STLMQG Cares - Modern Fabrics 101

Remember, we want our pillows to be a breath of fresh air.

Q:  What fabrics should we use for the front of the pillow?

A:  The front of the pillows are to be a modern fabric print, quilt-shop quality. 

For anyone who has questions about what is or isn't a modern fabric, we thought this post might help.

The below are some general guidelines for those who need them. 

Modern Fabrics are similar to those found in the below mosaic.  They are clean and saturated prints; generally not fussy or super-complex.  Some usually feature white + color; but that is not a requirement. 

We are not asking you to seek out the exact prints below; but rather ask yourself...does X or Y Fabric play nice with the below?
     -- If the answer is yes, then you are on the right track. 
     -- If the answer is no, then please consider pulling/buying something else. 

This mosaic was made using BigHugeLabs

1. modern she made 2, 2. A local quilt shop with regular hours & at least half the store is modern fabric/solids! Hurray!, 3. Fabrics with Small Accents, 4. Fabric swap with Erin - 124:365, 5. large scraps, 6. PTSW7, 7. possibly for a quilt..., 8. Modern Medallion fabrics, 9. Fabric Stash

Modern Fabrics Are Not::

• Batiks
• Civil War or 1930's Reproduction prints
• Dull & Muddy colors...Forest Green, Brick, etc.
• Pastels...Baby Pink, Pale Yellow, Baby Blue
• Novelties...in the way of clowns, food-related prints, oriental-inspired, etc.

This list is not meant to say that the "Not Modern" fabrics are not beautiful in their own way; but we are striving for our pillows to have a consistent and modern look.

Q:  What fabrics should we use for the back of the pillow?
 
A:  The back of the pillows are to be a solid or semi-solid, and as always quilt-shop quality. 

Solid fabrics in colors that coordinate with the front of the pillow are what you want to use.  We would prefer that you don't use white for the pillow backs, it is just too light and shows it's age super fast.  Solids such as Kona, Bella, Cotton Couture, Soho Solids, etc. are all great choices. 

Alternatively, you can use semi-solids; which are super subtle prints that generally read solid when seen from a distance.  Things like this, or this and other variations. 

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Updated 9/22::  A question was asked whether the premium cottons from Jo-Ann's were acceptable to use.  Yes, so long as you pick from DS Quilts, Cloud 9 Organics, ModKid Studio, Juliana Horner or the modern Michael Miller prints that they carry.  Not all of their premium cottons are modern, so it's helpful it you stick with those listed above.

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 Hopefully this post has helped answer some questions you may have had about modern fabrics.

Visit the STLMQG Cares tab to learn more about your next steps and about our progress.