how to choose fabrics for faelights (+mockups)
Faelights has become my most popular pattern yet, which makes me really happy — because it’s my favorite. There’s just something so happy about this sweet little pattern.
If you’re here, maybe you’re interested in making your own Faelights quilt, but you’d like a little help figuring out what fabrics you want to choose. Say no more! I’ve got mockups! But first, let me give you my fabric choice notes for this pattern:
There are two color versions of this pattern: Classic and FQ-friendly. The Classic version accommodates 2-5 colors; the FQ version uses one FQ per block in the quilt (e.g., 9 FQ for the 9-block toddler size).
If you’re new to quilting and picking fabrics, my suggestion (just to make that part easier) is to choose white or a similar easy-going neutral for both the stars and the sashing. This makes it much easier to decide the other colors you want to use in the blocks, because you’ll only have two colors (besides white) sitting directly next to each other.
Here’s why that makes things easier: pairing two colors that look nice together is SO much easier than three. Three is the number of chaos; I’m not a mathematician, but those Mathematicians out there have said that when you move from two to three, you move from simple, predictable patterns to complexity and, yes, chaos. I didn’t make this up, I swear. Ask Google.
Anyway, when you’re mixing and matching the pieces from your cut FQs, it’s pretty simple to pair them into pleasing sets. That’s one of my favorite features of this pattern — the simplicity is just so pleasing.
Apart from that, I don’t have much advice for you. I do think it’s hard to go wrong with this pattern; just choose some colors you like!
And now, for your inspiration, the mockups:
The Original
The cover quilt is made in some of my favorite Art Gallery Fabrics Pure Solids.
The 16 FQs used are: Poppy, Turmeric, Ocean Fog, Desert Dunes, Balsam Fir, Parisian Blue, Crystal Pink, Slate, Raw Gold, Autumnal, Night Sea, Lemon Tart, Nocturnal, Spruce, Forget-Me-Not, and Blossomed; sashing rectangles are Snow, sashing squares are Aero, and binding is Tiger Lily
Cottage Christmas
This mockup has my heart. I adore this cozy look; none of these fabrics is a Christmas print, and yet something about this one gives me happy, Christmasy vibes.
Art Gallery Fabrics: Pure Solids in Poppy, Northern Waters, Ocean Fog, Atmospheric, Forget-Me-Not, Pacific, Sienna Brick, and Autumnal; Fableism fabrics: Sprout Wovens in Chamomile, Camp Gingham in Merit Pink, Dobby Hearts in Blueberry, Forest Forage Daisies in Welsummer; Tilda fabrics: Creating Memories Gingham in yellow and blue; Caf Fabrics: Between the Lines Dots and Stripes Black; Rifle Paper Co fabrics: Bon Voyage Meadow in Flax. The stars and sashing rectangles are AGF Pure Solids in Snow, the sashing squares are Heather Ross Forestburgh Apples in Warm Red, and the binding is AGF Pure Solids in Poppy.
The Holiday Classic
I adore Rifle Paper Co holiday prints. There’s something so classic and sophisticated about them.
Rifle Paper Co fabrics: Menagerie Champagne in Red and Evergreen, Poinsettia in Cream, and Ribbon Stripe in Evergreen and Metallic Gold; Sashing is AGF Pure Solids in White Linen, and binding is RPCo Menagerie Champagne in Red.
Earthy Girl Christmas
I love Fableism’s sprout wovens, and this mockup is a quilt I’d love having in my home at Christmas. I’m very into the idea of Earthy Girl Christmas. Is that a thing? Can it please be a thing?
Fableism Sprout Wovens: black cherry, bronze, mulberry (sashing squares), sugar (stars), and oat (sashing rectangles); binding is storm.
Wild Thing
Unexpected color combinations are one of my favorite things. I love an eye-catching quilt, and something about this mockup keeps me coming back to it! There’s just something happy and surprising about the way these fabrics play together.
Fabrics: AGF Pure Solids in Forget-Me-Not, Desert Dunes, and Aurus; Robert Kaufman Kitchen Window Wovens in Chartreuse and Orangeade Plaid; binding is Kitchen Window Wovens in Dragon Fruit.
The Moody Vintage Girl
It’s me. I’m the Moody Vintage Girl. And I’m obsessed with this palette. The dark stars just get me. Oh, and one other thing I haven’t mentioned is that the FQ version of Faelights gives you the option to cut the sashing squares from your FQ remnants. Isn’t that cute?
AGF Pure Solids: Desert Dunes, Dried Moss, Honey, Northern Waters, Toasty Walnut, Terracotta Tile, Garden Fern, Sienna Brick, Golden Bronze, Aurora Red, Ocean Fog, and Night Sea; the stars and binding are Nocturnal, the sashing rectangles are Vanilla Custard, and the sashing squares are from the FQ scraps.
My Apple Obsession
Okay, okay, this is the last one, I promise! I’ve always loved all of the Apples in the Heather Ross Forestburgh collection.
Fabrics: Heather Ross for Windham: Apples in Warm Red, Green, Yellow, Ivory, Blush, and Magenta; AGF Pure Solids in Cosmos, Sweet Pink, Autumnal, Jade Cream, Meditation, and Banana Cream. Sashing rectangles and squares are Pure Solids in Porcelain and Aurus; binding is Heather Ross by Hand Mousy Floral.
Well, what do you think? Are you ready to make your own Faelights quilt?
