How I Choose Fabrics for a Quilt

How I Choose Fabrics for a New Quilt

One of my favorite parts of starting a new quilt is choosing the fabric.But it wasn’t always this way.

I used to feel so overwhelmed by the fabrics in a quilt shop - so many colors and possibilities. I also couldn’t envision the fabrics within a quilt. I often relied upon the opinion of the quilt shop owner even though she barely knew anything about me! And I always took my mom, and later my husband, to help me make decisions. It just seemed such a daunting task!

But after owning my own fabric shop, I soon discovered that I love matching fabrics together! My being able to cut, mix, and match fabric on a daily basis, I now fully enjoy seeing the potential of each fabric pull.  It’s like opening a fresh box of crayons—endless possibilities, and everything feels full of potential.

But if you’ve ever stood in front of your stash (or inside a quilt shop) wondering what goes with what, you’re not alone. Today I’m walking you through the process I use when I pull fabric for a new quilt—whether I'm creating from my stash or choosing from a coordinated fabric collection.

1. I always start with a quilt pattern.

By knowing what quilt I’m making, I know how many fabrics I need, if foreground and background fabrics are needed, and what placement my main fabric will have in the quilt. These days, you can even use digital tools to help with fabric pulls and placements. I like using EQ8 when I’m designing my quilts. I upload fabrics and spend hours playing around with fabric placements and choices. There’s also Quilt Ink and PreQuilt as options for coloring quilts digitally. If a quilt designer gives these as an option, it’s so helpful to use!

Of course, I also have a mountain-sized stash of fabrics that don't have any specific plans! It's impossible to walk through a quilt shop and not get a few fat quarters or half yards, right? AND I own a fabric shop! I'm still always picking up some beautifully designed fabric and saving it for a special someday-project.

2. Start with a "Main Character" Fabric

Every quilt needs a star of the show. I like to begin with one fabric that really catches my eye—maybe it's a bold floral, a sweet novelty print, or a moody geometric. This is my “main character” fabric. Everything else I choose will support it, not compete with it. Often, these fabrics will have more contrast or a larger scale print.

Ask yourself:

• Does it have a color or pattern you love?
  
• Does it feel like the mood of the quilt you want to make?
  
• Is it something you want to see repeated and highlighted throughout the design?
  

Once I’ve chosen my main character, the rest of the cast gets built around it.

Sometimes, the “main character” fabric is used on the front of the quilt, but sometimes it’s used as the backing. I will then use the colors in this print to pull my other fabrics. On the selvedge, there are color dots that match the hues used in the quilt. These can be used to match with other fabrics.

3. Find “Supporting Role” Fabrics

Next, I look for fabrics that support the star. These might be:

• Solids or tone-on-tones that pull colors from the main fabric
  
• Low-volume prints to balance bolder ones
  
• Smaller-scale prints that don’t distract from the focal point
  

The goal here is to build a palette that compliments, not competes.

4. Use Fabric Collections (But Still Pick a Star!)

Sometimes I work within a single fabric collection where everything already coordinates. These are designed to work together, which makes it super easy. But even when I’m working from a collection, I still choose a main character print.

That way, I’m not just using all the fabrics equally—I’m still creating a visual focal point and supporting cast, even if they’re all from the same designer line. These fabrics below are all part of the Willow Collection designed by Sharon Holland for Art Gallery Fabrics.  You can see within just these three prints, the supporting fabrics support the colors used in the "main character" print. Also, they use a smaller scale, less hues, and a low-volume print. These support the "main character" fabric without taking away the attention.

The Bottom Line?

 Start with one fabric you love—your "main character"—and build from there. Whether you're shopping your stash or working with a collection, taking time to thoughtfully choose your fabrics will help your quilt feel more cohesive and more you.

Now go pull some fabric and have some fun—this is the best part!