The Beginners Guide to the “Rule of 7” for Quilting

You tell yourself “How hard can it be”?  My grandmother quilted, my mother quilted, it’s in my blood, I can do this!  I happily took my trusty Janome out of the closet, cleaned her up and then stopped!!  What do I do now?  Where do I start?  Memaw just had fabric in a basket that she grabbed and stitched together willy nilly and made some of the most beautiful and most cherished quilts that I have today!  I want to do that to.  She always looked so relaxed sitting in her chair with her needle and thread sewing on that binding and signing her name to the bottom!  I really, really want to do that!

I head to my local fabric store full of confidence, open the door and stop!  The selection, colors and shear quantity overwhelmed my senses!  I have no idea where to start!  I have no idea what looks good together!  How much do I need?  These are the first questions that went thru my head!  Thank goodness I stumbled into a seasoned quilter in the store.  I kindly explained my situation and her response was just follow the “Rule of 7” until you get some time under your chair!  I thought great that sounds fantastic!  What is the Rule of 7?  Let me explain!

The "Rule of 7" in quilting typically refers to a fabric selection guideline used to create visually appealing, high-contrast quilts. It suggests building your project with roughly 7 distinct fabrics, moving from large-scale theme prints down to smaller-scale accents.

For beginners looking to build a beautiful and cohesive quilt, the Rule of 7 breaks down into three fabric categories:

1. The Theme Fabrics (Large Scale)

You should start your selection with about 2 to 3 large-scale theme fabrics. These dictate the overall mood, color palette, and style of your quilt. They draw the eye and give you a focal point.

2. The Coordinators (Medium Scale)

Next, select 2 to 3 medium-scale prints. These should share the same colors and tones as your theme fabrics but feature smaller, less overwhelming patterns. They act as a bridge to connect your large focal fabrics to the rest of the quilt without distracting from them.

3. The Anchors & Accents (Small Scale/Solids)

Finally, round out your collection with 1 to 2 smaller-scale prints or solids. These provide necessary rest for the eye and help establish excellent contrast throughout the overall design.

I found a pattern (that’s another whole story!) followed the rules and purchased my 7 fabrics, went home, did some cutting, stitching and low and behold I did it!  I completed my first quilt!  Was it perfect? No.  Did everything line up correctly?  No.  Was I relaxed?  Somewhat, sometimes! Maybe this was what my seasoned quilter referred to as some time under my chair!

I have, since this first foray into quilting, completed several more quilts, took a few classes, listened to the people before me who have the time under their chair and learned tons!  Am I a seasoned quilter now?  Most definitely not!  I am still a novice beginner.  I accept that.  Are my quilts perfect?  Nope but I am getting better.  I just need more time under my chair!

To sum it up, I am totally hooked!  I still to this day use the Rule of 7.  It has saved me hours in the quilt store agonizing over where to start!  I do feel more confident when I go to pick out my next project. And honestly, I am starting to feel more relaxed.  Maybe, I am finally getting to the right amount of time under my chair!!