Dearth of interesting fabrics
04-21-2013, 12:25 PM
#51
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 421
I agree with you about the Modern quilts, I find them boring. Very simplistic patterns, just not visually interesting to me at all. I think it's great that we all have our own opinions. My Mom always said that if everyone liked the same thing it would be a very boring world. I have also let my subscriptions to quilting magazines lapse except for 2 and I'm not sure if I will renew those when the time comes. So many of the same patterns over and over again, just in different colors. As far as fabric designs goes, everything old is new again.
04-21-2013, 01:55 PM
#52
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: New England
Posts: 865
I haven't really seen great/inspiring fabrics lately, but have purchased some batiks to go with focus fabrics of a couple years ago. The place where I've found exciting fabrics in the past couple years is in the London houses. Woodrow has gone out of business, unfortunately, but Fabric Freedom has some good fabrics. I really don't like the modern fabrics with glaring colors. I saw these used together in a quilt entered in a major show a year or so ago, and the comments it got were not flattering. One woman said, "Why bother?" (I was white gloving.)
04-21-2013, 02:07 PM
#53
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Arkansas
Posts: 559
I love, love, love working with color....therefore, fabric never loses its appeal for me. There is always something I want . But with so much stored now I can't justify it unless there is a specific need tHAT I CANNOT BYPASS.
04-21-2013, 02:28 PM
#54
Super Member
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 1,761
I think it depends on the LQS. There is one I go to because I really like the people who run it but the fabric is usually only the ones they like without thought to others who have different tastes and they nearly never have just plain white. There is another one I frequent that is probably 65 miles away but she carries EVERYONEs complete lines and it's a joy to shop there because I never come away empty handed and they will cut as little as 4" of fabric if that's all I need.
04-21-2013, 05:06 PM
#55
Junior Member
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: NE Texas
Posts: 128
I thought I was the only one with problems with the new quilt fabrics. And I'm too new a quilter to have much stash. Even traditional Christmas colors are hard to find. I just can't (or won't) associate lime, turquoise and grey with Christmas. My local quilt shops push the modern and retro fabrics unless I buy their kits, of which they always have some that I like. But they don't sell that yardage. Been sewing all my life, but now have to resort to kits and online stores to get fabrics I like. Hate the new kids fabrics and "grown up" colors for babies' quilts. Make my grandkids' quilts out of batiks. I hope this fabric phase ends soon and gets back to fabrics I can appreciate.
04-21-2013, 05:14 PM
#56
Power Poster
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Perth, Western Australia
Posts: 10,357
I was buying very erratically and given lots of disparate designs....when I'm off my 2013 moratorium I will be buying blenders and solids to help pull some quilts together from my stash. I am also going to be dyeing when the weather warms up.
04-21-2013, 06:17 PM
#58
Super Member
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 1,510
In some ways, I have had similar experiences as the original poster. I've been super excited to have the day off, have extra spending money, and make a long trek to a fabric store, only to hunt and hunt and hunt for something to buy. I chalked it up (mostly) to being in a quilting slump. But I am also a quilter that does not have young children in my immediate circle of family and friends and thus I pass by on all the kiddie stuff.
As for the inspiration part, I have found that if I flip through an older magazine, I can see a pattern that was done in calicoes that I know I can make look more timely by using my own stash. Scrappy quilts become more interesting to me.
Here is an example of something that motivated me. The pattern, called Pulsar, was published in a magazine 18 years ago. I used up a good amount of leftover scrap stash for it and then only had to hunt for the dark blue border fabric.
As for the inspiration part, I have found that if I flip through an older magazine, I can see a pattern that was done in calicoes that I know I can make look more timely by using my own stash. Scrappy quilts become more interesting to me.
Here is an example of something that motivated me. The pattern, called Pulsar, was published in a magazine 18 years ago. I used up a good amount of leftover scrap stash for it and then only had to hunt for the dark blue border fabric.
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