3 Tips on How to Pick Fabric for a Quilted Coat

I’m popping in with 3 tips on how to pick fabric for your quilted coat when you’re struggling to narrow one down.

You’d think having all the fabric to choose from would be awesome, but it can also feel daunting to narrow down the colour options out there. Where’re you even supposed to start?

When I shared my first quilted coat with you, a recurring comment I noticed was this: “This is a quilted coat I can see myself wearing”.

What’s fun is that it was the first time I wanted to wear a quilted coat too 😉

Why was this a common theme?

I’m tackling this very question today and offering you 3 tips on how to pick fabric for your own quilted coat.

Let’s get started 😊

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3 Reasons Why a Fabric Pull Works

First up is why did the original Etched Diamond Quilt x Hovea Coat resonate so strongly?

After mulling this quite a bit, I think it comes down to 3 things: a classic design, paired with a classic coat in a classic colourway with a modern punch.

It was a classic design paired with a classic coat in a classic colourway with a modern punch.

Up until then, most of the modern quilted coats I’d seen were very bright and bold and beautiful. They were very in line with the ultra-bright patchwork we were seeing in quilts. And while I absolutely love a vibrant quilt, I’m not quite sure about wanting to wear one. At least not at the moment.

While my quilts tend to be super colourful, my wardrobe is a little less so. I still have pops of colour (namely coral 😉) but the main colours that I love to wear are shades of grey with some white and blue. It used to be black but then we got Pips and things shifted mainly due to practicality.

Colours may be of ‘de rigueur’ at the moment but that’s not how I pick my wardrobe items. I select them based on how often I’ll wear them.

This really explains why I chose the fabrics I chose, and it leads nicely to my top 3 tips for how to pick fabric for your own quilted coat!

3 Tips to Pick Fabric for Your Quilted Coat

1. Consider Your Wardrobe

The first place to start when thinking about colours for your quilted coat is in your own closet! I shared some tips about how a capsule wardrobe can inform your fabric decisions.

Take a moment to go and throw your closet door(s) open, stand back and just look. What colours do you see?

Go ahead and do it, I’ll wait 😊

Fun, right?

I’m curious, what’s the main colour that stood out to you?

Was it blue? Gray? Black? A spectrum of colour?

There’s no right or wrong here, just what is.

See it in action:

The main colour in my wardrobe is grey. In lots of various shades, but still, lots of greys 😊

Knowing this, it’s no surprise that I gravitated towards dark grey in my original quilted coat. It blends in beautifully with the rest of my capsule wardrobe.

2. When/where?

My next tip might be indicative of where I live as the 4 distinct seasons play a heavy influence on the clothes I wear. I suspect that even if you don’t live where there are extreme weather polarities, there are probably still some variances in the weather you feel.

Put more succinctly: when will you be wearing your coat?

When and where you plan on wearing your quilted jacket is super important to consider when thinking about your textile selection.

Think of it, you certainly don’t want to be working with flannel if you plan on wearing your coat in the Spring while out for an early-season picnic.

Likewise, you don’t want to select cotton lawn if you want to wear your coat while picking apples in the Fall crisp air.

The when/where of your patchwork coat-wearing plans is key to making the right fabric substrate choice.

A second factor to the fiber selection ties in with your colour selection above. The lightness/darkness of your fabric can also be impacted by your ‘when/where’ analysis. 

See it in action:

My plan was to wear my Etched Diamond Quilt x Hovea Coat during the Fall months while out and about and inside during the below-zero temperature of Winter. Since it’s a darker, moodier time of year, I gravitated towards the darker Essex linen. Linen because I love the textural feel and strength it offers. It’s a breathable natural material with a little extra weight compared to quilting cotton.

For my Springtime quilted coat, I opted for a lighter beige linen and then added pops of coral and orange to align with the happier vibes Spring brings.

3. How practical is my choice?

I know, probably not the highlight of the selection process but a vital one, so hear me out 😉

The durability and practicality of your fabric and colour selection will have a direct impact on the longevity of your creation; both in terms of how it will hold up and how good it will look!

Here are some things to consider:

How often do you plan on washing your quilted coat?

Go with fabrics that hold up to being washed repeatedly if you expect to wash your jacket regularly. Also, if you don’t want to babysit your coat, then opt for materials that you can toss in the washing machine and dryer vs hand washing and worrying about laying things out to dry.

Do you have any pets that like to snuggle with you?

If I leave my quilted coat out anywhere that Pips can get it, it’s a sure thing I’ll find him napping on it. I have a stack of lint rollers on standby to deal with this habit of his 😉

Work with the situation and consider your furry friend’s fur colour if you want things to blend.

How big/small do you need your coat to be?

For the first quilted coat I made; I went with a larger size because I wanted to be able to wear a sweater underneath. My beige quilted coat is my typical size as I didn’t need to accommodate the bulk of winter sweaters.

How light/dark do you need it to be?

I’m back to colour value again! This one appears in all of my top 3 tips as the intensity of the colour you choose will be impacted by your wardrobe, when you’ll wear it and the level of durability and practicality you want out of your coat.

See it in action 1:

I anticipated needing to wash my quilted coat regularly, especially since Pips loves to snuggle me and my jacket 😉 Since the plan was to wear it mainly in the Fall and Winter, I wanted a darker grey to help camouflage stains, coordinate with the moodier feel of the season while still coordinating with my capsule wardrobe. The larger size means I can add layers and a sweater as the temperature dips below zero without feeling like a stuffed sausage 😉. I do love a deep raspberry and couldn’t resist sneaking these pinky hues into the mix.

See it in action 2:

For my Spring quilted coat, I went with a light beige linen to keep that fresh light feeling Spring brings. The smaller size reflects the thinner layers I’ll be wearing during the warmer months and the beige is a lovely pop against all the grey in my closet.

See it in action 3:

Since I already had my seasonally based quilted coat staples made, for my third one I wanted a patchwork jacket that was more understated and really reflected all the shades of grey in my wardrobe!

One thing I’m regretting is the sleeve lining choice. The white with grey stripe is stunning but since I tend to sweat it’s not the best from a practical standpoint. I’m going to have to double down on my washing to ensure I don’t get yellow pit stains. Gross, I know, but also very true. So, if you have a tendency of excessively sweating, then the fit (tightness/looseness) and colour (dark/light) might be considerations for you too.

Top Tip for Picking Fabric

Before you commit to purchasing the materials for your quilted coat, I highly encourage you to grab a set of your favourite colour cards. This is especially important if you plan on buying your fabric online. Screens are deceptive when it comes to reading colours, so avoid being disappointed when your textiles arrive by picking fabrics based on fabric swatches.

This is my go-to starting point and then I like using this one for my colour pops!

How to pick fabric for your quilted coat is a popular question for me, so I hope these top 3 tips on how I pick materials for my own come in handy! And don’t forget to sign up to download your free guide featuring 3 Steps to Picking Fabric for Your Quilted Coat.

For more quilty inspiration, check out:

• Why I Love Colour Cards
• Etched Diamond x Very Peri
• Top 10 Tips for Machine Quilting at Home
• Modern Aztec Mini an Ode to Coral

Now that you’re armed with all the textile selecting knowledge, add your own quilty flare to your next quilted coat! If you want some guidance and company as you stitch yours up, come join one of the 3 Virtual Quilted Coat Workshops I’m hosting in 2023: Winter (sold out), Spring (sold out) or Fall sessions. If you prefer sewing on your own but still want some guidance, take the Quilted Coat Course here!

Happy quilting!

xo

Shannon

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