Fabric Selection

   I had several questions in emails this week about fabric selection and where do I get my fabrics.   I buy fabrics everywhere.....remember I have been collecting these fabrics for a very long time.  But excellent fabrics are out there.  I do not purchase a full fabric line, rather I go for the ones that will work for these designs.    And I love to pick up older fabrics at estate sales or such. 
   As for fabric selection, these is a lot of info buried in my older  posts.  So I dug out a class handout that I have used to illustrate fabric selection for watercolor designs.

Water Color Class Fabric Selection

Here are examples of fabrics in my stash that I use. This first photo is arranged by value.

  This selection are light fabrics. Note the light background and pale print. The last two on the right have deep/stronger prints. They are considered light mediums.

Your fabrics should include several colors and value in its pattern. Light areas and dark areas merge and blend when viewed next to each other and from a distance.

  

 Not all the fabrics I use 
are floral patterns.  

The top row of fabrics in this photo are good choices. They are 3 types of paisley prints.  Note the curved lines of the pattern.

 The bottom row are fabrics to AVOID, These are tone-on-tone prints, small calico prints and 2 color prints. They will read as solid, or dots.
  Now hit the stash and see what you can find!  Remember you only need a few 2'' squares of each fabric, so scraps are a great source.