Designer Fabrics

Why designer fabrics?

Everyone loved designer fabrics. OK, probably not everyone, but I do.  Let’s talk about why.

The PROs

• Great Designs – once you find a designer you like, you’re pretty much set for life
• High Quality Materials – I’ve never purchased designer fabric that I didn’t love. You can feel the difference.
• Lots of options online – you can find just about any product you want when you’re searching online, you can even find fabrics from your favorite designer that might be from a previous season. Fabrics are like buying clothes, you know.

The CONs

• Cost – more expensive than the non-designer fabrics you can buy at the box stores
• Few in-store options – the colorways I like to works with are hard to find in most of the local quilt shops near my home.  The locals shops around here are filled with more traditional designs and palettes, unless you want children’s fabric.  I prefer modern colors and designs (unless there is a 30’s replica section)

For me, the PROs seriously outweigh the cons, so I buy designer fabric.

The Designers

Some of my favorite designers are Lizzy House, Amy Butler, Michael Miller, Robert Kaufman, and Moda Fabrics.

Traditional Fabrics

Traditional Quilting fabric can be divided into several categories – there is what I would call “shabby fabric” which is faded and basically looks old, when you start.  It’s great if you want to do a quilt with an antique looks.  One popular designer of this type of fabric is Kansas Troubles for Moda.

Source: ktquilts.com via Andrea on Pinterest

Another style of traditional fabrics is the Batik.  Batik fabric uses a traditional manual wax-resist dyeing technique, and originates in the Arab and Asian textile production. I love batiks because they come in a wide range of colors and patterns.  Personally, I prefer the bright colors, but that’s just me.

Source: robertkaufman.com via Andrea on Pinterest

Source: robertkaufman.com via Andrea on Pinterest

The last large category of traditional fabrics are vintage reproductions.  Vintage reproduction fabric often either used for replica work, such as creating a Civil War-era project, or a 1930’s style dress.  Most larger brick-and-mortar quilt shoppes carry Civil War-era reproduction fabrics, as well as reproduction fabric from the 30s-50s.  The Civil War-era fabric is very similar to what I call “shabby fabric” in color, but often has much smaller patterns.

Source: bonniebluequilts.com via Andrea on Pinterest

The 30s reproduction fabric is often full of bright pastels and what are called “flour sack” patterns.

Source: bluebeequiltfabric.com via Andrea on Pinterest

Modern Fabrics

Lizzy House is one of my favorite designers of modern fabrics.  Her fabrics are full of whimsical illustrations and bright colors -both of which are common for modern fabrics.

Source: lizzyhouse.typepad.com via Andrea on Pinterest

Another thing I particularly enjoy about modern fabrics, is that there are often large patterned prints, such as this large floral print by Amy Butler.
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Source: fabric.com via Andrea on Pinterest