Starting to choose fabric for the quilt is a important decision, whether you are quilting one or choosing to purchase a quilt online.
Do you love baby quilts with animal prints? Maybe the design on the fabric you use for the quilt are the favorite little lady bugs or the ever popular butterfly.
Begin your design search with an object. Let’s say you know your little boy loves trains. Start by choosing a fabric that has trains but also contains at least three colors. I take this fabric to a paint store and find paint strips that match the colors in my train fabric. Later, I return to the quilt shop and choose the fabric for the quilt that will go well with my original train fabric.
Many little girls might favor patterns where the pinks are so lovely and a little boy can just cuddle up with the shades of blues, but don’t overlook the power of the neutral shades of the whites, creams and even a few beiges or light grays to blend in. The color scheme may easily come to life in the baby quilt as colors are also chosen from across the color wheel. The addition of an accent color, in small amounts or a bit darker shade, adds interest and excitement to the baby quilt.
Don’t throw these paint strips away when you are finished. Start a notebook. This notebook should include these paint strips, cuts from your fabric of the baby quilt that you are designing, photos of the block designs, steps of the quilt you are sewing in various stages, and of course a photo of your finished quilt. All of these components will assist you to choose the fabric for the quilt by helping you remember the procedure you followed on the last quilt or reminding you of selections made on prior projects. If you are like many quilters, the quilt may have been lovingly made for another, and your notebook will be the reminder of the many quilts that you have completed.
Next time you go to choose fabric for the quilt, pull out the notebook and enjoy your design search.
