Where to Start
When learning how to make a patchwork quilt, picking your fabric can be one of the funnest parts, or the most difficult. One of the most common phrases that I hear in the patchwork shop where I work is "I'll know what I want when I see it". Considering there are over twelve thousand bolts of fabric in the store, they might be looking for a a long while.
What I recommend is that you consider it before you go and do some shopping to avoid getting overwhelmed. For instance, What's your favourite color? Do you like florals? Geometrical designs? Batiks? Plains (like Amish colors or soft colors? This'll help to offer you a place to start and the sales assistant will be well placed to lead you to the appropriate fabrics for you.
Selecting Fabrics
When you're beginning quilting, I recommend that you begin by choosing a patterned fabric in your favourite color. That way, you will love working on the quilt, and you'll love it for a very long time after it's finished. Then you can select some complementary fabrics to go with it. Perhaps the best way is to select other fabrics in the same Range. Generally manufacturers design a "Range" of coordinating patterns and colours around the same theme, including small and big patterns and one or two colors. If you select your fabrics from the same Range, you know they can all work in together in your quilt.
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.
When you are selecting colours, ensure you "audition" them. Take the bolts off the shelf and test them together, take one away and see whether it appears to be good or bad, put in a darker one, or an accent colour. Take away any which don't "go together". The ones that do not match could be because they've a cream background instead of white, or because it is an orange-red rather than a blue based red.
As a sales helper I would much rather have to put away extra bolts of fabric, than see a customer leave not totally satisfied with her purchase. And do ask for help if you can not decide, but do not let yourself be bullied into selecting something you are not satisfied with. Even though it is ultimately your decision, sales assistants are there to help with opinions, to suggest options you had not considered of, and perhaps, to find that evasive bolt of fabric that's "just right" for you.
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, picking your fabric can be one of the funnest parts, or the most difficult. One of the most common phrases that I hear in the patchwork shop where I work is "I'll know what I want when I see it". Considering there are over twelve thousand bolts of fabric in the store, they might be looking for a a long while.
What I recommend is that you consider it before you go and do some shopping to avoid getting overwhelmed. For instance, What's your favourite color? Do you like florals? Geometrical designs? Batiks? Plains (like Amish colors or soft colors? This'll help to offer you a place to start and the sales assistant will be well placed to lead you to the appropriate fabrics for you.
Selecting Fabrics
When you're beginning quilting, I recommend that you begin by choosing a patterned fabric in your favourite color. That way, you will love working on the quilt, and you'll love it for a very long time after it's finished. Then you can select some complementary fabrics to go with it. Perhaps the best way is to select other fabrics in the same Range. Generally manufacturers design a "Range" of coordinating patterns and colours around the same theme, including small and big patterns and one or two colors. If you select your fabrics from the same Range, you know they can all work in together in your quilt.
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.
When you are selecting colours, ensure you "audition" them. Take the bolts off the shelf and test them together, take one away and see whether it appears to be good or bad, put in a darker one, or an accent colour. Take away any which don't "go together". The ones that do not match could be because they've a cream background instead of white, or because it is an orange-red rather than a blue based red.
As a sales helper I would much rather have to put away extra bolts of fabric, than see a customer leave not totally satisfied with her purchase. And do ask for help if you can not decide, but do not let yourself be bullied into selecting something you are not satisfied with. Even though it is ultimately your decision, sales assistants are there to help with opinions, to suggest options you had not considered of, and perhaps, to find that evasive bolt of fabric that's "just right" for you.
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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For tons more simple ideas on how to make a patchwork quilt, visit Maree Galt's patchwork quilt website right now!
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