Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Why Solids?

Why use solids in your piecing and quilting? 
 Many quilters are reluctant to use solids in their piecing because quilters like the texture that printed fabrics give to the overall impression of the quilts they are creating.  I confess to being a quilter that loved to always use printed fabrics.  Even my neutrals that weren't the star of the quilt had a print on them.  After I bought my long arm quilting machine and began quilting my tops and quilting for customers my opinion of solids has changed.  I now love to use a solid or two or more in my quilts for several reasons:

 1) Solids are AFFORDABLE.  I can routinely buy solids for $6.95/yard.  Using solids makes my quilting budget go farther.  Who doesn't want to save a little $$$ so we can buy more fabric.  Yeah!!!
This is my new favorite store in Mesa, Mulqueen Sewing Center.  They stock EVERY Kona solid and sell them every day for $6.95.  They have over 225 bolts of solids. LOVE IT!
2) Solids have a wide range of color hues to get just the right match for that odd fabric that you fell in love with but nothing else looks 'just right' with.  I often fall in love with a line of fabric, but I don't buy a 1/2 yard of each print; I usually just buy a yard of the print I love the most, and then it sits in my most loved fabric stash until I find something else to go with it.  Solids can help solve that problem.
3)  Solids show-off quilting!  Now that I long-arm sometimes I really want my quilting to stand-out.  Custom quilting and all-over designs show up best on solids and gives eye candy to your quilt so that the design, piecing and quilting can all be the star of the show.

 4)  Solids give your eye a place to rest as it explores the over-all aesthetic beauty of your quilts.  Part of what makes a design great are the contrasts of colors and textures.  Solids help you achieve that!



Here is an example of falling in love with a piece of fabric over a year and a half ago and I am just now doing something with it.  Love the solids!

How do you feel about using solids in your quilts?  Love them?  So-so?  Not your style?
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9 comments:

  1. Dora, the QuilterAugust 14, 2012 at 3:51 PM

    I do love solids--actually, I like anything that helps the quilting show up! But I made many quilts with just solids 25-30 years ago; I find myself using them more often lately.

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  2. Danih03August 14, 2012 at 4:34 PM

    I really LOVE prints. BUT, I agree with you and all of your points on solids. As of lately, I made a QuiltCon block with all solids that I love, love, love. Right now I am doing a top secrete project with all solids, and OH-MY-GOSH....I am so stoked on how it's turning out. Plus, I have a very picky teenage boy that I plan on doing an all solids quilt for. I can't find a print he'd ever be happy with. I'm gonna do the HST random look with solids. I know he will love it!

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  3. JennyAugust 14, 2012 at 6:19 PM

    I love solids these days. It's so easy to come up with a plan when choosing fabrics for a quilt knowing half of the blocks are going to be some sort of solid!! Wish I had a store that carried ALL the kona colors!!

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  4. reganAugust 14, 2012 at 8:03 PM

    I love solids, and usually have some in every quilt. These days.....it's usually cheddar or red! Yay!

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  5. Razzle Dazzle QuilterAugust 16, 2012 at 12:06 AM

    Yes I am using them. When I first saw so called modern quilts I thought the solids looked a bit "empty" , now I love them
    Cheers
    Linda

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  6. tubilinha tiacarminhaAugust 18, 2012 at 3:51 PM

    Amo sólidos sempre e em qualquer lugar.Só descobri hoje,amo sua irmã talentosa Jenny,rolando aqui descobri que este talento está no DNA.Parabéns.

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  7. CapitolaQuilterAugust 19, 2012 at 7:57 AM

    I'm embracing solids more recently. Although I've loved seeing what other quilters have made I don't have that much experience myself and have been beefing up my stash to play more.

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  8. Barb and SharonAugust 20, 2012 at 12:07 PM

    I have begun to use more solids recently. It might have coincided with my purchase of my new long arm machine. I think the custom quilting looks so nice on the solid fabric.
    Barb@Witsend

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  9. karonbSeptember 6, 2012 at 5:46 AM

    I too am using more solids. I also have been using colors instead of whites for backgrounds. I was excited to see that the store with the kona solids you mentioned is just down the street from the RV park I will be spending February and march in!

    Would love to test your patterns.

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