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 depend on the kind of quilt I’m creating. Right now I love modern and Kate Spain’s Good Fortune is a favorite.
I think I’d have to say I’m more contemporary. but I do like to mix things up a little too. I have some batiks, some traditional, some modern fabrics in my stash.
I love the civil war fabrics as well as batiks
Ooh, I love most all fabrics. I would lean more towards “Other” and Contemporary/Non-traditional, but I think that all fabrics have a great use in everyone’s stash!!
It’s like music. I’m sure there is at least 1 song from every genre on your iPod at home!
I really love modern contemporary fabrics and bright colors. Thanks for the giveaway!
I have so many styles….30’s, batiks, civil war, contemporary….
Everytime I think I have a favorite, i find a project I like that changes my favorite or something new comes out or my mood changes – yes I am nuts – about fabric – but lately I have been liking the grays a lot or maybe the batiks – see what I mean – maybe this is why I still haven’t picked out the style and color of the quilt for our bed, you think:) I will keep sewing until I find one I like for us!
Thank you for this wonderful giveaway!
Happy St Patty’s day – Luck of the Irish to ya!!!
sandyb720@gmail.com
Wonderful choices….I like the Candid Paparazzi.
I love contemporary fabrics, especially lime greens. Also Civil War reproductions, 30’s fabrics, and really fun artsy Christmas fabric.
I love Country, Contemporary, Current modern like Hello Pilgrim by Lizzy House. I’ve always been a fan of Robert Kaufman and buy lots of batiks.
From the examples above I’d say I’m a mixture of the two. I like the softer colors of traditional but the fun prints of contemapory! That Basic Grey Christmas line is calling my name too!
I am drawn to the reproduction fabrics both Civil War and 1930’s. There are so many modern fabrics available now that I suppose I will need to start designing with some of them as well. Thanks for the chance to win some lovely fabric.
It seems lately I am into more modern style. I think it is the use of whites for the negative space that allow the colors to pop. But I do love scrappy in almost any form including batiks and civil war! Love the Fresh Cut from Heather Bailey above!
My fave without a doubt are contemporary with unusual colour combinations. Thanks!!
I guess I am a bit of everything… I am leaning towards these days the big bold bright colors and prints.. That Paparazzi fabric bundle is so very yummy looking :)
I really like the Basic Grey Line; especially the Christmas fabrics. I love to make items featuring snowmen and looks like there would be some great fabrics in this collection.
I am soooo traditional! I do enjoy the eye candy of the Non-Traditional/Contempory, but they are too busy to me to be used in quilting. I do like the unusual as well, but my stash definitely reflects the traditional style!
I don’t know that I have a favorite pattern type. I love them all!!! I guess I tend to use more contemporary patterns and colors, but I just LOVE the batiks, too. Oh and the calicos….and oh I just can’t pick one!
I love and use all fabric styles, sometimes just one for a quilt, sometimes several in one. It is magical to see how a fabric changes when it is placed beside a new neighbor.
My favorites are bright and bold, and I love all Kaffe’s fabrics, as well as every batik every made!!!
I love it all! But my stash is HEAVILY weighted on the batik and Asian end.
I love modern and contemporary for the most part. I also like traditonal when it comes to sweet romantic prints. I’m just starting to work in the “others” category… solids… I just love lots of colour. I can spend hours on FQS admiring fabric. ;o) Thanks for the chance to win!
I am always torn because I love some aspects of traditional (design), but the vivid colours of modern.
Actually I like alle fabrics, but I could use som Judie Rotermel fabrics for a sertqn project, so I hope I´ll be the lucky one, thanks for the chance ☺
BATIKS! My absolutely favorite is and has been batiks ever since I first found them. Hopefully the “luck of the Irish” will be with me today as it’s Saint Patrick’s Day when I am entering for the chance to win.
My favorite quilt style is traditional, but I am liking the more contemporary quilts more as I see them.
Batiks in jewel tones are my favorites!
I think more often than not I am a traditionalist. but everyonce in a while I just can’t resist something modern. the colors just draw you in. thank you fat quater shop and quilt gallery for an awesome giveaway. I am so glad I sew! Janita
I like bright and modern!
My favorite fabric style is maybe not so much a style as a color theme. I love fabrics of any style, modern or traditional, as long as they are in what I call “no color colors” or muddy colors. Muted grey browns, muddy greens and warmer taupes.
I prefer modern contemporary fabrics. Thanks for the chance!
ap_lemos at yahoo dot com
my favorite is stars and stripes, I love love it. hugs
My favourites are Pam Kitty Morning, anything by Lakeside fabrics or French General. Ruby by Bonnie and Camille, Flower Sugar by Lecien- I think my style is “other”. :)
I just love the Halloween party, its gorgeous!
My favorite fabrics are geometrical – stripes and dots are types I use all of the time. Still, I have never seen a paisley that I do not love!
Green Kaffe ClassicsFat Quarter Bundle
Fantastic fabric for fabaholics like me!!!!!
I love Novelty fabrics and Batiks!!
Civil War Ladies are my favourite. Barbara Brackman has converted me in this last 12 months and this is the only fabric I want at the moment. Love it.
I prefer the contemporary fabrics and the novelty ones as well. I like any colour but pink.
I just love any fabric! But I can’t go past Reproductions without “needing” a little or a lot of something!
It all depends on the quilt I’m making.
Every quilt asks for its own kind of fabric.
The colours I use are mostly warm and /or bright!!
My style seems to incorporate fabrics with bright colors.
I love the fall colors, and small prints. tone on tones.
never blue.
I like the contempory style with big bold prints and colors.
When I made my first quilt few years ago it was with Bliss Collection by Bonnie and Camille.I love that collection it suddenly made me happy and that dark room was not dark any more.I two quilts made with Bliss.But I also love other types of fabrics to and I’m fascinated with fabric.
Enjoy your holiday.
I must admit to a fetish for the contemporary and modern styles. With sew many innovative designers out there it is sew hard to choose. Thanks for the chance, Dianne
My favorite style right now is the 1930’s reproductions, mixed in with some modern looks such as Free Market Fancy.
I think my style varies by day, I’m usually drawn to modern or novelty type prints, but I enjoy some of the other categories, too! :o)
Love everything bright and batiks
I prefer the clear colors of either modern prints or solids. Bold and crisp is a wonderful thing in a fabric. But I do have a lot of traditional classic too.