Have you ever purchased a fabric that’s perfect for your project(s), then found you didn’t have enough?  Or you wanted more for a similar project?  However, when you went to purchase more fabric, the store was out and couldn’t get any more. 
That design had been discontinued!
*I discovered this when I was making appliqued quilted vests for children.  A store would order a number of vests, then later want more of a specific design.  If I didn’t have enough fabric, I’d order more, often finding it had been discontinued in a relatively short time.  A customer might purchase a vest from …read more

“Fabrics are a great source of inspiration,” mentions Lyn Briggs at her blog, Moore Patchwork & Quilting.  (Scroll down to the section labeled “Inspiration.”)
This got me thinking of the ways quilters and fabric artists enjoy fabrics and create lovely works of art from them.  Quilters can’t resist buying fabrics.  They collect colorful stashes, and find many ways to use them.
*Fabrics brighten our lives…like a ray of sunshine peeping through clouds.
*They bring back memories…like the feed sack fabrics reminiscent of those my grandmother used in quilts she made for her grandchildren.
*We share them and exchange them with quilting friends.
*Creating wearable art is …read more

Jen at Domestik Goddess asked if my daughter or I had any more resources about sun dyeing or printing.  (She enjoyed seeing photos of Beth’s sun prints on her Meandering Threads blog. )

When I saw Beth on our deck the other day, involved in painting some more fabric and placing ferns, leaves and stems for designs on her sun prints, I thought of Jen’s request.
Two books she’s found helpful:
*Mickey Lawler’s Sky Dyes, a Visual Guide to Fabric Painting.  Beth pointed out the portion on “Sunprints” whereby you apply paint to fabric, then lay objects over the wet paint and let it dry …read more

Jennifer, in a comment on my fun post about baby turtles, Something Fun for Quilters, mentioned that her best friend likes and collects turtles.  In the post, I’d suggested the turtles might inspire quilters.  So Jennifer came up with the idea of a baby blanket or quilt with turtles for her friend’s baby.
I agree with Jennifer.  Why not incorporate turtles into a baby gift quilt?  She might look for some fabric printed with turtles.  (Does anyone know where there is any?)  Or she could design or find a pattern of turtles to applique on quilt blocks. 
I often made quilted blankets for …read more

As I browsed around Jen’s so you wannabee a Domestik Goddess? blog I discovered a number of free quilt patterns. 
Anna Maria Horner’s inner gypsy had to have been at play when she designed her 22 Lollipops Quilt and Bohemium Quilt – and the fabric collections that inspired them, too, mentions Jen.
The fabrics in the quilts shown on Jen’s blog remind me of fabrics my aunt and grandmother used in their quilts and dressmaking in the 1940s.  Lots to reminisce there for quilters who created quilts then…or those who like that type of fabric.  Anna Maria has adapted these fabrics into her …read more

Quilters and fabric artists often have what seems like tons of leftover fabric they plan to use for a future project.  Or they purchase fabric then don’t find a way to incorporate it into any of their projects.
At Layers Upon Layers, I discovered an ideal way to use your leftover fabric…swatch portraits.  Cyndi seems intrigued by this idea, too, which she found at The Purl Bee.  There’s even a tutorial at that site for creating wall art from your fabric by using embroidery and quilting hoops of various sizes. 
As I looked at the fabric portraits displayed, I also could envision …read more

I carry with me an envelope containing pieces of old fabric from a quilt my mom and dad received as a wedding gift in 1934.  If Mother ever told me who made it, I don’t recall now and wish I could.  I think it was someone in her family.
The quilt contained many pieces and was hand stitched.  Mother used it on the guest room bed.  In later years it must have been used for “every day” because when I found it, after Mother became ill with Alzheimer’s, the quilt was tattered, worn, and torn.  My daughter and I can salvage …read more

Janet Wickell has posted some very interesting information on fabric grain, Understanding Fabric Grain Improves Your Quilting Skills, and the importance of quilters and fabric artists being knowledgeable about this topic.   Using straight grain pieces and bias cut pieces can produce totally different results…and sometimes not the results you desire if you don’t know the characteristics of each.
There are a number of articles suggested in addition to Janet’s information about fabric grain and when to use what.
This post builds upon my previous one, Learning Which Quilting Fabric to Select.

You’ll find many variables involving quilting fabric…which to select for various projects, where to find it, and what is the best quality fabric.
At Quilted Paradise Newsletter this week, you’ll discover a great deal of information about quilting fabric.  The fabric you use depends on personal choice, the project, and what is available within your budget.
To help you make your choices, you may want to check out some of the fabric selection tips in the newsletter.  Some topics covered: Buying quality fabric for quilting, how to know if a chosen fabric is of good quality, why is good quilt fabric so …read more

What type of fabric do you prefer for your quilting and fabric art, I asked my readers.
The choices were: 
*Polyester/cotton blend
*100% cotton
*Silk, satin, brocades, metallics, etc.
*A combination of fabrics
Apparently quilters and fabric artists still generally prefer 100% cotton as they did during the fabric debate throughout the Bicentennial Years (1975-76+) when I became involved in quiltmaking as a business.  Seventy percent of my readers voted for the 100% cotton.
Thirty percent opted for a combination of fabrics, while no one voted for polyester/cotton blend or the silk, satin, brocades, and metallics.
     If you’re uncertain which fabrics to use for particular projects, you …read more