Let's Talk About Solids!

I found it rather interesting and surprising that so many of you who entered the last give-away did not have any or had very few solids in your stash.  So I thought I'd just talk a bit about my relationship with them!

I started quilting almost 30 years ago and Amish quilts were huge at that time.  I fell in love with the look and, of course, solids are all they use.  So my collecting began.  As I became enamored with Vintage Quilts, I noticed that they also used a lot of solids.  It became apparent that the solids were what made those wonderful old prints really stand out!  So on I went collecting them!  Then when I began using feedsacks, I noticed the same thing.  Although the colors were bolder than the 30s prints, the solids are what really set them off!  AND they even made feedsacks in solid colors!  This is a little piece that I did with English Paper Piecing and feedsacks.

If you have my book, look closely at the quilts to see how the solids play a part.  In an excerpt from my book (Sugar Sack Quilts) on page 30, I say the following when talking about sewing with feedsacks:  "The first thing that comes to mind is solids, solids, solids.  The solid fabrics are what really make the feedsack prints sing.  You need those areas of solid colors to rest your eye and make the quilt patterns pop."

And now I see that even Modern Quilters (which I absolutely LOVE) are using solids to give their quilts a punch!  Tallgrass Studio is a perfect example.  Below are a couple of groups of Amy Butler fabrics that I recently purchased.  Can't wait to use them!  I found it interesting that the solids in her group are very similar to many of those repro colors I've got.

So all this to say...  If you haven't tried working with solids, go for it!  I dare say when you see how they work with the fabrics you love, you'll enjoy the results.

Blessings~