Heating pad cover 3.0

These are the prints I want to use for my next heating pad cover. I think they're all from Purl. Sweet, sweet Purl.

Don't they look great? I have a few other fabrics in mind to go with them. But it's tricky, and I'm not sure I have enough solids.

My beloved Denyse Schmidt says she uses 70% solids/30% prints in her quilt designs. She also says smaller prints can "count" as solids -- like little calico and small checks -- since they can look like solids from a distance. Maybe the mustardy one up there would qualify. (My novella The Mustardy One will released next fall by Random House, and you will read it in your book club, and then I will be rich.)

Oh, wait. Speaking of books, let me be clear. Denyse Schmidt did not tell me any of those things about fabric. I read it in her book. I realize I mention her and her book about every two seconds, but you should know I'm not confused about the nature of our relationship. I just love her, that's all. And not in a stalker-y way. I swear it.

Here's the point: Since heating pad covers are basically functional mini-quilts as far as I can tell, solid-to-print ratios and other design basics seem important.

I'm no math whiz, but the first square I've made looks more like 50 solid/50 print than 70/30.


It's the first of nine squares I plan on making. And since it's the overall balance that we're interested in, I think it'll all turn out just fine. Fine!

(My nose just spontaneously wrinkled itself. I may have to go buy more fabric.)