catches my eye 95% of the time is batiks or Kaffe Fasset. Batiks never cease to amaze me with their versitility, I rarely complete a quilt without using a batik in it somewhere. Color (I LOVE brights and deep saturated tones), patterns that command attention. Modern, bold, and frequently in your face. But maybe I’m peculiar in this? I will not buy a fabric if it does not FEEL good, too – I have passed on many a fabric that just felt ‘wrong’, despite a great design.
As mad as I’ve become over batiks, I tend to dye, paint and create my own fabrics. But when it comes to a style choice for commercial designs I can’t keep my eyes off the 30s fabrics. I love making jean backed beach quilts with a vintage flair. Great contest Pat! An easy read with lots of eye candy.
Asian inspired fabrics from Kona Bay, contemporary from Amy Butler, Kaffe Fassett, Michael Miller, anything black and white. Just had a granddaughter and her room is decorated in grey and yellow, like Citron Gray. Great colour combo! Would love to win a fat quarter bundle featuring these colours!
I think that my favorite quilt style varies with the season! Right now, I am into brights, because it has been so grey and dreary this winter. 30s are a perennial favorite of mine, because I feel that I don’t have to worry about matching – they automatically look good together!
My favorite would have to be 1930s, but I also love some of the modern collections. Thank you for your article, I learned some new interesting facts about the different styles of fabric.
I love modern prints & batiks! I love Alice Kennedy prints like Taxi and Lemon Grove!
My favorite style is “try something new, expand your horizons”. There’s more adventure and joy in that for me.
I love all fabric! A bit of everything in my stash, but I find that I’m always a sucker for Calico!
Definitely contemporary! The more modern the better, though Asian prints are also appealing.