Acquiring Fabric {building a stash} Part 2

Here we are for the second part of my post on acquiring fabric!  Last week I talked about the different colors and types of fabric you want in your stash. You can read the first half here.

Today we'll  talk about the practical side.  Where, how, and how much.

First we'll talk about WHERE.   Where do you buy fabric?  I think the ideal place would be fabric shop just down the street.  They would have a huge selection quilting and apparel fabrics, lots of notions, books and patterns, helpful staff, and all at a reasonable price with huge sales now and then!

The chance that you have something like this nearby is quite slim, I'm thinking!  That's why we have to shop around at many different places to buy fabric.

I think that buying fabric in real life at a store is the best option.  You can see and feel the fabric and you have a better chance of knowing that it's some thing you like.  Really, the only reason I buy online is because my brick and mortar shop options are limited, and online prices tend to be more affordable.

So, selection and price are the two factors that make me choose online shopping a lot of the time!  There are many, many online fabric shops!  I'm not going to list my favorites now, but I'm hoping to have a comprehensive list of some great shops in the near future.

So the one disadvantage to shopping fabric online is that the swatch you see on your computer screen can be misleading.  Here's what I do.  I look for actual photos of that fabric, rather than just a flat computer generated swatch.  This means that I do a google search on the name of the particular fabric I'm eyeing.  Hopefully someone has already sewn something with this fabric so that I can visualize the scale, color and texture.  Also there are some shops that take actual photos of their fabric, and this is very handy to look at!

Are you concerned about the quality of this fabric you are ordering?  If you order from well known fabric companies like Moda, Free Spirit, Westminster, Robert Kaufman, Michael Miller(and many many more of course) You're basically guaranteed a consistently good quality.  The regular price of quilting cotton these days is US$8-$10, so that can be a bit of a guideline.

Brand new quilting cotton is not the only fabric you can use for quilting!  I love using vintage fabrics as well.  If you have some thrift stores nearby, you may find some real treasures.  Etsy and Ebay also have lots of options, although you are dealing with possibly higher prices and the risk of not knowing the feel and quality.

I guess I kinda covered the HOW above, where I talked about finding actual photos of the fabric you're looking at.  I think most of us know a little too well how to hit the Add to Cart button, so maybe I don't need to go into that one!

So let's touch a bit on HOW MUCH?  I get this question quite often.  I'd say that my method has definitely changed over the years.  I think I've got myself about figured out by now, so the way I do it is tailored to the way I think.

I buy mainly half yard pieces.  I find them to be a useful size for the quilting I do.  I also buy some quarter yards or fat quarters from shops that have them available.  I almost never buy more than a half yard when it's a fabric I've never seen in person.  I've been disappointed by thinking a certain piece would be perfect for a quilt back, plus it's on sale!  And then when it arrives, it's just not quite how I pictured it.  Or maybe I still like it, but it's just not something I'll use that much of.  When I find myself loving a 1/4 or 1/2 yard piece, when I cut into it almost right away and start to worry that it's going to be used up soon, then I consider buying more.  ( I said consider)  If over time I find it to be a versatile fabric that I love the color of, and know that I will use more, paired together with finding it on sale somewhere, then I might purchase 2-3 yards.

The photo above shows examples of fabrics that I have repurchased because I found myself using them and know I'd use them more.  A couple of them are basics (like the bottom three) I never found them on sale, but I knew I'd use them lots, and I do.  The next two are not necessarily 'must-haves' but I found them on a great sale and knew from experience that they were prints I liked, so I bought a few yards.  These kind are pieces that work well for quilt backs.  The geometric green print second from top is my all time favorite green print.  I find it hard to find the perfect shade of green, and this is one I love, so I can't imagine what I'll do when it's gone!  And the very top print is just one that I loved because of it's vintage look and I had to have more before it was gone!

The funny thing is that really my favorite cuts of fabric are the fat quarters and quarter yards.  They just seem more special, I can have more variety of fabrics, and I find myself using them sooner.  For some reason I don't find myself cutting into large 1 yard pieces when I'm making patchwork.  I've learned that there will always be another piece of fabric that I love just as much, so when this one is gone I don't need to worry!

On the other hand, you simply DO need some larger chunks of fabric.  Maybe for sashing, or a pattern that has a lot of one background.  And for quilt backs of course.  Here's the thing: I never choose backing or binding till my quilt top is complete.  So it is nice to have a bit of selection when that time comes.  I like to have a few Ikea sheets on hand for larger quilts.  I also always have a few 56" wide voiles on hand since I love the feel of them on the back of a quilt (plus they're a bit wider)

Ok, I must run now, although I could talk longer!  Any other thoughts or comments, please feel free to add and I'll try to reply in the comments below!

Arrow Quilt

Acquiring Fabric {building a stash} Part 1

First of all we're going to talk about what kinds of fabrics we want in our stash.  We'll pretend that the practicalities like how and where and how much, aren't an issue.  Those will be the second part of this post.  So for now we'll pretend we have a lovely brick and mortar quilt shop just one block over, a huge online shop with every fabric imaginable on it's pages, and of course a Paypal account stocked with $1000!

The most important fabrics in your stash are your basics.

Some plain solids - I use Kona cotton but any brand will do, as long as it's 100% cotton.
A few colors that I always keep on hand are Snow (the perfect white), Natural (more of an muslin color), Aqua, (the perfect aqua), and Stone (a warm medium gray).   Of course I always have other colors on hand too, but these three I try to always keep around.

Another basic that I love is Essex Linen in Natural.  It's a cotton linen blend that is slightly heavier than other cotton.  Because of the cotton content it's super easy to work with and goes well with all my cottons.  I use it often as my background fabric in a quilt, just because I like the natural color and the texture.

Shot Cottons by Kaffe Fassett are my number one favorite solid.  I'd use them all the time except for the fact that they cost slightly more and don't have as many colors as regular solids.  They add stunning depth to any quilt because of their woven look.  The warp and weft are two different colors, so they shine slightly different when looking at them from different angles.  They are also very soft, which makes them a great choice for quilt backs!  Here's a list of my favorite colors in shot cottons.  Aqua ( a smoky blue, reminds me of light faded denim), Persimmon (absolutely the best red!  Basically the only red solid I use.), Tangerine (the best orange!) Tobacco (a golden caramel color with warm yellow undertones).

Neutral colored fabrics are also of great importance.  I always have to make  conscious effort to stash these fabrics, because they're not as exciting as the bold and bright prints.  Depending on your style though, you're likely to find yourself using these fabrics more than your fun rainbow floral prints.

I like to have a wide variety of different shades and colors, and well as different prints.  These fabrics are similiar to solids in their practicality, but they have a print which adds some interest to your quilt.  I like to have a variety of prints.  Some stripes, polka dots, old fashioned geometrics and tiny florals, modern graphic prints, text, and reproduction fabrics.  (Just a word on reproduction fabrics, which are those tiny prints that have been reprinted and inspired by fabrics from years ago.  I find a whole quilt made from these fabrics to be drab, but I love to mix a few in to my quilts.  These old fashioned collections have some great basics that look amazing when paired with the more modern prints.)

This stack above is examples of the next category that I shop for.  These are prints that are dominantly one color.  These are the most useful for creating your desired palette.  They may have two or more secondary colors in the design, but they read mostly as one color.  You will find yourself using this type of fabric alot.  Again, I like to have a variety of different types of prints in all the colors of the rainbow.

From the above category, there are two subgroups.  The four prints above are easy to categorize into color groups, but they have quite a few secondary colors.  These are great for creating blending in your quilt.  They add interest and give a softer look.

Then you have the simpler graphic fabrics like the ones shown above here.  They generally have one secondary color that creates the design.  These help keep the simple graphic look that I like.

The last official group is multicolored fabrics.  These are the ones that I tend to fall in love with first.  They jump out at you and convince you to make a quilt right now!

You must be careful not to buy only these types of fabrics though, or your quilt will be very busy, and you'll have a hard time finding fabrics that look nice together.

I squeezed in one last little unofficial category.  I'm not sure what it's called, but it's those little pieces of extra special fabric that you MUST have.  just because!  Maybe it's a rare fabric, or a Liberty Lawn floral, or a fat quarter of Heather Ross Linen.  Whatever the case, those little pieces of special fabric are used sparingly, but they are so fun and inspiring.  There's no criteria for this category, it's your own personal taste.


Soooo.... this post is plenty long and I've only covered half of my first topic!  I'm going to stop now and write the next post seperately.  I'll talk more about how I choose fabrics online, how much I buy, etc.

Welcome to this laid back quiltalong, where we'll be talking about some of the basics of quilting.  Starting with buying fabrics, and going all the way through till your quilt is completed,  as I write each new post I'll add a link below.  

Acquiring Fabric {building a stash} Part 1

Acquiring Fabric {building a stash} Part 2

Two Fab Shops {and a giveaway}

on a {future} quiltalong

I'm so excited by the enthusiasm for a beginner's quilt-along-thingie!  I know this has been done before, and there are lots of resources out there, so we're not covering anything new.  There's always something to learn, though!  For myself, I'm hoping to learn some tips on quilting, but also am interested in learning more about how to explain new techniques, which steps beginners find frustrating, etc.

I have taught a couple of classes in my local quilt shop, although most of them were not beginning quilters, but maybe learning a new technique.  I find that I am not a natural teacher.  I also don't have a lifetime worth of sewing knowlege. (I started sewing at 16 and am 28 now)  What I DO have is a passion for quilting, and a no rules, laid back approach.  I think it is important that sewists/quilters are nurtured from the beginning with the idea that sewing is for you.  You are not required to vow allegiance to any rules or government of thread and fabric.  To sew and quilt is simply to use needle, thread and fabric to make what YOU want to make!

If you like what you're making, then it's great!  If you're frustrated because you need more knowledge to make what you're envisioning, then that's where a class or quiltalong like this comes in!  To enable you to make the item you've been wanting to make.

So enough about all that... Quite a few of you mentioned wanting to hear about fabric selection for a quilt.  Yay!!!  My favorite part!  I also find this challenging because it's a very intuitive process for me.  I think this portion will need to be divided into two parts.  {Acquiring Fabric - selection for your fabric shelf}, and then {Choosing Fabric - curating a quilt}.

So here's the posts that I'll be doing over the next month or two.

Acquiring Fabric
Choosing Fabric
Cutting
Piecing
Preparing for Quilting {choosing backing and batting and then putting them all together}
Quilting
Binding

Don't be intimidated by this long list!  I'm just dividing it up into smaller segments to make it easier to add lots of details to each step.  I'm hoping that each post can include links to other tutorials explaining these methods, as well as tips and further questions from you.

Sooooo, I'd love to dive right in, but I need a few more days to get it started.  I'm aiming for Monday or Tuesday of next week to begin!

Meanwhile I need to think of a name for this little series.  I'm terrible at names, have you noticed?  I label my quilts with things like 'red patchwork squares'!

So I could just call it "Learn to Quilt" or "Beginner Guide to Quilting" or "Easiest Quilt Ever Quiltalong".  Yes, I am asking for your ideas!

See you next week!

a little Fabric Sale!!

I forgot to mention that I'm having a little fabric sale!  All remaining charm bundles, as well as the one basket quilt bundle, are 20% off with coupon code  blue20  in my Etsy shop.  Just choose the 'fabric' section to see all available bundles.  This sale will run till the end of June.