Happy New Year!

It’s that time of year again.  It’s the New Year, so that means we get to revisit my quilting predictions for 2024 and decide how well I did (or how badly I blew it) for the past year’s trip around the sun.  Then I throw in 2025’s quilting predictions and announce our theme for this year.  So without further ado, let’s see how well (or how badly) I did with my 2024 forecasts.

• Kiss the “normal” neutrals/background fabrics goodbye.  Okay, 2024 was the year which completely blasted our normal, staid background fabrics out of the quilting water.  I’ve seen every hue and shade of blue, pink, red, orange and every other color involved in the rainbow considered a neutral.  Pick a color.  Declare it a neutral.  Run with it (without your scissors, of course – safety first). 

• Look for more animal prints, geometric prints, textured fabric, and fabrics with metallic accents.  Each and every year brings such a smorgasbord of new fabrics, this one was really difficult to keep up with, but I do think I was correct on this prediction, too.  While we still retained our beautiful florals, I did see a broadening of the fabric horizons.  It does truly seem like quilters can find any fabric with any theme.

•  Most fabric will have cleaner hues with less shades.  Yes.  This was the year for lovely hues which I think was one of the reasons we have neutrals in all colors.  Those clear colors are just too lovely to hide.  However, remember we need shades, hues, tints, and darks to make beautiful quilts.  Even if you’re enamored with the hues, you need the other colors to give your quilt depth and sparkle.

• Batiks will remain a strong fabric player in the quilt game.  I think this has proven true.  Batiks have been a main stay in our fabric world since the Fifth Century and a part of our quilting world since 1918.  I honestly don’t believe they are going anywhere.  However, while the batik manufacturers continually amaze me with their prints, they do have competitors entering their fabric field.  With my foray into three T-shirt quilts this year, I assumed I would be pulling out batiks left and right to construct three Harley Davidson quilts.

I didn’t.

Grunge, Drybrush, and several other fabrics are eating into this world.  While I think Batiks will always be a part of our quilting domain, I do think they will need to continue to develop new prints (which they are doing).  I still would much rather work with Batiks for raw-edge applique than any other fabric.

•  Digital Fabrics will still have a presence in quilting, but it will not be as big.  I think I was about 50/50 with this prediction.  Digital fabrics have remained a part of our fabric structure; however, I don’t think it took up as large of a part of the fabric world as it wanted – but the area it did take was bigger than I wanted it to encompass.

In short, I’m not a huge fan.  While digital fabrics are beautiful, a quilter still has to jump through hoops to work with them.   Slick threads, thin needles, plus the fact some brands are notorious for bleeding, make them particularly difficult to deal with.  And that’s just with piecing.  Quilting is an entirely different story.  Since digitally printed fabric has not proven as inexpensive to produce as hypothesized, it may or may not continue to be an active player in the fabric field.  If future technology lowers the cost, probably.  If not, it may only be available for specialty fabrics.

•  Poppy Cotton Fabrics is an up and comer.  Delightfully true.  Their prints continue to thrill my quilting soul.  Last year I could only find their fabric on their website.  When I did a quick web search before this blog, I found them on Etsy, Shabby Fabric, and Hancock’s of Paducah.  I’m sure they’re in more brick-and-mortars and web sites than just these three.

•  Quilted Clothing will be popular.  While I don’t think quilted clothing was as popular as it could have been, I do think it definitely made a blip on the fashion radar.  I saw more “cutter quilts” (old quilts, even antique ones, which were too badly damaged to be of any worth), cut apart and made into jackets and vests.  I also saw more quilted jackets and coats than I have in several years.

•  Quilted Bags will be popular.  While I did not get a chance to delve into this quilting craft, boy are the instructions, fabric, notions, and accessories out there!  I have purchased several patterns as well as all the supp;ies.  I plan on sticking a toe into this quilting ocean soon.

• Paper piecing is making a strong comeback.  Numerically, it’s impossible to say how many paper piecing patterns were sold in 2023 or so far in 2024.  However, marketing trends do show that this technique has a large following and remains a popular quilting method, and sales of paper piecing patterns are high. Marketing trends also note that paper piecing patterns are sold across all quilting platforms. 

  2024 was the year for great block-of-the-months.  My debit card can faithfully witness to this fact.  You know BOMs are kind of hit and miss.  There have been years when none of them were interesting and then there are years like 2024 when you have to make some serious decisions about which one(s) you’ll participate in because they all seem so lovely.  After 2024’s hit on my quilting budget, I’m almost afraid to peruse 2025’s. 

With 2024’s predictions behind us, let’s look ahead to the New Year and see where it may take us.

•  Eco-conscious Florals – While 2024 introduced us to geometrics and metallics and other prints, 2025 may bring a lot of us quilters back to our “safe zone” – florals.  However, I’m talking about updated florals with a purpose.  Floral prints will include those of rare plants, fabric which uses all-natural plant dyes instead of chemicals, and material which promotes plant conservation. 

• Welcome to the World of Abstract Geometrics — The abstract geometric trend is set to evolve in 2025, moving beyond simple shapes to more complex mathematical concepts. This fusion of math and art will result in stunning, thought-provoking designs, which will include optical illusions and odd shapes, sacred geometry inspired motifs, and fractals (reoccurring shapes ranging in size from impossibly large to incredibly small).

• Get in Touch with Your Inner Mythical Being – As our worlds – even our quilting world – becomes increasingly digital-bound, we all will need some kind of escape hatch.  Enter fabric with unicorns, mythological creatures from all cultures: Dragons, phoenixes, mermaids, and sea monsters.  Not only will these whimsical fabrics give our minds a break, they may also let us tell our own quilted fairytale in the process.

• From Atoms to Galaxies — The fascination with both the infinitesimally small and the vastly large will influence quilting designs in 2025. Expect to see fabrics that explore microscopic patterns inspired by cell structures and DNA, cosmic prints featuring nebulae, galaxies, star clusters and designs that play with scale, juxtaposing tiny elements with grand cosmic scenes.
•  Cultural Fusion — As global connections deepen, 2025 will see a trend towards quilting designs that celebrate cultural heritage with a modern twist. Look for traditional motifs from various cultures reinterpreted in contemporary color palettes, fusion designs that blend elements from different cultural art forms, and fabrics that tell stories of migration, identity, and global community

•  Eco-Friendly Fabrics — Sustainability will be at the forefront of quilting trends in 2025, with a focus on eco-friendly materials and production methods. Expect to see organic cotton prints with low-impact dyes, fabrics made from recycled materials — including plastic bottles and discarded textiles, and innovative textiles created from sustainable sources like bamboo, hemp, and algae. These sustainable options will allow quilters to create beautiful projects while minimizing their environmental impact.

•  Technology-Inspired Prints — As technology continues to shape our world, it will also influence quilting designs in 2025. Look for fabrics that feature glitch art and pixelated patterns, circuit board inspired designs, and augmented reality elements that come to life when viewed through a smartphone app.

•  Finding Your Zen — With an increased focus on mental health and well-being, 2025 will see quilting designs that promote mindfulness and relaxation. Expect fabrics with mandala patterns for meditative piecing, Zen garden inspired prints, and calming color palettes and soothing textures.

• Quilting Cottons That Go 3-D — 2025 will push the boundaries of what quilting fabrics can do, with a trend towards interactive and multisensory designs. Look for fabrics with raised textures and 3D elements, thermochromic prints that change color with temperature, and glow-in-the-dark and reflective elements for added dimension.

•   The Possible Rise of Custom Fabrics – This prediction hinges on a 2024 prediction:  While the technology is there to print nearly any type of fabric we want, digital fabrics still have a few “kinks” to work out of their system.  If technology improves and the cost of digital fabrics comes down, advancements in digital printing technology will make personalized fabric designs more accessible than ever in 2025.  And if that happens, we can expect easy-to-use platforms for creating custom fabrics, options to incorporate personal photos and/or artwork into quilt fabrics, and AI-assisted design tools to help quilters bring their vision to life.

With 2024 predictions examined and 2025 predictions listed, now it’s time to reveal this year’s theme.  I struggled with this for a while until I re-read my 2025 forecast and realized that this upcoming year may show the biggest change in our fabric world.  So, with keeping that in mind, the 2025 Yearly Theme Is:

Embracing Tradition and Innovation

2025 has the unique possibility of shaking up our fabric world.  However, no matter how lovely or thought-provoking the fabric is, without adherence to good technique and a solid set of quilting skills, all you have left is a pile of pretty fabric with half-wished dreams.  So while we explore the new, we will also re-visit tale-as-old-as-time technique and guidelines.  And while yes, you must remember there are no hard, fast, forever rules in quilting, techniques are there for a reason.

And finally, it was last year I had the wonderful opportunity to introduce Felix to you folks.  For the year he’s been with us, it’s truly been a beautiful journey.  He loves to play, will stalk you down for a cat treat, has no inhibitions towards catnip, and has just settled in our family like he’s always been a part of it. 

However, this cat has big dreams…

His picture was submitted to PawPrints for their 2025 Cat Calendar, and (drumroll please), I’d like to present Mr. December Cat

Felix

He has a list of agents he wants me to call. 

Until Next Week,

Love and Stitches,

Sherri and Felix