Many crafters are drawn to quilting because of the wide variety of beautiful fabrics available.  Walk into any fabric store or quilting shop, and your eyes are nearly overwhelmed with all the choices in fiber and color.  Bolts of fabrics in a rainbow of colors assail the senses.  The contemporary quilter is lucky indeed to have the huge array of fabrics available to her.  However, this embarrassment of riches can also lead to uncertainty in selecting the correct fabrics for a quilting project.

While the craft of quilting was one borne of necessity and thus many different fabrics have been used throughout the years, far and away the most common fabric for quilting is cotton.  Some historical quilts may use brightly colored wool, usually appliquéd quilts, as wool is a bit heavy to be used for pieced quilts.  Cotton is such a wonderful all-purpose fabric which washes well (though be sure to pre-wash all cottons to pre-shrink it) and maintains its color and hand.  Generally speaking, 100 percent cotton is going to be the quilter’s first choice.  You may be tempted by the bargain blends on the sale rank at the fabric store, but think twice before you commit to these fabrics.  For a little bit more money, it’s worth it to invest in quality fabrics for your quilt.  After all, you’re going to be spending quite a few hours of your precious time making the quilt, so why not invest in the best?  Besides, relatively speaking, fabrics for quilting simply don’t cost that much money

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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

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