Since I work mostly art quilts using commercially available fabrics, I buy interesting fabrics that seem they would work for my style of quilts when I see them. This is obviously not the best method, since my stash has grown exponentially over the past couple of years and never seems to shrink. :shock: Anyway, I do seem now to be able to find most of what I need in my stash, buying only a missing color or some such, and so now I am into replacing fabrics only when I use them up unless I see something extraordinary. I sometimes find a piece I LOVE and it works SO WELL for things like mountains or the like, only when it's gone I never seem to find it again and the hunt is on.

I happen to have a large stash so I shop my stash first. Depending on pattern, I'll take off the shelves different colour-ways and combinations until I find a pleasing group. I work in bright colours most of the time and usually try to balance values. I also pay atention to size of print or pattern as I select fabric. For scrappy I pay attention to lights and darks and ignore the detail print of the fabric. This is how I worked a "postage stamp" quilt with 2 " finished squares (one light one dark one light one dark was my motto!).The fabric for this one was randomly selected from my stash but I did pick from every pile of colour that I have.
cheers
Jeanine

Anna,
First I shop my stash-I can't afford to buy new fabric for every quilt I want to make. I usually start with something in the blue/blue-green family since blue is my favorite color. Or, if I have a floral fabric I want to use, I look for coordinating fabrics. For my Dear Jane, I tried doing just a 2 color quilt-blue and off white. Well, I didn't like it so I'm making it scrappy. That means whatever makes me happy. Nobody else has to like the combinations but me. That's how I pick scrappy.

Went to a blog where they had interesting discussions about fabric selection. I am wondering HOW OTHERS SELECT FABRICS FOR THEIR QUILTS.


How do you choose the fabrics for your quilt?

http://www.generations-quilt-patterns.com/index.html

http://www.generations-quilt-patterns.com/scrappy-quilts.html

http://www.generations-quilt-patterns.com/beginning-quilting.html




Do you have a favorite designer? Color-way? Era of quilts you would like to work on?

How do you choose the fabrics for a scrappy quilt? Are you a controlled scrappy or anything goes scrapper?





Nonnie
AKA LADY RAGS
[url]
http://nonniequiltingdreams.wordpress.com
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My Blog

http://nonniesquiltingdreams.podbean.com

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email me at:
mailto:nonniequiltingdreams@gmail.com

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WARNING: I do tend to post topics from forums in my podcast after I have thought about it.