moonrise

Welcome!

I like the sale section on Connecting Threads. You can buy in increments as small as 1/2 yard, which is more than enough to cut 12 squares from, plus extras for your stash. Sometimes you can also find FQ assortments that have a lot of neutrals in them. I racked up on FQs when they had their Black Friday sale last year.

sunrise450

I'm with moonrise, my trade will also include edgy and neutral. Have many neutral but will have to purchase some edgy. Poor poor me, have to go shopping.

Welcome Fizzle, I'm sure you will find this a happy group!

givio

In my opinion, 'neutral' ought not to be really classified as a color, per se. It's a concept that involves a variety of colors, most often in pale shades involving a mix of white, black, and/or brown. If the pale shades involve other colors such as red or purple (resulting in pink or lavender) then they are often called 'pastels.' For example, you can use house paint to paint your room a neutral or a pastel. You can say, "My room is a neutral color," or "My room is a pastel color," but the sense of what you are saying is the concept, not the actual color. "What neutral did you paint it?" "It's a pale gray and I'm using an accent color of teal." "What pastel did you paint it?" "It's a lovely shade of mint green that reminds me of grandmother." However, with fabrics, there are solid colors and prints.

The colorful prints are not so easy to classify in a certain color. A print loaded with blue and green motifs might seem to one person to be blue, to another green, and to a third turquoise. Sometimes a multi-colored print with fairly equal amount of several colors defies being put into a color category!

Also, the prints are not so easy to classify as a certain value-- is it light or dark? That really depends upon what other fabric the print in question is paired with. For example, if you are using black, then a camel fabric may seem like a light in the finished product. But if you are using white, then the camel fabric may seem like a dark in the finished product. So, depending on what fabrics you are pairing, and depending on your point of view for color and value-- you may decide that a camel fabric may or may not be neutral.

When a print has a pale background and includes some motifs of one or more of perhaps a rainbow of colors there will always be various opinions about how to classify it... Imagine it hanging on the clothesline, standing back 30 feet from it, taking off your glasses, and looking at it. In that case, it might be neutral by anyone's definition! lol

sewbizgirl

There is no such thing as true neutral... it either is or it isn't. And we have differing opinions on what is neutral, so lets just send according to our best understanding and graciously accept what is sent. It doesn't mean you have to use the ones you get as a neutral in your quilt. It's still fabric, tho, and can be used somewhere! I did this with every single color swap I participated in so far, when people sent what I consider neutrals in with the mix. I just picked them out and put them in my neutral pile. The picture I posted is them, plus several more. No reason to sit out. You may miss out on some great squares!

pinkflowers

Red - I'd like to join in on this swap!

rbwiese

Another place one can order fabric beginning in 1/2 yard increments is quilting fabric closeouts. They get end of season and small quantity closeouts and often have great prices.

https://quiltfabriccloseouts.com/?gc...RoCDQQQAvD_BwE

redstilettos

Oh pinkflowers, I am so glad you joined us again! We've missed you!

redstilettos

rb: oh you are a naughty girl after my heart. I just looked at that site....what wonder prices on their closeout fat quarters. Where was this when we first started our color themed swaps!

I have a feeling this is going to be a Great Go-To site for me!!

**happy dances all the way to the site to check it out more....my poor husband** LOL

redstilettos

Okay, folks,

I just checked out the site RJ gave us a link to. I ordered several pieces for an I-Spy swap I just joined, as well as a a few fat quarter bundles (comes to $2 each....nice!). I also ended up finding a few things for my Secret Pal swap for the month. Great bargains. And I like that I can order 1/2 yard of something. That way I can check things out before committing a huge amount of money.

Oh...did I mention the closeout sections where they have yardage for $5/yd? Nice!

Just purchased a new dishwasher (yikes did they go up in price since the last one!),....and now this purchase. I need to log out of pay pal and hide my credit cards for a while. LOL

Jane Quilter

About buying cheap fabric: I have a hard time finding fabric on sale that I don't have to buy 1 yard or more. But the Heirloom quilting company in NJ is the only on line store that I have found that sells sale/clearance fabric in 1/4 yard increments. They specialize in civil war reproductions and some of their neutrals are known as "shirtings". http://www.heirloomquiltingcompany.com/shoppe.htm
If you know of another on line store that does this, please PM me, because I love high quality fat quarters, cheap!
As for the neutral discussion, send me anything. I am not fussy or judgmental. I never met an ugly fabric I didn't like or couldn't use. Jane Q