Fabric Selection

For those who have dogs and have them groomed.  Usually the groomer will tie a piece of material in the shape of a triangle around the dogs neck.      I save these triangles and make a quilt out of them for the dogs or cats in the house. You can cut these triangle into squares.You can also make them for gifts for your friends that have pets.  The material is free, that is the bonus

Moda fabrics are producing more 5" square packs of their complete lines.  Purchasing these for under is a good way to have a variety of pieces for appliqués and sampler quilts without breaking your bank account.

if, like me, you have trouble seeing colour values, print  or copy the pattern in black & white instead of colour. I  find it is easier to choose my own colours as I am not influenced by the existing colour picture and it becomes uniquely mine, not a copy of someone elses quilt.

When choosing fabric for a quilt, start with one multicolored "focus" fabric that you really like.  Then coordinate other fabrics by matching colors in the focus fabric.  Adding a small amount of yellow or green, if appropriate, will spark up the colors and add life to your quilt.

When choosing fabrics for a quilt, select the feature fabirc first. Then use the coloured dots printed on the selvedge to make further selections.

When selecting fabrics for your quilt, make sure all the fabrics work well together. It may seem silly, but the last thing you want is to put all the time and hard work into making a quilt to not be pleased with the finished product. Have a color scheme in mind when you choose fabrics for your quilt. Carefully coordinate the colors and patterns on all fabrics used in the quilt will ensure the finished quilt looks exactly how you wish.

Select good quality fabrics made of 100 percent cotton. Polyester fabrics or polyester cotton blends can shrink unevenly, causing your quilt to pucker or pull at the seams. Avoid using thin fabrics, since they can stretch out of shape too easily. Also avoid poorly-constructed fabric. Make sure the fabric has a tight, even weave to ensure the stitches will not pull through or the fabric will stretch. Most importantly, do not sacrifice quality for price.

Even though quilts can be made of any fabric, beginners should focus on cottons for their first quilt. Once you have developed your quilting and sewing skills, use the more exotic fabrics for your next project. It would be a shame for you to waste your money and time on fabrics that are too difficult use for quilting. Fabrics such as silks or satins make lovely quilts, but are very difficult fabrics to work with due to their fragile and slippery nature.