How do you choose coordinating fabrics?
05-12-2011, 03:09 PM
#1
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Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 55
I have a hard time choosing fabrics for quilts. I'm worried that once I put a quilt together it's going to be terrible looking. I've been looking at fabrics that coordinate in a line so that I know they match. How do you go about choosing coordinating fabrics?
05-12-2011, 03:19 PM
#3
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Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Knot Merrill, Southern Indiana
Posts: 5,781
Honestly, I lay them out on my cutting table (which is large). I can see my table every time I pass the room. Sometimes I'll look at them for a few days in different lights until I'm happy.
05-12-2011, 04:09 PM
#6
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Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Texas
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I cross my fingers and just hope they look good when I am finished. Honestly, I am no good at selecting colors. Doesn't keep me from trying though. I also tend to lean towards two or three colored quilts....can't mess up too much that way. :)
05-12-2011, 04:19 PM
#7
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Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Renton, WA
Posts: 2,045
Originally Posted by DogHouseMom
Honestly, I lay them out on my cutting table (which is large). I can see my table every time I pass the room. Sometimes I'll look at them for a few days in different lights until I'm happy.
05-12-2011, 04:35 PM
#9
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Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Union, Missouri
Posts: 1,542
I have not used this idea however it sounds GREAT....
If you buy a main fabric or if you find a fabric that you just HAVE to use in a quilt take that piece of fabric with you to the local hardware store, or chain store that sells paint. Then go through the paint swatches and find colors that you think will go good. Take them home lay them out then with natural sunlight take a photo of them. I always photograph fabric to make sure they look right together.
Another thing is printed fabrics all have swatch dots on the selvage. These colors are the colors that the fabric were printed with. You can use them to find matching colors!
If you buy a main fabric or if you find a fabric that you just HAVE to use in a quilt take that piece of fabric with you to the local hardware store, or chain store that sells paint. Then go through the paint swatches and find colors that you think will go good. Take them home lay them out then with natural sunlight take a photo of them. I always photograph fabric to make sure they look right together.
Another thing is printed fabrics all have swatch dots on the selvage. These colors are the colors that the fabric were printed with. You can use them to find matching colors!
05-12-2011, 04:40 PM
#10
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Join Date: May 2008
Location: MN
Posts: 24,522
Jinney Beyer had this way of doing colors - she would match exactly the colors in the focus fabric - and then she would add "bridge" colors between each of the matching colors - and then she would use the "bridge" colors.
Actually made for a more interesting quilt than being exactly matchy-matchy. Which is kind of boring in the mid-range colors.
Actually made for a more interesting quilt than being exactly matchy-matchy. Which is kind of boring in the mid-range colors.
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