2026 Quilt Block Mania Fabric Recommendations
This year is all about history. If you didn't know, 250 years ago the United States declared their independence from the England. It really was a time that changed the history of the world. I have several quilt patterns in the works to honor the history of our nation. With this in mind, I have a couple fabric recommendations if you would like to make a quilt from my QBM blocks.
Let's get this out of the way first. The following recommendations are from Connecting Threads. If you purchase through the link, I may get a small commission. Anything I promote, I have used or am currently using. Connecting Threads is truly on of my favorite online-only fabric shops. Before I understood how "commission" worked, it was always a turnoff when reading blogs. Now I get it, and feel bad I didn't use links before!
Fat Quarter bundles are going to be your friend for this quilt, along with a background fabric. Here are a few suggestions:
Colonial Era: Muted colors were in. Mostly because of the dyes and fabrics available at the time. Black background was vogue, especially for Victorian crazy quilts.
Personally, I have always wanted to make a quilt with a black background, the blocks just seem to pop!
For the Colonial Era scheme, you will need the following:
1930s/40s: The era of feed sacks is upon us. Bright colors and florals were trending. On the personal side, I always think of my Great-Granny Smith when I see fabrics from that generation. She lived a very burdensome life. Color brought her happiness. I have a few quilts and feed sacks of hers.
For the 1930s/40s scheme, you will need the following:
Americana: This suggestion is pretty self-explanatory. Lots of red, cream, blue, and golds with pops of turquoise. This is an Lori Holt collection. For the background, I have paired it with black. The digital mockups are stunning!
For the Americana version, you will need:
I can't wait to see where you creativity in 2026 takes you!
The black background is the option that makes me want to lay out some fabric samples. On a smaller project such as Sewlore’s patchwork runner design, comparing the same colours against a dark and a pale background could be a useful first step. I’d photograph both arrangements before cutting. It’s surprising how differently a fabric can read once its neighbours change.