Using solids in your quilts is a vibrant way to add color and boldness. I like to keep them well stocked in a rainbow of colors in my stash. They make me as happy as a new box of crayons. My favorite places to purchase solids are Fat Quarter shop and Missouri Star. Both have good prices and great selection. Though I’ve noticed some of the popular colors go quickly during Covid-19. I always buy enough that I get free shipping. It’s so much more fun to get fabric than pay for shipping.
Whether you create your whole quilt out of solids. Like I did in my Sunshine on A Cloudy Day. Giving your quilt a modern, bold look.
I also like to mix them with prints. Spin Cycle uses a layer cake along with a mix of solids. I like the way the different solids effect how the print shows up. Some prints can show up completely different. Funny how that works.
I’ve also used solids to add pop. Citrus Spin and Splash of Color are example of this. Mixing them with low volume fabrics is a fun and playful way to put them to use. I did this with Over the Rainbow.
I also like give white and cream a break as a background. Instead I use a colored solid. I used honeydew for Bear Scraps. I also like to use various grays. They may be my favorite background. I think they look good and as a mother of boys they hide dirt.
However you choose to use solids in your quilts. Remember to have fun!
I’m trying to play a bit more with solids as a background, so this year I’m doing a personal BOM using the churn dash pattern. My background color is Kona Pacific – a bold blue. Playing with solids as a background can make what feels like an ordinary quilt really have a new personality. I also like to find places where I have the option of buying full bolts, like Hancocks of Paducah or Green Fairy Fabrics. I don’t often buy full bolts, but it can be a good option if you use the color often, like those grays for backgrounds, etc.
Oh Bear scraps… it sings to me!!