This is the second installment of my blog on the topic of choosing fabric.

My mantra is quality, quality, quality.  How do you know when you walk into a store that you’re getting the best, the fabric that’s going to hold up?  My grandfather would say you have to find the piece of goods “that’s not going to shred, wiggle wrong, or shrivel on its first washing”.

Fist of all, I suggest that you start with some of my favorites name brands: 

1.  Moda Fabrics
2. Robert Kaufman
3. Alexander Henry
4. Benartex
5.  Hoffman
6. Kaffe Fassett

Sometimes I find it overwhelming to walk into a fabric store to do my shopping. Today it’s so easy to go on line and shop from the comfort of your own kitchen, cup of tea by your side and gentle music in the background. 

When I do go shopping in person, two of my favorite local place are:

Quilters Way in Concord, MA http://www.quiltersway.biz/ and Fabric Corner in Arlington, MA http://www.fabriccornerinc.com/

When starting a project, I usually begin with one piece of fabric and work around that.  It may be a favorite scarf, a necktie, or a scrap of fabric that delights me at the moment.  While I do consider the recipient of the finished product, that is not necessarily my primary concern. My major concern is finding fabric that I will love to work with for the duration of the project. For me that means living with the color, the shapes and the textures for a day, a week, a month, or maybe a year depending upon the size and scope of my project.

Usually I work in cottons, but I do also add velvet and silk to some pieces. Some considerations in choosing fabric are intended use.  For example, if a piece is going to be a wall hanging then washing is not a concern. On the other hand, for a baby quilt or a piece used by a child, fabric needs to be colorfast and stand up to many washes.

For my pieces I frequently use a wide range of colors and enjoy the interplay of a variety of shapes and textures. This however is a matter of style and you need to be comfortable with the fabric that you choose.

If you choose to do your fabric shopping online, some of my favorite places are:

Hancocks of Paducah – http://www.hancocks-paducah.com/
Spool– www.spoolsewing.com
Glorious Color – http://www.gloriouscolor.com/

Happy Quilting!
Marjie

As I have been asked many times how I  choose fabric for my quilts, I am going to share some snippets of that process. I will also provide some excellent resources for you to explore. This will be a blog in four parts.

Over many years, I  collected two rooms worth of fabric. My basic rule is quality quality quality!!!  Before I actually have the pieces in my hands, I indulge myself in  fantasies about them.

Recently, I had coffee with a warm, delightful woman who was  wearing a fantastic silk scarf. The background was black with color blocks  of fuschia and green.  As we parted I envisioned that green and fuschia oblongs pattern as part of a crazy quilt. I have to admit that I was tempted to pull out my scissors  and snip away.

My advice is to always think of your scissors snipping from  the best of cocktail parties with Italian silk designer ties draped around  the necks of unsuspecting gentlemen all the way to the trendy boutiques of Newbury Street in  Boston.

Colors, textures and the drape of the goods have appealed  to me from the windows on Fifth Avenue in NYC, the upscale shops in Moscow,  or  the market place in Provence. Ah, what a stash of fabric have I in my fantasy  world.

My desire to “make the  cut” has made me a bit infamous though I am quite tame in actuality. I remember attending a dinner party and complementing a friend
on  her colorful African skirt. She hugged her legs, holding tight to the goods while  looking me in the eye and saying “don’t even think about it!”.

So that should give a little idea about where  I begin. The next installment will delve into how I actually purchase and collect fabric  in a legitimate manner.

Happy sewing (Or  fantasizing),

Marjie

I am delighted to be part of the Illuminations Art Exhibit at the Massachusetts General Hospital.  The exhibit, which includes five of my quilts and one designed by my grand-daughter, has been hung for a few weeks and I hear the feedback is excellent.  This is for exciting for me.

There is an opening reception on Tuesday March 9, 2010 from 5:30-7:00pm on the 10th floor of Yawkey Center for Outpatient Care.

There is parking in the building.

Click here to view an informative document.

For more information contact:

Sryan3@partners.org

I look forward to seeing many friends at the reception.

Marjie

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Marjie