When You Can’t Quite Start that Quilt

or you're stuck in the middle somewhere..  I think we've all been there.

It doesn't happen every time but sometimes when it should feel easy - it stops being fun.

You pull a few fabrics you love. They look beautiful together - you keep adding fabrics  but somewhere along the way, you lose direction. 

Something’s not quite right.

So you keep adjusting. Add one. Take one away. Try a different background.

Lay them out… walk away, come back, reorganise, wait a day..

This Is Where Quilts Get Stuck

Long before the first stitch - at the fabric pull.

When nothing quite settles, it’s really hard to begin, even when you want to sew.  I’ve definitely had some projects sitting on my table, or lets be honest put away in the cupboard longer than I’d like to admit.

This is what I’ve learnt along the way..

Keep the starting point simple

You might start with a fabulous Betsy that you love.  You start pulling colours from it - pink in a couple of shades, a few greens, a pop of orange and maybe a little grey for relief. This gives you a framework to start from and to help you choose more fabrics to add to the palette.

When the palette is already working (and let's be frank it's rare to see a Betsy that doesn't work), when the colours feel balanced, and nothing is fighting for attention, everything becomes easier.

You stop overthinking it, you start cutting and you’re stitching before you’ve had time to second guess yourself.

Look for variety in scale, tone or texture

If everything in your fabric pull is loud or detailed - it will all just compete. Without somewhere calm to pause, the overall effect can feel overwhelming and even the most distinctive hero print can get lost.

If you've been reading my blog for awhile, you'll know I'm all about giving your fabrics some space to shine. I wrote a post about it - The Art of Giving Liberty Space but it applies to most quilts in general.

It's the best way I know to bring a balanced sense of calm to a quilt.

Building a Palette/Stash You Can Come Back To

Building a palette for a quilt or simple stash enhancement is about making things easier next time you sit down to sew. It's not just about one quilt. It's about slowly building a collection of fabrics that help everything else fall into place - this way you’re not reinventing the wheel each time. 

A bundle might be your starting point.
Or it might be a hero print that you just have to have.

A few quieter prints or a soft background.
Something with a bit of structure - a check, a stripe..

And before you know it, what’s sitting in your cupboard starts to make sense.

You're building your own aesthetic

• be it in the fabrics, colours or designs that make your heart sing.

What I’m looking for when I put a bundle together

Even when new Liberty collections come in the door, the process of curating has already begun for me. It's rare for me to choose an entire collection from Liberty - the list of fabrics available each time is exhaustive and not everything appeals to my aesthetic.

So I like to think of it this way - when I start to put a bundle together - the first pass has already happened, just the same way you would, making a fabric pull for a quilt.

Beautiful colours that work together, vary the pattern, scale and tone. Add, subtract, change my mind a few times and you know when it's right. There's that quiet feeling of this is going to be good - what can I make with this..

If You’re Looking to Build your Stash

or Deciding on a Project for right now - these bundles are all really good places to start:

Liberty Tana Lawn - Colour Wheel  Bundle

For when you want colour but don’t want it to feel chaotic.

Think of it as a jumping off point for a quilt that has the full rainbow of Liberty colour but a lovely sense of balance. Add or subtract from your stash, add low volume prints or some fabulous spots to contrast - it's so easy to build a palette of your own using this bundle.

If you tend to pull “a bit of everything” and then get stuck… this is a fabulous starting off point.

Take a look at the Liberty Colour Wheel Bundle

Love Capel - Liberty Tana Lawn Bundle

Capel is the ultimate Liberty blender - a small design with that lovely Liberty aesthetic, perfect for combining with larger hero prints or when you want a pop of colour to contrast and highlight.

Capel is my Liberty stash staple - a great option when you want something that just works without too much thought.

Take a look at the Love Capel Bundle

Barely There Bundle

Often the missing piece - low volume Liberties, still with some subtle movement. Designed to sit alongside your louder prints and bring everything into balance.

If your fabric pull is feeling a bit busy or overwhelming, this softens everything.

Take a look at the Barely There Bundle

Sevenberry - Tiny Spots Bundle

A lovely alternative to linen if you’re after a quieter background.
They don’t have the texture of linen, but they add a soft movement keeping things interesting without feeling busy.

They’re perfect for interspersing with your Liberty prints without losing that soft, cohesive look.

Take a look at the Sevenberry Tiny Spots Bundle

Past Liberty Club Bundles

From time to time, there are a handful of Fat Sixteenth or Fat Eighth bundles left over from previous months Clubs. They're a great way to expand your Liberty collection. 

Each one is a mix of prints that work together, so they’re easy to start with or add into what you have. Sometimes just a few pieces are enough to bring everything together without overthinking it.

The Quilts that get Finished 

aren’t always the most complicated or ambitious ones. They’re the ones where the colour palette felt right from the start. It's about having enough fabrics that you love, pulled together at the beginning before you start cutting, so you can confidently get to the stitching.

Where to now?

If you’re looking at your fabric pull/stash right now and still unsure - here are a few small shifts that can make a big difference:

Less is more

If something feels off, subtract fabric rather than adding more - everything else often settles straight away.

Add something quiet
If your pull is feeling busy, bring in a low-volume print, a soft linen, or a tiny spot.
That little bit of calm can help the whole palette come together.

Trust the first feeling
When something does feel right, don’t overwork it. Take a photo so you remember how to get back to that point if you move fabrics around.
That quiet sense of “this is going to be good” is usually worth listening to.

And most importantly - don't overthink it.

You know what you like - not getting overwhelmed helps you make decisions.