Welcome to our series exploring quilting basics! Previously, we looked at selecting fabric for your quilt. Coming up next in our basics lineup is using your stash. Or if you would like to start from the beginning and work through all the topics, you can find them all here.
Hi friends!
Today in the Exploring the Basics blog post series we are chatting about precuts.
Many of you know I have never met a precut I didn’t like! I mean really what’s not to like? Someone else already cut the fabric and it is all coordinated for you. No fuss, no muss. Good to go. Ready, set, sew!
I must admit to a small obsession with precuts- especially those little mini square packs and fat quarters. I have so many! They are like potato chips or M&M’s- so easy to take a few, then a few more, then a few more…
So how many of you never use precuts?
Really?
Actually I get it. For one, they can feel pricey. Especially the strip rolls and large square packs. Maybe you are someone who only uses scraps leftover from other projects or you are someone who likes to make your own mix of fabrics.
But, if you are someone who doesn’t like to choose fabrics, first be sure to look at couple of the earlier blog posts in this series on color and selecting fabrics. They might be helpful!
Second, precuts can really help with picking fabrics. The hard part has already been done for you. All you need to do is choose the borders, or sashing or what ever else the quilt needs.
When Elizabeth and I wrote the book, Smash Your Precut Stash, one of the things we did was mix older precuts with newer fabrics. If you want to make it so your quilt doesn’t look like everyone else’s, adding fabric that is not part the same fabric line as your precut can be just the thing to add that wow factor to your quilt.
For our quilt Picturesque, we added some great additional fabrics. First we needed a few extra small squares so we added a dot, a stripe and a sweet floral.
Then we added all the colors to round out the flower. By not sticking with just fabric from that fabric line, we were able to really make this quilt exciting! Well, that and we used some pretty bright colors!
Four tips for using precuts:
- Don’t use only fabric from the line; you can choose fabrics from one other line or a bunch of lines!
- Add some other textures- add a stripe, a dot, a check or something else to add some sparkle to your quilt.
- Don’t worry about matching the exact colors from the prints in the precut- just coordinate. Over match and the quilt will be a little blah.
- If the project calls for more than one precut, consider using 2 different lines of fabric for even more interest.
One last thought on precuts – even if you never buy fabric in any precut – remember, precut patterns can be made with other fabric. They are especially good with your scraps!
Back to the sewing room for me; I have precuts calling my name! Don’t forget to pop over to Tammy’s blog and see what groovy precut info she has for you! Click here.
happy quilting,
Kate
Schedule
Next week I will be in Texas speaking at the Chisholm Trail Quilt Guild in Georgetown, TX. on Sept 3rd. Hope to see you there!
If you are on Instagram, you may have seen my posts last week on the @allpeoplequilt feed. I did what they call an Instagram takeover and I posted on their feed for 3 days! If you missed it, you can always go back there and check the post out! Lots of quilt eye candy, and pets.
Plus, today is my day on the #smcjuniperfabrichop! An Instagram hop showing off Jessica VanDenBurgh’s new fabric line with Windham fabric called Juniper. So be sure to check that out too! You can see what I made with these….
