Backing Day is Thursday, September 30th

Here's a reminder from your friendly neighborhood Cotton Patch that Backing Day is this Thursday, September 30th! 

If you're new here and don't know what Backing Day is...

Bring in your finished quilt tops (100% complete, no more borders to add, done) on the last day of the month and receive 25% off your backing of choice, even Clearance!

The usual rules apply:

• If the last day of the month falls on a Sunday when we're closed, then Backing Day is the day before (Saturday). 
• Discount valid on single-fabric backings only.  Sorry, this is not valid on several cuts of different fabrics for a pieced backing.  
  
• Sale prices not combinable with any other offer (this includes deals from Five Stars, redeeming points, and coupons)
• Sale prices good in-store only on the sale day and limited to stock on-hand. 

We can't wait to see what you've created - see you on the 30th!

The Principles of Art (in Quilting!) Part I: Balance

 Whew! We made it through all the Elements of Art, but we're not done yet!  It's time for the Principles or Art.  The Principles of Art take all of the Elements are arrange them into compositions.  Today, it's all about Balance (isn't it always?)

Balance is achieved based on the way the Elements of Art are arranged.  By making intentional placement decisions, we can create depth, lightness, weight.  This is what we tinker with when we want to create symmetry and asymmetry. 

If something in your quilt is not looking quite right, even if your colors are just right and you have a good range of value, it's often something to do with Balance or the lack thereof.  Try rearranging your color placement - maybe there's too many of one color on one half of the quilt, or too much dark or light, or a large section is too strong.  If you're using a bright pop of color, make sure it's spread around enough so the eye moves around the quilt.  A design wall is an awesome tool so you can step back to see your quilt as a whole.  

Here's some examples of well balanced quilts and images - note that the sizes and shapes don't have to be the same to great a good sense of Balance!

Different ways to balance a quilt appeal to different eyes.  Sometimes it's about use of pattern, space, color, proportion (we'll get to that one!).  How do you balance out your designs when you notice Balance is off in a way you don't love?  Talk us through it in the comments below!

The Elements of Art (in Quilting!) Part VII: Texture

Texture is such a fun element in quilting.  You use this all the time, often without really giving it intentional thought!  Texture is the either visual or physical feeling of a space, and obviously is very important in quilting since we can have it both ways.  Texture can be implied visually through the use of line, color and value, like we see in landscape fabrics.  

Think about all the wonderful woodgrain fabrics.  Or the tweed prints where you just swear it looks like it should feel...tweedy...but when you touch it, it doesn't (which is just how convincing that visual texture is).  But then we have flannel. Minky. Wool. Silk.  All of those give very different visual and physical textures.  

We often hear very strong opinions about mixing fibers and textures in a quilt and sure, there are considerations to be made when mixing fibers, but to this day we have yet to have the Quilt Police rappel from the ceiling and cite us for mixing fibers!  Can you applique cotton onto wool, or vice versa?  YES!  What about tossing a flannel into an otherwise regular cotton patchwork? Absolutely!  Just be mindful of stretch and shrink, as those aspects do differ between fibers.  

One of the places we see this most is in crazy quilts.  There's ribbon, a huge range of fabrics, embroidery, beads - you name it, it's probably been in a crazy quilt.  Raw edge applique provides more texture than a blanket stitch. There's so much more!  Below are just a few examples:

Would you ever mix textures in your quilts?  Why or why not?  Let us know in the comments below!