When choosing fabrics for a monochromatic quilt, it’s tempting to think the hardest part is simply finding enough fabrics in the same color family. That’s a good place to start, but there’s a little more to it!
One of the first things I do is pull fabrics from my stash that fit the colorway I’m working with. Once I have a good selection, I begin arranging them from light to dark. This is where things get interesting!
I often find plenty of fabrics in the light and dark ranges, but the medium values can be a little harder to come by. And those middle values are important! They help create a smooth transition between the lights and darks and give the quilt the depth and dimension I’m looking for.
So, how do you sort through your fabric choices and decide what really works? Here are a few tips and tricks that can make the process a little easier.
Starting With a Color Palette
Because I want my monochromatic quilt to look neutral, I started pulling fabrics from my creams, tans, beiges, sand, and caramel colors. I’m sure I could come up with a few more names for these shades, too! Think camel, ivory, oatmeal, and all those lovely variations in between.
As it turned out, my neutral stash was pretty depleted, so I had to make a shopping trip. Oh, the torture! LOL!
At this point, I wasn’t thinking about color value. I was simply looking for a variety of fabrics in those creamy neutral tones. I picked up a combination of fat quarters and half-yard cuts, visiting several different quilt shops and selecting fabrics from a number of different fabric lines.
The texture, pattern, and shading in each fabric caught my attention. Some had subtle prints, others had a little more movement, and a few had beautiful shading variations.
These details will play an important role in the quilt’s overall effect. Even though I’m working with a fairly narrow range of neutral colors, I don’t want the finished quilt to look flat. Different textures, patterns, and subtle color variations will create interest, depth, and flow throughout the design.
Once I had a nice assortment of fabrics, it was time to bring them home, spread them out, and start looking at them a little differently. That’s when the real work of sorting by value began!
Now it is time for you to decide what color family you want to start with. Spend a little time with your stash, see where you want to start. Enjoy the process of picking your fabrics.
1. Arrange Your Fabrics From Light to Dark
Once I’ve gathered my fabrics in the color family I’m working with, the next step is to start looking at how they relate to one another in value.
I lay everything out and arrange the fabrics from lightest to darkest. This is usually when I start seeing where I have plenty of choices and where I might need a little help.
I like to divide my fabrics into three general groups:
- Light: Fabrics with a lot of white or very little color. These will read as the lighter areas of your quilt.
- Medium: Fabrics that fall somewhere between light and dark. These are often the trickiest to identify, but they are important for creating balance.
- Dark: Fabrics with deeper, richer shades that provide contrast and help define the design.
Don’t worry about getting everything perfectly sorted on the first try. This is a process, and you’ll probably move fabrics around several times before you’re happy with the groupings. If you are still unsure of the values, use the grayscale value chart below or do a quick internet search for one. It can help you sort your fabrics into 3 categories for this quilt.
2. Don’t Rely on Color Alone – Look at Value!
This is probably one of the most important things to remember when selecting fabrics for a monochromatic quilt.
Two fabrics can be very different shades of beige, for example, but still have nearly the same value. On the other hand, two fabrics that look quite similar in color may actually have different values.
Because I am creating a quilt with a narrow value range, I paid closer attention to my fabrics and their values. The chart above was a lifesaver. It’s your decision what value range you want to use for this quilt. Enjoy the process.
Remember – Value refers to how light or dark a fabric appears, regardless of its color.
One of my favorite tricks is to take a black-and-white photo of the fabric selection. Removing the color makes it much easier to see which fabrics are truly light, medium, and dark. Here is a picture of my fabrics in grayscale. I used this photo to move fabrics between the light, medium, and dark piles until I was happy with the results.
You can also squint your eyes while looking at your fabric arrangement. This softens the details and helps you see the overall light and dark areas rather than getting distracted by individual prints.
3. Pay Special Attention to Those Medium Values
As I mentioned earlier, I often start with more fabrics in the light and dark categories than in the medium range.
This is not unusual! We tend to gravitate toward fabrics that are noticeably light or dark, but the mediums can be a little harder to find.
When you are short on medium values, look through your fabrics again. Sometimes a fabric you initially placed in the light or dark group might actually work better as a medium when compared with the rest of your selection. Again, a black-and-white photo can help you decide.
You can also look for prints that have a combination of light and dark elements. Depending on the print’s overall appearance, these can help bridge the gap between your value groups. I stayed with fabrics that had small patterns and texture. I didn’t like how larger prints pulled me away from the monochromatic quilt plan. Issues can also crop up when you are cutting your fabric – one piece may read significantly lighter than another due to the large-scale pattern.
The goal isn’t necessarily to have exactly the same number of fabrics in each category. Instead, you want enough variety to create a pleasing transition from light to dark.
4. Step Back and Look at the Overall Collection
Once you’ve sorted your fabrics, step back and look at the entire group. Take a picture with your phone – what is your reaction?
Are there enough differences between the lightest and darkest fabrics? Do the medium values provide a nice transition? Do any fabrics stand out or look out of place?
This is a good time to make adjustments.
I actually put a few fabrics back into my stash because they didn’t quite work within the narrower value range I wanted for this quilt. They weren’t bad fabric choices; they just didn’t fit the look I was trying to achieve.
And that’s perfectly okay! I’m always in need of neutrals, so those fabrics will certainly find a home in another project. Nothing lost here!
5. Remember That Prints Can Change How a Fabric Reads
Another thing to consider is the print’s scale and contrast.
A fabric may look like a medium value from a distance, but up close, it might have many light and dark areas. A busy print can sometimes read differently than a small-scale print or a more solid-looking print. Remember that we will be cutting the fabric into smaller units – will they all read the same value when cut up?
This is another reason I like to step back and look at the fabrics together. How they work as a group is often more important than how each individual fabric looks on its own.
If you’re unsure, take a photo of your selection. Sometimes it’s easier to spot a fabric that doesn’t quite belong in a photograph than when you’re looking at the fabrics spread out on your cutting table.
A Little Planning Makes a Big Difference!
Choosing fabrics for a monochromatic quilt is about more than finding fabrics that coordinate. It’s about understanding how light, medium, and dark values work together to create contrast, movement, and dimension.
Start with a color family you love, pull more fabrics than you think you’ll need, and take the time to sort them by value. Don’t be afraid to make changes along the way. Sometimes the fabrics you set aside are just waiting for their next project!
And remember, there isn’t one perfect formula for choosing values. Your fabric selection will depend on the quilt design, the effect you’re trying to achieve, and the amount of contrast you want.
Have you ever struggled to find enough medium-value fabrics for a quilt? I’d love to hear how you sort your fabrics and put together your color selections!
Monochromatic Quilt Installments
You will find a link to each month’s pattern for the monochromatic quilt here. I will update this page once I have published that month’s post.
- January
- February
- March
- April
- May
- June
- July
- August
- September
- October
- November
- December
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