Blenders

How to Choose Fabrics for Quilting

Quilting is a popular hobby amongst many Australians, but choosing the right fabric often feels like an impossible task. While experienced quilters have little problems finding the fabrics they need, beginners often find it harder to decide.

To help beginners find the right fabrics for their quilting projects, we have created a useful guide to quilting fabrics below. So, if you are just starting out with quilting, be sure to read the information provided by Spotlight below.

What Are the Different Types of Quilting Fabrics?

Before you select a fabric for your project, it is extremely important to know the various types of fabrics you could use. Below, you will find a quick overview of these fabrics.

Solid Fabrics

Solid fabrics are probably the most commonly used fabrics in quilting projects. A solid fabric will always have a single colour and not have any pattern.

Mini Print Fabrics

Beginners could benefit from using mini print fabrics, since these fabrics are unlikely to be uneven or mismatched. Mini print fabrics are characterised by a small scale print, but are only available in a limited number of colours.

Dot Fabrics

Dot fabrics are fabrics with specific prints, although they are not limited to polka dots. In addition to polka dots, these fabrics could also occur with dots, flowers, geometric shapes, and other small embellishments.

Stripe Fabrics

Another fabric that could be used for quilting, but less common. Stripe fabrics are characterised by small or large lines throughout the material.

Tone-on-Tone Fabrics

A tone-on-tone fabric is a fabric that is printed in one colour. However, the colour comes in various gradations on the fabric, which could help you to create quite a marvellous effect on your quilting project.

Directional Fabrics

The last type of fabric quilters should be familiar with is directional fabric. With directional fabric, you will get a material with a design that faces in one direction. We must mention that directional fabric is not as suitable for beginners, since it is easier to obtain a skewed design if you do not have the skill just yet.

What Is the Main Fabric I Should Choose for My Quilting Projects?

For beginners, we usually recommend a plain or solid fabric for most of your project. We also tend to advise fabrics made from pure cotton, since they provide more quality and are quite easy to work with for beginners.

If you do want to use a fabric with a pattern for your first project, you must be a little more careful than with solid fabrics. Patterns are more likely to cause imperfections, so if you use patterns, be sure to work a little slower to ensure no imperfections show up in your work.

What Fabric Should I Choose for Monochromatic Quilting?

Once you become more advanced at quilting, you could try your hand at monochromatic quilting. For monochromatic quilting, you usually have to decide between tone-on-tone printed fabrics or black and white prints.

Tone-on-tone printed fabrics are perfect to create some texture on your quilt. However, these fabrics will still look plain when you look at it from a distance. Therefore, the tone-on-tone printed fabrics are a great choice for any monochromatic quilting project.

Another option you have for monochromatic quilting is the black and white print. The black and white print is commonly used for bolder monochromatic projects - for example, a quilt with a zebra-stripe pattern. Of course, quilters should only attempt this if they have a little more experience.

When Do I Use Blender Fabric?

Blender fabrics are used for a variety of crafts - this includes quilting. Blender fabric is used for quilting when you want to provide a perfect blend between two different fabric types. Therefore, you can use blender fabric as a bridge between colours, fabrics, and even textures.

Should I Mix and Match Fabrics Before I Start Quilting?

Before you start creating your quilt, it is always recommended to mix and match your fabrics - this is not only necessary for different fabric types, but also different colours.

Quilting requires a symbiosis of colours and textures, so comparing your fabrics beforehand is certainly recommended. To check your fabrics, put them close to each other and determine if they work well together or not.

Does Spotlight Provide Suitable Quilting Fabrics?

Spotlight is one of the largest suppliers of crafting fabrics, so customers can certainly count on us to provide them with the best fabrics for their quilting projects. Spotlight also offers the best prices in Australia on fabrics, so you certainly will not regret choosing Spotlight as your fabric supplier!

Do you have a question about any of our quilting fabrics? Or are you looking for a specific quilting fabric, but having problems locating it in our catalogue? For all this and more, please contact Spotlight via email, telephone, or chat.