Blue Grunge Basics Peacoat is a 100% cotton quilting fabric from Moda Fabrics, colored in a deep peacoat navy with the mottled, brushy texture that defines the Grunge line. It is best for quilters who need a dark blue that is not flat — a blender, background, sashing, or border fabric that adds depth next to prints and lighter solids.
What Is Blue Grunge Basics Peacoat Fabric?
Grunge Basics is a collection by BasicGrey for Moda Fabrics, and it is a favorite blender for a simple reason: instead of a perfectly even solid, each color is printed with subtle, painterly variation. Lights and darks drift across the surface, so a large piece looks textured rather than stark, and a small cut piece still reads as interesting instead of plain.
Peacoat is the dark blue in that family — a rich, navy-leaning blue named for the classic wool coat. With reds and whites it reads patriotic, with teals it reads coastal, and with greys and blacks it reads modern. If flat navy solids feel harsh against printed blocks, Peacoat gives the same depth with a softer, worn-in edge.
The fabric itself is standard quilting cotton: 100% cotton, 44/45 inches wide, and sold by the yard. It cuts, presses, and sews like the other quilting cottons in your stash, and pairs cleanly with other Moda fabrics.
How to Use It
Cutting: Press first, then cut as you would any quilting cotton. Because the Grunge texture is non-directional and all-over, you do not need to match a motif or keep a print upright — strips, squares, and triangles all come out looking right. That makes Peacoat especially efficient for strip piecing and background cuts.
Sewing: Use a standard quilting setup: a sharp universal or quilting needle, quality thread, and an accurate quarter-inch seam. The finely woven surface presses crisp seams, and the mottled color is forgiving — small pressing or seam variations show far less against a textured dark blue than against a pale solid. Press seams to the dark side where your pattern allows.
Pairing tips: Treat Peacoat as your anchor dark. It grounds bright prints that need contrast, makes white and cream blocks pop, and gives low-volume fabrics a frame. Try it for sashing between colorful blocks, as a narrow inner border before a printed outer border, or as binding when you want a dark finish that is softer than black.
A Project to Try
Make a navy-and-white throw quilt that shows off Peacoat as the background instead of the accent.
1. Choose a simple star or churn dash block and cut the block centers and points from white, cream, and a few favorite prints. 2. Cut all backgrounds, sashing, and the outer border from Blue Grunge Basics Peacoat — plan on about 2 to 3 yards for a throw, and check your pattern requirements before ordering. 3. Piece the blocks and press seams toward the Peacoat where possible. 4. Join blocks with Peacoat sashing, add the Peacoat border, then quilt with a medium blue or soft grey thread so the stitching blends into the texture. 5. Bind in Peacoat for a seamless dark frame, or in a contrasting print for a pop at the edge. The result is a classic, high-contrast quilt.
Care and Handling
As a 100% cotton quilting fabric, Peacoat is cared for like other quality quilting cottons. If you prewash, wash dark blues separately or with like colors the first time in cool water, because deep saturated cottons can release a little excess dye in an early wash. Many quilters skip prewashing Grunge and instead wash the finished quilt gently in cool water and dry it on low.
Store yardage folded or rolled out of direct sunlight, as strong light fades deep blues faster than most colors. A warm iron brings it back to a crisp finish after storage.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Peacoat a solid or a print?
It is a printed blender designed to read as a solid from a distance. Up close you will see the signature Grunge mottling and brush-like texture, which gives it more depth than a flat solid navy.
How much do I need for a quilt background?
For a throw-size quilt using Peacoat for backgrounds and sashing, most quilters start with 2 to 3 yards of this 44/45-inch fabric and confirm the amount against their pattern. Order a little extra if you also want it for borders or binding.
Does this fabric work for more than quilts?
Yes. Its smooth, soft quilting-cotton texture also suits bedding and other home sewing, and quilters commonly use this weight of cotton for tote bags, pillow shams, and table runners where a deep textured blue is wanted.
Shop the Blue Grunge Basics Peacoat 44"/45" Per Yard at Linda's Electric Quilters.
