I have been wanting to make another stacked coin scrap quilt so I thought I would take some time to look through my background fabrics to see what I could come up with to use.
Background fabrics are something I like to pick up when I see good sales and keep in my stash. I often have people ask me what some of my favorite stash items are. So I thought I would share some of them today.
I do still keep a lot of Kona solids in my stash but I actually prefer to use fabrics that look at bit more textural. I use my Kona a lot for bindings.
An old favorite of mine is the Quilters Linen by Robert Kaufman. This is a printed fabric (not a woven) and comes in a LOT of colors. Above is a sampling of some of the colors I have in my stash. The orange and the green are probably some of my favorites.
Another good basic that comes in a lot of colors is the various Grunge collections by Moda. This fabric has become very popular and you can pick it up just about everywhere. I was happy to see Connecting Threads is now stocking wide backing in some of the colors and REALLY happy to see the Fat Quarter Shop has Grunge 20% off this entire month. I used up a lot of my stash recently and need to replace some colors (like Essence and Bleu).
I also like a lot of the Connecting Threads blender series like their chambray, faux linen and mirage. These prints change frequently so I have learned to buy it if you like it!
And if you are curious how much I buy? I like to pick up 2 to 3 yard cuts - that quantity always seems about right for the lap quilts I usually make.
You can tell I like colorful background fabrics - not a lot of neutrals for me!
What about you...Do you have a favorite background fabric you like to use?
10 comments:
Because I tend to use solids so much, I like having a stock of Kona solids on hand for backgrounds. And I really like bright and bold backgrounds, although white/off-white can be the best choice sometimes. Recently I have been playing around with more textural choices with grunge like choices and they can make lovely depth!
It's fun to see some of your choices for background fabrics! I've enjoyed experimenting with different backgrounds the last few years - I love using different colors of Grunge. So far have tried gray and a light blue. I went really rogue and used Kona Aloha for those color gradient blocks, and fell in love with that!
I rarely use solids, even for my background fabric. My personal favorite is a black on black, but that’s not appropriate for all quilts. So, I’ll use a white on white or a white on beige. I would like to try a light gray at some point. After a 10 yr quilting hiatus, I’m still re-familiarizing with the various fabric makers.
Michelle
https://mybijoulifeonline.com
Like you, I like texture and tone-on-tone in solids. I keep my eye open for whites and creams with lots of color pops to go with my scraps.
I've just recently started using a few light grays and very light grunge as I'm no longer a fan of bright whites. I still like tone-on-tones and creamy colors so it varies.
I am not a fan of solids at all! I seldom use them and think I only have a couple in my stash. I love tone on tone fabrics to use as backgrounds. Grunge is a favorite as well.
Now this is where the difference between very experienced quilters and sorta experienced (me) is glaringly obvious. I never think ahead about background fabrics. I usually buy them at the time I need them. It didn't occur to me to buy to have on hand! Hmm!
Pretty!!! If you get bored of the orange, send it my way! LOL
What great fabric acquisitions!!!
I really appreciate this post. I would like to branch out and use colorful backgrounds. Green is my favorite color and I rarely see quilts using that color as much as blue, not my favorite except on occasions when blue is used in a scrappy way. Please someone make some green-inspired quilts. LOL
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