Looking for Inspiration

These mostly black and white shirting prints have been sitting for a long time, waiting for me to figure out just what I want to do with them. I can’t seem to settle on any design and, as I am really not into the 1800’s repro prints, what fabric to use with them.

I keep thinking about pairing them with some bright batiks and seeing where that leads me or perhaps I should do some stars using mostly black prints and the shirting prints with some bright yellow or red in a few unexpected spots and make a quilt along the lines of this one on Carpe Quiltem’s blog. While I have some ideas, none of them are really inspiring me to cut into these and start using them.

Help!! I just cannot figure out in what to use these — and I want to work with them! Any and all opinions welcome!

Sometimes I think Smudge looks like a wise little brown owl.

13 thoughts on “Looking for Inspiration”

I’m not in to the 1800 prints either. I think thats one reason Dear Jane is so hard for me. I like shirtings though and I have a similar collection. I just need to plow through with the Dear Jane and use my shirtings. The thing is I hate thinking about it but while I am making the blocks its ok. And when I’m done with one I’m happy with it. It just seems overwhelming though. Good luck with yours. Smudge is a doll.

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We are in the same boat (I sure hope our cats get along.) I have started to use shirtings right along side other lights… Especially my funky shirtings. For example, I made an applique quilt with black & whites for the backgrounds – I mixed the black on white shirtings with white on black modern prints.Do you plan to do a log cabin – those would be great with whites & other lights…

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Problem solved…just bundle them up and send them to me!

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I have never mixed my reproduction lights in with other fabrics because they tend to be a creamy white and look dirty when put with brights. That dosn’t mean you can’t try it and see what happens though.

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I do not have any suggestions either, but I love the shirtings. I used these in my row by row sampler seen here. Good luck.

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I’m afraid I can’t be much help, as I only just learned what shirting fabrics are. I am not into reproduction fabrics, either. How would they look mixed with deep reds and blues?

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Oh, Teresa, beat me to it! That’s what I was going to say. I love all of the shirting fabrics. You could pair them with some indigo blue repros and have an amazing quilt.

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HI CathiI agree with some of the others – if you made it a two colored quilt – the shirtings seem to have blueish prints so perhaps a rich ultramarine ( royal) blue with them- or if they are black maybe a black and white two color quilt- Check out the two color quilts on Sister’s choice blog- Nicole has made a fabulous one as did Patti at quilting is still my passion blog – they both used a toile but I bet the shirtings would work the same way. Will look forward to see what you create with them,Anna

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The minute I saw the pic, before I did any reading , I thought it to be great fabrics for a blue and white like mine red/white!Then I read you had the same idea 🙂 Ever since I’m piecing the red/white I’m playing with the thought of making a blue one (with the blues being bright)perhaps in a different setting (and perhaps machinepieced)Don’t think retro: think all shades of BLUE!!

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I agree that making the two color quilt would be a good idea. I have mixed the shirtings with other fabrics but never batiks. I don’t buy batiks, so I have never tried that.

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I LOVE shirtings…they make wonderful backgrounds for applique blocks .Or how about a jacob’s ladder quilt with batiks and these as the plain fabrics?I am sure you will come up with something!

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Hmmm… perhaps a background fabric for more of your beautiful applique? I always like to see background fabrics for appliques that have more interest then just being in solid colors… just a thought. I hope you have had a great weekend! 🙂

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