How to Combine Fabrics for a Quilt

One of the most fun parts of making a quilt is choosing the fabrics. Whether you use up scraps you already have, or buy fabrics especially picked for a particular quilt, the fabric you choose makes a huge difference in how the finished quilt looks. You can find color combinations to suit every quilt pattern and style, and to match your taste and personality. Here are some tips for choosing quilt fabrics in various color combinations.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• different color fabrics
• scissors
• straight pins
• thread
• sewing machine
• batting
• fabric for backing
• quilt binding

Choosing the Fabrics

1. Choose fabrics in various shades that complement each other. For example, pair light green and dark green, or sky blue with a bright cobalt.

2. Choose fabrics with contrasting prints and patterns, such as combining solid colors with stripes or dots, or a subtle pink floral print with a larger rose one.

3. Create gradients by using lots of small pieces of fabric that are each slightly different variations of the same color, then arrange them from light to dark.

4. For a vibrant quilt, choose fabrics in starkly contrasting colors, such as black and white or pale pink and bright red. Or try bright colors with a dark border or background to make them stand out.

5. For a pastel quilt, choose various soft shades of baby blues and pinks, lavender, pale yellow and light green.

6. For a rainbow quilt, choose fabrics of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple (and even pink or other shades you’d like to add). Be sure to use the same type of shade for each color (either bright or pastel versions).

7. Choose fabric for the borders, background or binding that complement or contrast with your main fabrics. Choose a backing that will complement the front of the quilt.

Making the Quilt

8. Cut the pieces of fabric following a pattern, or your own imagination.

9. Lay the pieces out to see how they look together.

10. Rearrange the pieces as needed to get the most of your color combinations.

11. Pin the pieces together and then sew them.

12. Add appliqués or embellishments as desired.

13. Lay the backing fabric wrong side up and place the batting on top of it.

14. Place your quilt top on the batting. Smooth out any wrinkles.

15. Pin the quilt top, batting and backing together, then quilt the layers together.

16. Finish the edges of the quilt with a binding.

Tips & Warnings

• Although it’s fun to combine different colors of fabric in a quilt, it’s best to use the same type of fabric for each quilt piece, since it can be difficult to get the pieces to line up if you sew a calico cotton to a stretchy flannel. You can however, use a different type of fabric for the backing. For example, a soft flannel can work great on the back of a cotton baby quilt.
• Use caution when working with scissors, pins and sewing machines.