World Wide Quilting Page

Question of the Week

Question for the week of September 18, 2000:

Our question this week comes from Gail

What is the best method for adding new fabrics to quilt when you don't have enough of your orginal fabrics to complete the top?

Barb :
If you don't have the top together, make a few more blocks using the new fabrics and include them in the top. If the blocks are already put together, find complimentary fabrics for the borders and bring your new fabrics in as a frame for the blocks.

Eileen Bates :
Select highlight colors of print.
Find complimentary designs to enhance color. Have patience.
carin :
Is it a large number of pieces? Is it a 'rought' quilt? If, so I'd use a similar fabric or a solid.
Is it only one or two small pieces?Is Are you good at embroidery? If so, I'd get a piece of solid background colour and put in the pattern in embroidery stichtes. At a close look you'll notice it is a 'fake' fabric but from a distance it will melt into the whole.
Elena :
Maybe you could add borders? If you make your border twice as wide, or add another border, maybe then you would still have enough for the entire top. Since borders work with coordinating (but not necessarily matching) fabrics, this could work. Of course, it would like a little odd if your block patterns ended up only 2 feet wide, and your borders were 3 feet wide each..... It all depends on how much you are missing.

Another idea is to use a different center block. Say your original pattern called for 9 identical blocks in a 3 x 3 arrangement. You only have enough fabric for 8 blocks. You could make the center block a different one. I did this for a baby quilt - Ohio stars around a solid piece with balloons & the baby's name embroidered on it.

Gerri :
Depending on the design you're using, you can often add sashings around blocks or borders around the top to get the size you need. If you have enough of at least one of the original fabrics for a narrow border or alternating cornerstones it can help tie it all together. Nothing is impossible!
Maria, PA :
If it were a small amount I'd sneak in a smiliar fabric. Make a game out of finding the odd piece. If its a large amount go with a coordinating fabric and then alternate the blocks checkerboard fashion.
Elizabeth Bersaw :
Make sure the colors match and try solids as they can go just about anywhere. Hope that helps!

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