What are Low Volume Fabrics?

We have two fun new fat-quarter bundles available for sale! Woot woot! One of the bundles is a stack of low volume prints and we took these new guys to Quilt Festival in Houston with us. A question we kept getting was “What are low volumes?”

Since we love adding Low Volumes to our projects, and more than one person asked, I thought I would do a little blog post!

What are Low Volumes?

Low Volume prints are white and cream fabrics with subtle prints on them that read as one from afar. The designs can be floral, text, geometric, in color, etc. There are really no bounds!

Choosing Low Volumes

Pull assorted fabrics with white and cream backgrounds with small or subtle prints. Lay them out and step back. I like to squint a little to see if any really stand out! If, they all blend nicely together, you are good to go! I personally love the look of lots of different fabrics to create a fun scrappy but subtle background.

Or, buy a bundle of already curated Low Volume Bundles!

Where to use Low Volumes

We typically use them in the background of our quilts because they look great with bright rainbows! Below are a few of our many quilts featuring a scrappy low volume background.

Left: Privet Drive made in all Alison Glass fabrics and featuring a low volume background with a rainbow gradation running through the quilt. Top Right: Wild Moose Chase featuring a different low volume fabric in each background. Bottom Right: Euclid Avenue made in Foundation fabric with assorted low volumes in the background.

Left: One Way featuring assorted Alison Glass prints and a scrappy low volume background. Right: Mapleton Avenue featuring a scrappy rainbow of prints throughout the quilt with a scrappy low volume background that really highlights the patterns.

Left: Piccadilly Circle featuring assorted low volumes as the background adding a great texture. Top Right: Lantern Lane with solids in the lanterns and a scrappy low volume background. Bottom Right: Elsie Avenue on a scrappy low volume background made with strips.

But, they can also be the star! Here are a few samples of where low volumes take the center stage.

Left: Arcadia Avenue made with all low volume prints and pops of accents in bright colors and a light grey. Top Right: Clay Court made with assorted low volume 2.5” wide strips and a wasabi background. Bottom Right: Darby Road made up in all low volumes with a pop of wasabi!

Are you a frequent user of the low volume? Or are they a new thing you would like to explore and play with? Tell us below what you plan to use low volumes in. Happy Sewing!