All Time Favorite Fabric
January 18, 2012
Do you have a favorite fabric that you remember using and wish you had a million yards of it left in your stash? There are so many fabrics that I love – like Dimples by Andover. I seriously think I could make every quilt for the rest of my life using just Dimples but then what would I do with the rest of the fabric in my stash? I love most anything Sandy Gervais does for Moda, especially those that are of the tone on tone variety. Krystals by Michael Miller are favorites too.
As I’m unpacking boxes and folding and fondling fabric, this piece made me smile and give it a few extra snuggles.
I had yards and yards and I’ve used it through the years and have a little over a yard left. I think I might make myself a pillowcase so I can see it for a long time. I don’t know what I’ll do with it but like most everything else in my life, there’s a story behind this piece of fabric.
When Vince was living in Kentucky and I was still in Louisiana, we were always watching the airlines to see where and which airline could get us together for the least amount of money. Sometimes one of us would fly into or out of New Orleans, Lafayette, Baton Rouge or Houston. On the other end, we were using the Owensboro, KY or Evansville, IN or Louisville, KY or even Nashville airports. So, I learned very quickly where all the quilt shops were along the path. There was a shop in Baton Rouge, not far from the airport, called “The Thimble”. The lady there, I believe her name was Nyla, was so sweet. When I told her that I lived in Lake Charles and didn’t have a quilt shop, she immediately saw and understood my terrible predicament. She offered to send me a snippet of all the new fabrics that arrived. What a great solution . . especially since Vince gave her his credit card to keep on file! She would send me a little white envelope just stuffed with rough cut 1 or 2″ squares and I’d drool and dream, then I’d tape the little snippets to a sheet of paper and write down how much I wanted of each. Usually the same day her envelope arrived in the mail, I’d get my order back in the mail to her and within a few days, a package would arrive for me.
The above fabric was one of the fabrics that I got from the shop in Baton Rouge. It’s at least 15 years old but I still love it and wish I had a million yards of it.
Tell us about a fabric that you’ve had and used and wish you still had, or a fabric that you have and can’t bring yourself to cut into or even a fabric that you saw and didn’t buy and are kicking yourself because you missed it.
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44 Responses to “All Time Favorite Fabric”
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I have a piece of hand dyed red that Vicki Welsh sent me in a give away that she held last year – it is such an unusual design that I can’t seem to figure out what to use it for and have not cut into it – one day I will figure out what I want to use it for.
Karen
Moda……Portobello Market….3 Sisters….tonal red also the tonal brown from the same line. I only have small scraps of the red and somewhat larger pieces of the brown…..such rich colors. Wish I had a bolt of each!
liz (ny)
I’m with Liz… my exact choices
“So, I learned very quickly where all the quilt shops were along the path.” But of course you did!! Perfectly understandable.
” . . especially since Vince gave her his credit card to keep on file!” Now this is just downright dangerous but delightfully delicious!! I always knew I liked Vince.
Flame trees batik – gold trees on a rich background. I only had a fat quarter so I made a wall hanging out of it. I just couldn’t cut it after finding it in my stash!
What a ‘happy’ fabric. My favorite is a piece of Skydyes fabric that I got on my first trip to Paducah. It’s shades of reds. I also like just about anything Moda.
I have a piece of Skydyes fabric which is a beautiful lake scene and I wish I could just get it framed, but I’d have to cut it somewhere.
I also love Cherrywoods, they feel so wonderful. I am finally using my stash of it.
My very favorite is Robert Kauffman’s Fusions, in any color at all.
p.s. I received my book yesterday and it is a WINNER!
I have some fabric my husband bought for me. He saw it on clearance at Wal-Mart of all places and came home home with it and said this looked like something you would like. He was right! I iimediately made curtains and a tablecloth for my kitchen. It was in a set to make chair covers and one fabric is two shades of squiggly green and the other is yellow flowers trimmed in orange and little pink flowers and the background is green leaves that matches the green fabric. I’m going to make a cover for mixer and apron out of it also, then the rest will go in a quilt.
When we 1st adopted our youngest child, there was a fabric with international children in costume in muted primary colors. Over the years, I have found about 5 pieces of that fabric I purchased at different times! I STILL dont’ know what to do with it! I also have a yard of MaryLou Weidman’s Quilt show fabric (that has ‘will quilt for food’ sign on it!) THAT one is MINE!
I have several pieces of Skydyes that I’ve had since the mid ’90′s. I just tape them to my wall so I can look at them. Probably will never cut into them.
In my first year of quilting, I fell in love with the oriental fabrics – all those luscious colors and the gold sketching them – yum! At one quilt shop – my friends called it The Scarey Shop because there were bolts on top of bolts threatening to fall on our heads! – I found a 1-1/2 yard piece of red and orangey-gold oriental that has forever since been my favorite. I hoarded it for 3 years until I found the perfect pattern to make twin wall-hangings on either side of my fireplace in my great room. Every day now I get to look at that fabric & melt into fabric heaven!!!!
I know that shop and you are right it is scary. Several friends won’t even go in there.
i have a couple of favorites that i hoard–Lakehouse cream on cream frosted dots, Azalia Trail, the tone on tone Spa Blue from the Aviary line, Civil War II from Windham, and the new Blueberry Crumb line.
oh! and every Minick & Simpson jelly roll that i can get my hands on! lol.
Prairie Paisley by Moda – can’t bring myself to cut into it for the quilt I have planned. Also, I recently bought some Jinny Beyer on clearance – a dark purple with black swirls in it – and I wish I’d bought the rest of the bolt. Oh, and a tone-on-tone blue damask that I used in a quilt for my sewing room … wish I had lots more of that. I could go on …
I truly love fabrics with bright tropical prints and I based the colors on the walls of my home on one. The selvage says “THE FLOWERS OF THE MAINAU by Diana Leone EXCLUSIVELY FOR NORTHCOTT SILK INC.” It looks like a watercolor painting of bright abstract tropical flowers. I have only a yard of this beautiful fabric and cannot yet cut it up. I know it’s over 8 years old.
Not sure if it is meant to be, but Insel Mainau is a place on the Bodensee (Lake Constance, on the German side). It is an island in the lake that is a botanical wonder. They have plants from everywhere, many are tropical. In the winter they put up greenhouses around the plants to protect them. How else would you be able to see banana trees, and palms in Germany? The plants are all outside for the rest of the year. It is a really great place to visit. We could have spent a couple of days there.
This is a hard decision. I have LOTS of old fabric that was my favorite when I bought it, but now , not so much. Working parttime in a quilt shop makes it doublely hard to pick a favorite. Each week when the new fabrics some in, there is usually one or two that wants to go home with me, but I tell them “no, you will have to wait because I can’t add you to my stash report yet”. I love the feel of Northcott and Lake House fabrics and Red Rooster, and ……
About 5 years ago I bought several yards of a Debbie Mumm fabric. It is tan with light yellow suns on it. A western style print that my daughter picked out to go in a “cowboy” quilt. I have used that in more quilts than I can name. Still have scraps here and there. Tried to find more online last year without any luck but wish I had more. It blends with so much.
There was a batik, mainly purple, but with bits of aqua and other good stuff, and dots all over. I kept the tiniest piece till the end. There have been others that look similar, but that one will always be my favorite fabric of all time. So far
OMG, who could pick just one?! There’s the blue/yellow print that went into a clown costume for my kindergarten age daughter(she’s 40 now), a blue print & a lavender print from the 70s (36″ wide), a light print with cream background and country blue and rose small figure from my crafting days. Then there’s the tonal blue piece with matching butterfly print that I bought 1/2 yd. each of & couldn’t bear to cut. I finally did split each one & gave half to a friend. She loves it too, and I don’t think we’ve either ever used it in anything.
That sweet lady’s name was Myla Sue and she was the daughter of Mrs. Willie, owner of the Thimble. I spent many pleasant hours there and so doubt still have a few pieces of fabric left from my Thimble days. It’s no longer open but I too have happy memories of the people and the place.
Norma in Baton Rouge
The new Grunge fabrics. If I could, I would have a couple of bolts of each and of the new shades as they come out. So rich in color!!
I bought an entire bolt of turquoise/cobalt/purple hand-dyed fabric right before House of Fabrics went out of business. I’ve only got scraps now, but I loved the watery look of it– it made the quilt patterns have a lot of extra motion. I still have one quilt top to quilt that I made from this– but it’s from the late ’80s and it’s pretty wonky, so I’m waiting until I feel skilled enough to tackle it.
Hi Judy — I can’t think off the top of my head about a favorite fabric, but I loved your story. Every quilt I have made has a story to the fabric that’s in it; I used to do classes every Thursday with a group of friends and we shared fabric. I can still look at those quilts and tell you what friend gave me each piece of fabric. Your story was so sweet!
Your timing is scary! I just did a post about a bolt from my stash dated December 1993. I LOVE that fabric – and it has a great story.
)
http://alefthandedquilter.blogspot.com/2012/01/omgthat-bolt.html
A pillowcase for you would be perfect!
I have a piece of light aqua fabric with little cats sitting in bare trees by Michael Miller, I think. I just love that fabric but can’t bring myself to cut it! I should have ordered a bolt when I first saw it. Perhaps I’ll make a set of pillow cases just so I can see that fabric for a long time…and sort of uncut, to boot!
How about finding a fabric in 2 different stores in 2 different states and buying several yards at both places. lol Yep, I did it. Didn’t realize it until I got the second piece home from MO. Guess I really liked that fabric. Still do and haven’t used it yet.
I also have several fat quarters that I just can’t bring myself to cut into. Guess I’ll find a way to frame them.
Judy, I know the area you are in now. In fact, have probably walked across that property many years ago. You are just a few miles from where my Daddy was born and where my great-grandparents settled in the late l800′s. Many, many of my ancestors are in that little cemetery. And yes, where you are is a pretty area. Congrats again on finding it.
Mine is a favourite designer, Kate Spain, fell in love with flurry, central park and terrain, now good fortune is also on its way. Colours are rich vibrant and fun to play with.
The piece that has been in my stash for a while is a large pansie that has a 2006 date on it
I’m so glad I’m in such great company! There is one fabric I only bought three yards of…a floral batik…I really wish I had a bolt of it. I used it in two quilts but the colors have found there way into other quilts. It was a Hoffman batik so every time they release new batiks I always hope they’ve release a new version of the colorway…not yet.
Oh my!! So many of my fabrics have stories, and I love them all. I have several yards of a gray fabric, a blue batik and a forest with toucan birds. I got them at Michaels when they quit carrying fabrics! They were so cheap and so I just bought all they had. I think the birds are gone, still have the gray and blue. I really liked those fabrics and they were just neutral enough to be used in lots of places…..I am trying to start knitting socks. Stuck in the house from bad weather. I finally found a pattern that made sense….restarted it about 6 times (lol) now I think I have it going. I hope I finish 2 of them…and I hope the next ones are easier !!!!Then I can collect some yarn to…It looks so beautiful!! Thanks for the pattern
I had a small amount of a fabric that had beautiful light lavender hydrangeas on it….don’t recall the name of the fabric or the company that made it. It was so pretty. I always wished I’d bought more of it…and I don’t even know what I did with it. (I guess I made something for somebody as it isn’t around this place any longer… *sigh*)
after my parents passed away and i was going through mom’s stash, i found about a fat quarter size scrap of the first blouse i ever made. it is white with a blue “pen and ink style” birds, flowers, vines…. i still have a small piece left. i have used a small square in the quilter’s alphabet wall hanging, a heart on the back of my heart quilt, a small piece went into the block sized quilt i made for my brother’s casket. i have bought lots of yards of fabric that are similar, but not quite right…the lines are too thick or too bright blue. i wish i had a million yards of THAT fabric.
after my parents passed away and i was going through mom’s stash, i found about a fat quarter size scrap of the first blouse i ever made. it is white with a blue “pen and ink style” birds, flowers, vines…. i still have a small piece left. i have used a small square in the quilter’s alphabet wall hanging, a heart on the back of my heart quilt, a small piece went into the block sized quilt i made for my brother’s casket. i have bought lots of yards of fabric that are similar, but not quite right…the lines are too thick or too bright blue. i wish i had a million yards of THAT fabric.
after my parents passed away and i was going through mom’s stash, i found about a fat quarter size scrap of the first blouse i ever made. it is white with a blue “pen and ink style” birds, flowers, vines…. i still have a small piece left. i have used a small square in the quilter’s alphabet wall hanging, a heart on the back of my heart quilt, a small piece went into the block sized quilt i made for my brother’s casket. i have bought lots of yards of fabric that are similar, but not quite right…the lines are too thick or too bright blue. i wish i had a million yards of THAT fabric.
A very dear friend went to France for a big international quilt show and tour many years ago. She brought me back a meter of yellow and blue fabric from Provence. I love that fabric, I can not bear to cut into it. I know that they say “that you can’t take it with you”, but I think that I’m gonna try. LOL
When I was making my niece, Alex, her graduation quilt I discovered Sew Batik’s “Nuance” line. The fabric shades from almost white pale to the richest, most vibrant clear shades! The red and blue are my favorites. Any quilt made with these fabrics is going to be alive with color, especialy if the BG is a navy blue or rich blackish-purple Batik for contrast!
I love bright colors and prints but when I really sat down and thought about it, my favorite was Michael Miller’s Krystal in the color “Grass”. I also love it in the color “Lily Pad”. I can find a place in every one of my quilts for this fabric in these colors. You know, it’s been around for a long, long time and you can still order it readily on line. Very cool!
I love the oriental fabrics, they are very pleasing to the eye. I have a small amount of pink cherry blossoms that I am keeping for a special quilt.
My favorite all time fabric – that I still go back to, is the entire 1895 Bali Handpaints by Hoffman. It started out with a quilting swap between online friends, and we used this as our black background material. I wanted to use everything from the same line – so ordered as much as I could afford. I finished that project, and started another and another. Now I have an applique that I’ve just begun using the same 1895 black as a background – I just love it !
I bought two fat quarters of this beautiful batik at my local quilt shop and made them into a purse. The batik has pink, aqua, yellow, and green in different shades in a kind of stained glass windmill kind of pattern. It’s just absolutely gorgeous! I got the last fat quarter they had of it. I don’t know who produced it or anything. I really wish I could get more of it. I have a weakness for batiks, but that one is my absolute favorite.
I was on vacation and bought some fabric as a souvenir. I’ve never been a stash builder and buy only small amounts if I don’t have a plan. Oh, how I wish I had bought more! I think I got a half-yard of this rich red fabric with orange-ish areas and lightning crackles. I’m not sure what I finally cut into it for, but if it was a swap, I must have really liked the recipient. I know it always caught my eye, but when I pulled it out, I wouldn’t want to use it and no longer have it!
I have enough selvage to see it’s a Kona Bay, and it’s a good quality fabric as well as gorgeous.
Judy, can you share where you get your bolts of Dimples? Do you get it via the ‘net or in a shop? I’d like to get a few bolts for my stash, but everything I see is by the yard. I love your blog and am so happy you and Vince finally found a great place.