Printed Quilting Fabrics
About
Printed quilting cottons are where personality enters your quilt. From delicate florals and geometric repeats to novelty themes and abstract art, prints drive the aesthetic of most quilts and are often the starting point for a quilter's design process. Modern fabric printing technology produces remarkably detailed, colorfast designs, and the quilting industry supports hundreds of designers who release seasonal collections throughout the year. Choosing prints is deeply personal — some quilters gravitate toward traditional calico reproductions, others toward bold contemporary patterns, and many mix eras and styles freely.
Characteristics
- Rotary screen printed or digitally printed designs
- Same base cotton as solids (typically 60x60 thread count)
- Pattern repeat varies from small-scale to large-scale
- Colorfast with modern reactive dyes
- Released in seasonal collections by designer
Best Brands
Riley Blake Designs
Riley Blake Designs has built its reputation on vibrant, family-friendly print collections with a distinctly American aesthetic. Founded in 2008, the Utah-based company quickly became a favorite among quilters who gravitate toward cheerful florals, geometric prints, and themed collections that range from holiday motifs to licensed characters.
Free Spirit Fabrics (Tula Pink)
Free Spirit Fabrics occupies a unique position in quilting: it is the designer-driven brand. While other companies have broad catalogs of basics, Free Spirit lives and breathes through its roster of celebrated designers — and none more famous than Tula Pink, whose bold, eclectic prints have generated a cult following that transcends traditional quilting demographics.
Moda Fabrics Bella Solids
Bella Solids from Moda Fabrics are the second most popular quilting solids line, and for good reason. With over 300 colors, the range rivals Kona and includes several shades that quilters swear have no equivalent in other brands — the Moda "Etchings Charcoal" and "Betty's Blue" are legendary on quilting social media.
Windham Fabrics
Windham Fabrics occupies a versatile middle ground in the quilting fabric market, offering both heritage reproduction prints and contemporary modern collections. Founded in 1987, the New Jersey-based company has built a diverse catalog that serves traditional quilters, modern makers, and everyone in between.
Andover Fabrics
Andover Fabrics is the heritage brand of quilting, with roots stretching back to the 1890s. While other companies chase trends and social media visibility, Andover has carved out a distinguished niche in reproduction fabrics — historically accurate prints that recreate the patterns and color palettes of quilts from the Civil War era through the mid-20th century.
Ideal For
- Feature blocks and focal points
- Scrappy quilts with visual variety
- I-Spy and themed quilts
- Coordinated collection quilts
- Quilt backs and wide borders
Related Fabric Types
Solid Quilting Fabrics
Solid quilting cotton is the foundation of nearly every quilt. These single-color fabrics provide visual rest between busy prints, create bold graphic designs on their own, and serve as backgrounds, sashing, and binding. The quality of a solid fabric depends on thread count, weight, finishing process, and dye consistency — factors that vary significantly between brands. Premium solids like Art Gallery Pure Solids offer a silky hand and rich color depth, while workhorses like Kona Cotton deliver reliable quality at accessible prices. Building a solid stash across a range of hues is one of the smartest investments a quilter can make.
Batik Quilting Fabrics
Batik fabrics bring an artisanal quality to quilting that no printing process can replicate. Created using a wax-resist dyeing technique with roots in Indonesian textile traditions, each piece of batik fabric is unique — the wax application creates organic patterns with subtle color variations that add depth and movement to quilts. Quilting-grade batiks are produced on the same base cotton as standard quilting fabrics but undergo multiple rounds of waxing and dyeing to build up their complex color profiles. The result is a tighter, slightly heavier fabric with exceptional color saturation that intensifies rather than fades with washing.
FAQ
How do I coordinate printed quilting fabrics?
Start with a dominant print, then add supporting prints that vary scale and value. Repeat one or two core colors across the set to keep the palette cohesive.
What print scale works best for fat quarter quilts?
Small to medium-scale prints are often easiest in fat quarter projects. Very large motifs can get chopped up unless the pattern uses bigger patch sizes.
Do printed quilting fabrics fade over time?
Modern quilting cottons are generally colorfast, but fading can happen with heavy UV exposure. Use gentle detergent and avoid prolonged direct sunlight for storage or display.
Preview These Fabrics in QuiltLab
Test color combinations and block layouts with your favorite fabric types before buying yardage.