Once you begin a quilting project you’d be smart to avoid scrimping on cloth and use the very best fabric you can budget for.

Trying to get away with textiles that isn’t really up to par can set off problems with color permanence when you wash your quilt. You really can’t switch to a higher quality of fabric once you begin sewing your quilt, so the primary choices you make really count.

One of the better selections for the backing and top of the quilt is 100 percent cotton because it’s uncomplicated to cut, iron and stitch, and you can find it everywhere. You could try to save some pennies by selecting fabrics not made from natural fibers, but synthetics and synthetic blends wrinkle and lose their visual appeal.

When it comes to the aesthetic quality of your [1] quilting fabric, it’s normally a good idea to limit your color palette to either warm colors or cool colors totally. That means selecting hues that are all from the same range of tones, such as pastels, earth tones or bright, bouncy colors when you purchase [2] fabric by the yard. Your quilt will contain a more harmonious color range if you opt for cool shades such as blue, green and violet, or warm tones such as brown, red or yellow.

Fabric colors can play tricks on your eyes, and you’ll notice that one swatch of color seems to be completely different when it’s fastened together with fabrics of contrasting shades. The solution is just visiting a stationery store and purchasing a translucent red business cover, through which you will view sections of the fabric you plan to use.

With a red filter covering your fabrics, you can see how dark or light each color really appears because the plastic screens out tones and hues, which can trick the eye when comparing different colors. This test will allow you to evaluate whether your choices are actually going to work together of if certain colors are clashing with others.

Choosing patterns typically means deciding upon not only color but the size of each pattern that you choose, because that will have a sizeable effect on the quilt’s overall look regarding consistency and harmony. Using a variety of varying sized patterns or simply employing only small patterns are two means to create an even, well-constructed design that will make you proud.

Visual harmony can be knocked off balance if you pick a big pattern to go with much smaller ones, because the lop-sidedness of two widely varying patterns will create an awkward, unbalanced sensation to your quilt. Start out with modestly sized pieces of fabric and stitch together just one area of your design so that you can get a feel for how it will look.

Take a long look at the results of your experiment, and if you like what you see, continue on and complete your quilt design.