Do you have a favorite fabric? A brand? A type? My favorite is probably Michael Miller Krystal, followed closely by Andover Dimples. I keep telling myself that I can cut way down on the amount of fabric I have here if I will just use everything and then get one bolt of every color of Krystal fabric but that’s never going to happen. Oh, I may order one bolt of every color of Krystal but I doubt I ever use all the fabric I have here . . not in this lifetime!
But one type of fabric that I so rarely use is batik. I love to the look of it and I love sewing on it but I don’t know why I shun it. Considering the amount of fabric I have, my batik collection is relatively small.
One shelf . . that’s all I have. Maybe I need to go shopping for batiks. What do you think about that idea?
My current project uses all batiks. I love how they press. I love the smell and the crispness of the seams.
So, tell me . . . what are your favorite fabrics and why.
Shannon Lacount says
I used to have a thing for Moda Marbles.
I still love Fossil Ferns a lot.
Marla says
Batiks, batiks, batiks.
Karen Sutton says
I love Batiks and all things Moda. I love the color gradations of the batiks. I also love the Moda fabrics but use more Batiks – at least now.
lynn wingard says
Batiks!! If I could have only one blender fabric in my stash it would be Adover’s Dimples. I asolutely love them.
Micki clemens says
I have come to love batiks best of all, but still use prints and solids too. Fabric is my favorite!!
Laura says
I love batiks, although it’s been a while since I’ve made a project with them. My supply is ample, so I don’t have that excuse! And yes, I think you should buy more. 🙂
Suzette says
I adore batiks! And anything Fig Tree. And anything by Bonnie and Camille.
Roberta says
I LOVE ALL FABRICS so very hard to chose one to focus on.
On using your batiks, I know why your not making quilts from them. You need a bolt or two of cream or very light yellow so you have backgrounds. Found that was my problem to so know how to remedy it. 😉
Hugs!!!!!
Marilyn Smith says
BATIKS! They are without a doubt my very favorite. I have made alot of quilts with batiks. Have one on the longarm right now, one more pass to make. Ro Gregg’s Gallery in Red – yum. French General by Moda. Most Moda fabrics including Bonnie & Camille as well. Valerie Wells, love her Wrenly. Guess I just love fabric. And Jinny Beyer…love her colors and fabric designs.
Kris says
Hoffman’s 1895 batiks are my faves – would love to make a quilt out of nothing but theses lovelies. And my favorite 1895 is #360, “Waikiki” blue – it’s such a happy blue! Which reminds me, I’m down below 3 yards, time to get more.
Gwen says
I love batiks! You should just send me the ones on your shelf and use your favorites! Batiks are wonderful for piecing and amazing for needleturn applique! Good luck with the project!
Missy says
It depends on my mood, I really like calicos and ginghams, they go great with scrap quilting, and I love the old fashioned look to them. I like the old quilt patterns.
Shout4Joy says
batiks 🙂 though I love the hand of Northcott fabrics and am loving the Stonehenge fabrics
Myra McFarland says
Kona solids because the colors are consistent from bolt to bolt. You can purchase more fabric at a later date and be assured the color will match.
Beryl says
Kona solids are my favorite because there’s no wrong side, love all Modas, and I love batiks although so far all I do is collect them. I have enough to make a quilt but can’t decide on a pattern!
tammy k says
i love it all… 🙂 but i guess i really like the old fashioned calico prints.
Hilary McDaniel says
Kaffe Fawcett and batiks. I’m starting to use more solids, too.
Donita Q says
I’m making a quilt now with all Dimples fabrics- very nice. I like batiks, kaffe fassett. But my favorite lately is Valori Wells fabrics.
Teri says
I especially love Robert Kaufman asians
Terri in BC says
I love batiks as well, plus some of the modern-style prints that Moda has been putting out lately. I also love anything that Sweetwater does!
Diana Stewart says
Considering the amount of batiks in my ccollection I would have to say batiks . I love working with them.
Joan in NE says
Batiks are a favorite, I also like my dyed fabrics. I can get almost any shade of fabric I need by either dying or using seta color paint. Paint is an easy way to get a color when you have to drive an hour to get to a fabric store. I love cotton sateen for painting.
Mary says
I don’t have a favorite fabric … I rarely use batiks and never buy them. Sometimes I’ll get a fat quarter in a bundle and will use it in a scrap quilt. Funny because I’ve seen some lovely batik quilts … They’re just not for me.
Karen Langseth says
My weakness is handdyeds…..especially the groups that wash together from light to dark…..
Terri says
I fall in love with the quilts I see done in batiks, but I feel out of my element when I try to use them. I absolutely love 30’s prints though, if I could afford a larger stock, that is what it would be. But, I also love some Kaffe large prints. I usually use them for backing, since they fall in the category of “what was I thinking.” Love dimples.
stitchingintheditch says
Another vote for batiks. I don’t have many in my collection, but I plan to remedy that soon. I am drawn to the Laundry Basket’s (Edyta Sitar) collection.
kim says
i
I love 1800’s I love Antique’s and anything from that time period, my husband has the same taste so it works really well. A close second would be men’s shirts.
Sandy says
Show me the bright, colorful tropicals and they’ll come home with me! But—my stash is eclectic and mostly colorful. I have batiks, stripes, dots, plaids, calicoes, solids, novelty, flowers, holiday, patriotic, and most any other category you can think of except for Civil War reproductions! I don’t buy by designer or manufacturer and I avoid the pre-packaged cuts of fabric lines.
Libby says
Kaffe Fassett and his group, Amy Butler and Kona, I do collect batiks but I haven’t done anything with them either. I don’t know why!
quiltmom anna says
I love batiks – they are my favorite fabrics- Like you I love the texture of the batiks as well as how nicely they hold a press- mostly I love how they have movement in their designs. If you are looking for good prices on batiks, you will find some nice ones on Hancocks of Paducah websale pages. I have ordered from them a number of times. Unfortunately the cost of shipping to Canada has got pretty pricey so I wait and watch for a websale on shipping because it is just too pricey other wise. They have lots of batiks for 6 and 7 dollars a yard or did not that long ago ( Tonga Batiks and Robert Kaufman fabrics too..
Regards,
Anna
Sherrill says
No favorites, I love em all!! Therein lies the problem–I’m trying to cull/thin my stash (thinking about moving all this makes me shudder!!). So as I’m folding, I’m pulling out the stuff that makes me wonder ‘what was I thinking?’ and cutting it for pillowcases. Also cutting lots for HOB/QOV/other donations for our church quilt group. But doesn’t seem to have made much of a dent yet.
Diane says
I’m surprised so many like batiks! I do not. They feel stiff to me and I prefer the softer hand of Moda, Red Rooster and other large manufacturers. I go for the palette of a line and I’ve recently become enamored of the Civil War colors. If I find an unusual palette I love, I buy a fat quarter tower. My most recent love is “Ladies Stitching Club” by Moda. I do love Dimples, Moda Marbles and Fossle Fern too!
Kathy in OR says
I too love batiks.
I have also been using a lot of white, natural and tea-dyed muslin in quilts lately. I love how it showcases the focus fabrics I use. And I also like to use black in quilts for the same reason.
Gretchen F says
Michael Miller Fairy Frost and batiks.
dezertsuz says
It’s a toss up whether I have more batik or more civil war. Yes, you need to go batik shopping!
Sherry Moran says
I love anything 3 Sisters does. Still trying to bring myself to work with batiks – just not sure how!
Jo says
Since i’m a novice, i’m just beginning to figure out my style. I thought i was a modern quilter but i find i prefer traditional quilts in repro fabrics. I also like themed quilts. I just can’t seem to like batiks…they are lovely to look at but i don’t care to use them in my quilts. That said, i do love anything Melody Miller and Michael Miller.
Love your little chick babies. Yesterday i found one of my guineas dead in the coop. I think he flew into the wall and broke his neck. He was 6 years old…poor little buddy 🙁
Becky G. says
This has not worked for me. I bought Kona Snow (granted from Hancocks… not H of Paducah) and I got a different dye lot!?! Maybe it was an aberation.
Diane says
My all time favorite style is Civil War Repo. I can not seem to pass them by without at least touching them. I have a ton of it and want more. I have a total of 12 pieces of batik. I really love them I just don’t seem to buy them.
I don’t really think I have a preference when it comes to fabric company but I love Jo Morton’s lines.
Sometimes I look at jelly rolls or FQ bundles or charm packs and think I want them but I never buy them. I guess I love to do my own thing and throw everything together.
I also collect lots of fabrics to make quilts for my future grandchildren. I have already started making top, but don’t want to hound the kids so I keep them secret. 🙂
Linda B in MI says
I am like you and most quilter, aka stash collector.
Ido not have a lot of batiks. like you only one skimpy shelf. i love Kona solids and try to use only them, but I have all this other fabric…may even check out the ones you mentioned…
Mel Meister says
I sew mostly with batiks. Color intoxicates me and batiks are a riot of color for my eyes. Just love them!
Lee says
I can’t say a specific brand is intentionally sought after, though Moda catches my eye a lot. My heart belongs to repros, 30s, Civil War etc; more subtle colors and tones as opposed to brights. I’m not a huge fan of batiks but have used them, same with Orientals. My stash is overall pretty eclectic though, having received much from friends and some yard/garage sale finds which works well for scrappy quilt preferences.
SueG says
I absolutely love the batiks and have used them alot in previous projects. I also love tone on tone fabrics.
Patricia L. says
I love batiks! I love the color variations in them and they play together so well.
Peg H says
Batik! I love batiks. Can’t get enough of them; in fact I love them so much I started my own business selling them. 🙂
Why do I love them so? I love the heftier hand of batiks and I love how they don’t ravel as I use them. I especially love them when paper-piecing because both sides of the fabric are the “good” side – I can get on a roll, paper-piecing a big project and never have to worry about whether or not my fabrics are right-side up. Or down. Whatever. And I love them for the subtle variety the tonals give me on every project. They’re wonderful for landscape or other “nature” projects with the color variations that mimic Mother Nature’s variations …. and I guess I’m an hold hippy at heart, still loving tie-dyed stuff!
Dee says
Isn’t if runny how things evolve. When I started out it was with a line of fabric – Moda mostly….then I started loving civil war and batiks. Thank goodness Edtya Sitar has given the okey dokey to mix and match…..it has taken me a minute, but love scrappy. I have alot of c.w., but ample batiks and need to make something with the handdyed fabrics. I was NEVER going to use 30’s, then Everything But the Kitchen Sink when it first came out along with a beautiful pattern spoke to me. Guess never say never.
Laura says
Batiks!!! lol I love everything about them…the tight weave, the rich colors, the beautiful designs. Everything. Which is why when I finally got to open my own shop a bit over a month ago, I decided to carry only batiks :-). And now I am surrounded by more batik goodness every day then I ever thought possible!
daneesey says
I love batiks. And I love Michael Miller’s Fairy Frost. I love most of Michael Miller’s stuff. And I love fabrics that have shiny, sparkly, metallic-y bits. Especially if they are batiks. Or Christmas fabrics. Or autumn fabrics. I didn’t realize I like Civil War fabrics until I had to go shopping for some and realized I already had quite a bit in my stash. And I love the look of 30’s fabric in quilts, but I own very little of it. It doesn’t appeal to me as much on the bolt on the shelf of the shop as it does in an actual quilt.
Gracious … I think you can definitely see that there’s no need to worry about me anymore. LOL!!
What’s *funniest* to me is that I feel I have a pretty nice collection of batiks. More of that collection than of any other particular ‘type’ of fabric I’ve got stashed . . . I’ve got about as many as you do. Bahaha!!! 🙂
Angie says
I love Batiks, and Civil War prints, the 30’s prints—and anything Alexander Henry!
Mary C in WA says
In my case, my favorite fabrics are ANYTHING but BATIKS! That leaves more for those who do like it. I don’t like the feel or the smell. I’m not as fond of the more MODERN fabrics like Amy Butler either. I gravitate to the Old fashioned 30’s, Thimbleberries and Civil War. I had to go and find some of the Dimples when you mentioned it here. Now I will check out the Krystal. Good thing I’m not doing the Stash Report this year. 🙂
Teresa H. says
I really like it all but the hardest for me to pass up is civil war
Jennifer says
I agree that batiks are the prettiest but for all around functionality, I love Moda marbles.
Doris Quilting Queen says
You know I’m a sucker for anything red white and blue. My favorite is Moda, except for marbles. I think they are thin and flimsy; love the colors just not the quality of fabric.
Amy @ Heritage Homemaker says
I am so much like you, Judy! I love batiks too, but just don’t use them. My batik collection is considerably larger than yours….I NEED to use some of it up!