Quilt Notes: A Little Holiday Making & Some Fabric Fun 034-2026
Hi Friends! Well, here we are. Halloween is behind us, November has arrived, and whether we’re ready or not, end-of-year holiday prep is officially underway!
I hope you all had a nice Halloween, if you celebrate. This week in Quilt Notes, I’m sharing an idea that might help make your holiday making a little easier and, hopefully, a little less stressful.
And believe it or not, it starts with fabric shopping... We’re entering that time of year when everywhere we look seems to say HOLIDAY!
The stores are changing. The decorations are appearing. And if you’re a quilter, those beautiful seasonal fabrics and projects start calling your name, too.
Unfortunately, the holiday season also has a way of calling our wallets by name.
There are gifts to buy, meals to plan, places to go, and plenty of extra expenses that seem to sneak into the budget this time of year. Add several yards of beautiful new holiday fabric to the list, and that quilt we were excited to make can suddenly feel like one more expense.
So before we head to the fabric shop, let’s go shopping somewhere else first.
Let’s shop our stash.
Your Fabric Doesn't Have to Say "Holiday"
If you love traditional seasonal colors, I bet you can find three or four fabrics already tucked away in your stash that can get you started.
And here's the important part: they don't have to be holiday prints.
A beautiful red doesn't need candy canes on it to feel like Christmas. A rich green doesn't need holly leaves. Creams, golds, winter blues, burgundies, silvers, plaids, dots, geometrics and tone-on-tones can all take on a completely different personality when we put them together.
Think about the colors that remind you of this time of year.
Maybe they're the traditional red, green and cream.
Maybe they're icy blues and silvers.
Maybe you love rich jewel tones, warm golds and burgundies.
Or perhaps none of those combinations says "holiday" to you at all.
And that's perfectly okay. Does this fabric make me happy? What If We Choose a Feeling Instead?
This is where I think stash shopping becomes really fun.
Instead of asking:
"Does this look like holiday fabric?"
try asking:
"Does this fabric make me feel the way I want my holiday quilt to feel?"
When I think about this time of year, the thing that gets me excited isn't any particular shade of red or green. It's the joy that comes from spending time with friends and family. It's laughter, traditions, memories, warmth, and sharing time with the people we care about.
I think the quilts we make should give us some of that same feeling.
So pull open those drawers. Dig through those bins. Look through the fabrics you've been saving because you love them but haven't quite found the right project for yet.
Forget what collection they belonged to or what season they were originally designed for.
Instead, ask yourself:
Does it feel warm, joyful, peaceful, festive or cozy to me?
Would I enjoy seeing these colors together in my home?
If the answer is yes, you might already have the makings of your next holiday quilt sitting in your stash.
A Few Tips When Shopping Your Stash
Once you've gathered some possibilities, here are a few things I like to consider:
1. Pull more fabrics than you think you'll need. Don't try to find the perfect combination immediately. Give yourself choices first. Put everything together, play a little, and then begin taking fabrics away.
2. Think about light, medium and dark. Color is wonderful, but value helps give a patchwork design definition. If all of your fabrics are very similar in value, even beautiful colors can disappear into one another.
3. Don't be afraid of an unexpected fabric. Sometimes that one fabric you're convinced "doesn't belong" is exactly what makes the group interesting. Give it a chance before putting it back in the bin.
4. Take a picture. Once you have a combination you like, take a quick photo with your phone. Looking at the fabrics in a photograph can make differences in color and value easier to see. If you're still unsure, viewing that photo in black and white can help you evaluate the values without the colors distracting you.
And most of all, let yourself play.
There isn't a rule that says your holiday quilt needs to look like anyone else's holiday quilt.
You may save a little money by shopping your stash first, but you may also discover something even better: a quilt that feels uniquely yours.
And isn't that one of the very best things about quilting?
Now, let's say, hello to our new readers...
If You're New Here, Welcome!
We've had so many new quilting friends join the Build A Quilt community recently, and I want to take a moment to say hello and welcome!
I'm so glad you've found us.
Around here, we love quilts, we love learning, and we believe there is plenty of room in the quilting world for different tools, techniques and ways of creating.
Whether Build A Quilt is completely new to you or you've already started stitching with us, I hope you'll find plenty of inspiration, encouragement and a few new things to try along the way.
Pull up a chair. You're among quilting friends. Next Stop: Novi!
We're packing up Build A Quilt and heading to Novi, Michigan, for the Original Sewing & Quilting Expo! November 5-7 and you will be able to find Build A Quilt in Booth#313.
If you're coming to the show, please stop by the Build A Quilt booth and say hello. I absolutely love getting to meet fellow quilters in person, showing you how Build A Quilt works, and seeing some familiar BAQ faces, too.
I'll also be presenting at the show, where we'll talk about Build A Quilt, take a look at what patchwork in the embroidery hoop really looks like, and bust a few myths along the way. I'll be on the Expo Stage Friday at 3:15pm and Saturday at 2:oopm. These sessions are completely Free and there are others speaking throughout the expo as well.
If you're going to be in Novi, I hope you'll join me!
The Holiday QAL Begins November 18!
We're officially in the home stretch!
Our Holiday Quilt Along begins November 18, 2026, so if you've been thinking about joining us, now is the time to get your ticket.
And we've made that even easier.
Your QAL ticket is now a digital download. There's no waiting for a ticket to arrive in the mail. Once you purchase, you'll have access to the information you need to get ready to quilt along with us.
I’m looking forward to spending the holiday season stitching together.
As we head into November, take a peek into that fabric stash of yours before you decide you need something new.
There might be a beautiful holiday project hiding in there.
And whatever colors you choose, traditional or unexpected, I hope you make something that brings you a little bit of that joy we all treasure this time of year.
Until next time...
Quilt Life Beautiful, Diana
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