Quality Moda Fabrics

Moda may not be a household name for the average person, but for the quilter it is well-known indeed. Since 1975, Moda has been producing quality fabrics for quilting projects and specialty notions as well. Moda fabrics and notions are available at your local fabric store, quilting shop, or online retailer and its well worth seeking out this special line of quilting products.

Moda distinguishes itself with a long roster of designers, both in-house and independents and one glance at their line of quilting fabrics and its clear Moda hires only the best. You'll find well-known designers such as American Jane, April Cornell, Sandy Gervais, and Urban Chicks among the Moda stable of designers. Other Moda designers are Amy Bradley, Erin Michael, Jackie Musso, and Cheri Strole. Moda also features fabric basics as well as seasonal, batiks and many other choices in their selections for quilters.

Moda has won the heart of many quilters nation-wide and internationally with their consistent understanding of the kinds of designs quilters want to use for their projects. Many of the Moda designs have a uniquely American look and feel to them, which is only fitting since quilting is a craft which has its roots deep in American history. Moda also distributes a huge list of books and a wide variety of quilting notions from their Dallas warehouse. The company reveres its retailers and only sells wholesale. You can investigate Moda designs online and find many online retailers that will sell you Moda products.

While customers appreciate the line of notions that Moda distributes, it is the quilting fabrics that have made Moda's name in the industry. Most of the Moda line is given over to traditional cotton fabrics, but they also produce a line of vibrant wools. Browsing through their design line, you'll enjoy clever designs like Building Blocks or Building Blocks ABCs with its all-over sprinkling of letters. Or how about the Moda design line of Serendipity with its striped and plaid fabrics on muted colors? Take a look at Tropical Camouflage with its bright colors that will make you feel you are on a Caribbean vacation every time you work on your quilting project. Moda excels at designs like Bound to the Prairie with its earthy feel, or fun fabrics like Oodles of Poodles, another cheerful selection. The Moda line also includes such fun designs as Nell's Flower Shop, a gorgeous collection of florals, and Funky Monkey, with pictures of, you guessed it, sock monkeys all over. You might also enjoy investigating Sunflowers of Provence or Flamingo Run or Critter Camp for your quilting projects. (Not only are the Moda fabrics beautiful, their names are delightful also.)

For the very best of quality in fabric and design, you'll want to look to Moda for your quilting design needs first. You're sure to find something in the Moda line that will capture your heart and make your next quilting project an absolute joy to work on. With a Moda product, the next quilt you make will be your favorite and most satisfying yet.

Discovering RJR Fabrics

Quilters looking for the best in quilting fabrics need look no further than RJR Fabrics, which is a leader in the fabric manufacturing market, with a niche specialty of the craft of quilting. "Creating Fabrics That Reflect Your Lifestyle" is the company's motto, and most quilters would agree that RJR is extremely successful in fulfilling this pledge. RJR makes high quality cotton fabrics with a 100 percent money back guarantee.

It is difficult to find companies who stand firm in their belief systems in today's world, but RJR Fabrics does this. One of the unique things about RJR is the fact that they refuse to sell their products to the large chains stores. RJR believes that the quilting enthusiast is best served through small, local quilting and fabric shops. The company maintains that these small shops hire employees who understand the craft of quilting and the passion that quilters have for it. Many quilting shops are grateful to the support RJR has shown to small businesses.

Another reason for the success of RJR Fabrics is the quality of their designers. Among them is Lynette Jensen, who designs six collections a year for RJR. Lynette Jensen is the owner of Thimbleberries, a Minnesota-based business, which is the highest grossing quilt pattern company in the nation. RJR is also proud to manufacture the designs of renowned quilt designer and authority Jinny Beyer. She was the first to design a line of fabrics solely for quilting and currently designs three collections a year for RJR, as well as a line of solids. Many consider Jinny Beyer to have revolutionized the quilting industry with her amazing, stylish fabric designs and her ability to connect with the needs of quilters.

Other RJR designers include Susan Branch, who presents the Martha's Vineyard Watercolor Collection, based on her popular series of books called The Heart of the Home. Laura Heine is an award-winning quilt artist who has been working in the industry for twenty years and is the owner of a quilt shop in Billings, Montana. She is also the author of several pattern collections and books. RJR recently announced that their design team has gone international with the addition of Canadian designers Cori and Myra of Blue Meadow Designs. The duo has published several top-selling books.

These designers and their successful lines are indicative of the care RJR fabrics takes in every aspect of their business. RJR connects with its quilt shops with special events like a challenge to selected quilt shops to use one of their new fabric lines to design a special quilt. RJR emphasizes customer service in every aspect of its business, striving to stay connected to quilt shops, designers, and quilters alike. Because they limit their sales to the small shops, RJR truly understands their customer. Combining top-notch customer service with leading-edge design has enabled RJR Fabrics to maintain an enviable reputation for quality in the quilting industry. Contemporary quilters know to look to RJR Fabrics for the best in quality and design.

All About Hoffman Fabrics

For the quilting enthusiast, one of the most important considerations is the choice of fabric. Let's face it; a quilt's beauty is totally dependent on what fabric the quilter chooses. If a quilt is unattractive and doesn't beg you to reach out and touch it, it probably has a lot to do with the fabric chosen to create it. Quilters in the know solve such potential problems by choosing fabrics from companies that they trust. Based in California, Hoffman Fabrics is a company who has proven their value to quilters over many years, since 1924, in fact.

Visit any quilting website that sells fabric and the name Hoffman will pop up. They specialize in high-quality screen-printed cottons and blends. Hoffman also produces hand-painted and dyed fabrics. Every year the company introduces two new lines of fabric, which they call "colorful prints and luscious Balis." They call their fabrics "inspiring" and that is not marketing hype. One look at the abundant richness of the color and designs of Hoffman Fabrics and you will see why they have been adopted by quilters as a must-have cloth. In return, Hoffman has shown incredible support to quilters. This is evident in the Hoffman Challenge, a contest which started in 1987.

Every year, the talents at Hoffman Fabrics choose one of their upcoming fabric designs to feature in the Challenge. Quilt-makers, clothing and accessory designers and doll-makers are then challenged to use the fabric to design an original item. The winning entries are then featured in a traveling show which stops at galleries, museums, shops, and quilting guilds. The first year of the Hoffman Challenge, 94 quilters entered. Since then, up to 700 entries a year have been received. The traveling show itself is so popular that 12 collections now travel nationwide, with some stops in Canada as well.

Besides the Challenge, Hoffman actively promotes the art of quilting in other ways. The company has paired with designer McKenna Ryan of Pine Needles Designs to create patterns based on Hoffman fabrics. Ryan says she likes to use Hoffman batik fabric for appliqué work because it has a high thread count that prevents fraying. The designer, like so many other quilters, is also appreciative of the depth of color and texture in Hoffman fabrics. Using these fabrics, she can design incredibly lush and intricate quilts based on nature.

Perhaps one of the secret's to the company's success is the family nature of the business. Three generations of Hoffmans are currently involved in the daily operations of the firm. It may interest contemporary quilters to know that much of the company's design philosophy stems from the fifties, when Philip and Walter Hoffman, sons of the original founder, joined the company. They brought with them their love of surfing and translated it to original designs of the ocean, beaches, and surfing life. Combining their passions with a knack for seeking out unusual printing processes for fabrics, the Hoffman sons helped to create a company that is beloved of quilters everywhere.

Choosing And Preparing Fabric

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Choosing fabric for a quilting project can be as much fun as doing the project itself. Even if to quilters choose the same quilt pattern, different choices of fabric will make each quilt unique. Most quilter's prefer using fabric that is 100 % cotton because they are easier to sew, mark, press and hand quilt. If you are shopping for fabric in a quilt shop you will rarely find fabric that is not pure cotton. Fabrics will also probably be arranged according to colors and print types.

With more experience fabrics other than cotton may be added for variety. Not all fabrics are suitable however. If you are using an unusual fabric for the first time, or want to use different types of fabrics together, try a small test block first. Fabrics of a medium density, with an even weave work well. Loosely woven fabrics are prone to distortion, as are stretch fabrics. Silk, lightweight wool and some plastics may be used with experience.

Both the color and tone of the fabric you choose will influence the overall effect of the pattern that you choose. Tone may be used to create depth and interest with greater effect than when using color alone. Good planning is necessary to achieve the desired look.

Color is greatly affected by the colors around it. Using contrasting colors will make pieces of a quilt block stand out from each other. Combing certain warm colors such as reds, yellows and oranges, in the same quilt block as cool colors like blues, greens or violets, will make them look more vivid.

Combining fabrics with various print scales and styles can add visual texture to your quilt. Interesting visual effects may also be achieved by using colors of graduated values. Printed cotton fabrics are available in many designs and styles including batiks, homespun plaids and florals, tiny-grained prints that look like solids, reproduction prints, and soft flannels. Solid-color fabrics come in just about every color, shade and tint that you can imagine.

Quilt blocks made from fabrics of the same or various shades of one color, but of contrasting textures can create pleasing results. Fabrics with a nap such as velvet, or fabrics with sheen like taffeta also provide interest.

Whatever fabric you choose for your quilting project, you must prepare it properly before you begin. Most cotton fabrics shrink when they are washed and dried. If you do not preshrink your fabric before you make your quilt, the fabrics may pucker at the stitching lines and the finished product may shrink in size the first time it is washed. This would indeed be a nightmare and your quilt would be ruined.

To prevent this wash all fabrics first in a washing machine on a short gentle cycle. Use cool or warm but never hot water. You may use a mild detergent, but it is not necessary unless the fabric is soiled. Wash like colors together in case they are not colorfast. Machine dry the fabric and press it with an iron. You are now ready to begin your project.