White or Cream or Something Between: Backgrounds

Peg's Ohio Star

We've been talking about backgrounds. They do matter. In fact they make every color shine. Is white really white? Is cream all that different? Of course they are. There are really good reasons to choose what works best with your other quilt colors.

from Blue Square Quilting

White is always crisp. It's showy. It gleams a bit. 

From Sweet Home Northwest

White makes things look a big faded, which does the 30's look.

On Etsy

White is a great accent. These eyes pop because of the white.

White does well with blues, greens, crisp cool colors.

From A Quilt is Nice

But it also brightens a scrap quilt.

What does cream give us?

From Pots and Pins

Cream makes a soft look.  It's a quieter gentler background.

From Fat Quarter Shop 

It makes an instant antique.

on Etsy

And it's always a soft companion to beiges and browns.

Peg's Fabric

Back to Peg's quilt. That very cool green paisley looks white in the quilt. Why? Because it's always in relationship to the other colors and fabrics.

Use white for a 

Crisp

Clean

1930's

Blue or 

Bright Look

Use Cream for 

Antique

Soft

Brown

Homespun or

a frontier look.

And make sure you look at both, with your fabric when your choosing. The colors are always in it, together.