It’s no secret, we love big prints at Bits ‘n Pieces. Whimsical novelty prints, festive holiday designs, or your favorite sports teams, we carry them all. But we like to think about some different things when working with a big print to really make them shine in our quilt projects.
What qualifies as a ‘big print’?
A big print, or a large-scale print, is exactly like it sounds; it’s fabric design with motifs, patterns, or scenes that are large or oversized. Unlike smaller prints, which repeat frequently across the fabric, big prints can have more space in-between motifs or more space between the start and end of a motif.
What do you need to think about when quilting with big prints?
Scale matters.
Big prints need room to breathe. Make sure to include smaller-scale prints or solids to avoid overwhelming your design. For example, use a large floral print as a focal fabric and complement it with smaller coordinating prints or neutral solids.
Fussy cutting for impact.
Don’t be afraid to cut strategically, aka fussy cut, to highlight specific elements of the print. Fussy cutting is perfect for showcasing motifs like holiday scenes, border prints, sports logos, or special characters.
Balance is key.
Big prints can overwhelm a quilt if they’re not balanced with smaller or tonal prints. You can’t go wrong with using big prints in borders, sashing, or as featured blocks.
Our favorite patterns to use big prints
We have tons of books and quilt patterns at Bits ‘n Pieces, but there are certain ones that we go back to over and over again to show off a big focus print.
Easy Striped Table Runner Pattern
By Karen Montgomery
This pattern makes great use of a border stripe fabric. The table runner finishes at 16” x 45” and creates fun interest with its angular ends.
Sugar Plum
By Villa Rosa Designs
Got a spare fat quarter of a big print you don’t know what to do with? How about the Sugar Plum runner from Villa Rosa? It’s great for using up odd fat quarters and charm packs.
The Tango Tote
By Around the Bobbin
We love this easy tote pattern! It’s perfect for when you have a lot of stuff to carry and finishes at 12” high by 18” wide and 7” deep.
Klondike
By Villa Rosa Designs
Make the big print the focus and use complementary colors for the sashing with this throw sized quilt. Klondike finishes 48” x 64” but can be expanded with an optional border.
City Lights
By Fabric Cafe
Fabric Cafe is known for their great 3 yard friendly quilt patterns, and City Lights is no different. Use your big print as the alternate block paired with a simple pieced block to make this fun throw quilt.
However you use them, big prints add tons of personality and charm to your projects. Make sure to check out our huge selection of over 17,000 bolts of fabric either in person or online to explore all that you can collection of novelty, holiday, and sports big prints.