What is a Solid?

This is a question I have been asked by someone considering joining the new Strictly Solids Bee.

I thought about it last night and they were right, experienced quilters will just nod knowingly about the term 'solids' and then launch into a conversation about their favourite line and colour!

So what is a 'solid'?

This a very open question... when you have a baby it means food types and things that fill nappy!

But in the world of quilting, it is any fabric that is a solid block of colour.

There is no pattern, there is no design, there is no texture print applied....

It is just solid colour - hence the term 'solids'.

Who makes them?

There are 3 major lines that I use:

Robert Kaufman - Kona

These are my favourite without a doubt. There are 250+ shades of colour, and the fabric is super soft!

I have a growing pile of these in different colour lines, which has been brilliant to draw on to inject colour into a project.

Seriously you will know you need that many shades of orange, but you really do!

In the UK you can get Kona from Simply Solids and The Village Haberdashery.

Most of the USA shops stock it, but The Fat Quarter Shop has a fab selection.

Moda - Bella

Moda are the big fabric manufacturers of the lines that most us love working with - Sweetwater being one of my favourites.

Their solids line is Bella and it is fabulous! Again there is a huge array of colour lines.

The advantage is that the solids match the Moda printed lines, so you can easily colour match if you are mixing solids and pattern in a design.

In the UK you can get them from lots of online and off line quilt shops, but my favourite places are Gone to Earth and Eclectic Maker.

Klona Solids Cotton

These are the other line of solids I love to use.

They a thicker weave than the other lines and the bolt is wider so you get a lot for you money!

I love using the white in projects because it is so versatile and it softens up as you quilt it.

There are fewer colours in this line, but the quality is amazing and they are perfect for backing quilts.

In the UK you can get them at Backstitch and Fabric Rehab.

There are other lines out there, but as yet I haven't used them.

I hope that has helped.

I plan on sewing a couple of blocks to show you just how versatile solids can be, so do come back and visit soon!