What is a blender (in fabric)?
 

It's a stupid question I know LoL. But I'm learning here. And how do you use them in your quilting?

Thanks!

I'm anxious to find out too. Never heard of a blender unless it means to camouflage a flaw with a similar piece of fabric.

I believe that a blender is the same as a tonal which if you go look at a line called Moda Marble, those are not a sold but a blend of tones in a particular color. These are tonal fabrics I selected to make a moving neighbor a table runner for her new home. Hope that makes sense.

A blender is a tonal fabric, so quieter than the more distinctive, eye catching multi-colored prints you use in your quilts. They give the eye a place to rest, and serve as a connecting element for the busier prints in a design.

What pretty fabric!

Dina

Great question!!

Since maniac quilter showed you a great assortment of fabrics that are blenders now you see the design isn't prominent but blends in with the background to give a all over blended color. It give some depth to the fabric solid colors can't provide.
The way to use them is to use them instead of a solid of that color. You see?

All of the blenders I have bought have also been 108 inches wide for quilt backing. I know they come in all sizes but they make great quilt backs.

Blender is also the term used to describe those fabrics that smoothly bridge from a fabric of one color/print/value/etc to one with a different color/print/value/etc. In those cases, the blender does not have to be an 'into the background' fabric, it just has to transition you from point A to point B without a jolt. It facilitates the blending of other fabrics.

I think of a blender fabric as one that has a subtle print design and the colors that link together the main fabrics that you have chosen for a quilt. They are not solids, but have at least two or more different hues or shades of colors that help 'blend' with and make the transition from one bolder fabric to another. They usually don't 'stand out', but function as a background and lend to the overall look, making a cohesive design. Batiks are often used as blenders because they have several colors which 'blend' smoothly together, and you look for ones that complement the colors in your main focus fabrics. Other blenders are 'tone on tone' or small print fabrics like ManiacQuilter shows that serve the same purpose of transitioning from one focus/bold fabric to another.