Selecting Fabrics for Colorwash Quilts
Colorwash quilts require a large number of
different
fabrics! Even a small quilt has about 150 - 2" squares, and fabrics are
not frequently repeated in most patterns. A good stash of suitable
fabrics can be built by purchasing special packages and swapping with
friends. Some quilt shops will cut 1/8 yard pieces if the customer
purchases enough of them. Larger pieces of fabrics can be
stored
in boxes as usual, but the cut squares should be stored in
shallow trays for easy selection and access. Pizza boxes or
similar containers are good for this purpose.
Some fabrics can be cut into squares
immediately, but
some should be set aside for specialized cutting. If a
green-fading-to-brown piece is desired, it may be necessary to cut a
special piece for that purpose.
Use 100% cotton
fabrics. Values should range from very light to very dark, with plenty
of "mediums".
Use only prints; no solids, stripes, geometrics,
plaids, etc.
© 1997 Catherine Timmons
If you found this article helpful, please
feel free to print a copy for your personal use. If you would like to
publish it in your quilt guild newsletter or share it elsewhere, please
contact
me for permission.
