A Quiet Blue That Still Twinkles
Not every star print has to shout. Starry New Soft Blue, designed by Alexia Abegg for Ruby Star Society, takes the playful sprinkle of stars that defines the Starry collection and sets it on a soft blue ground. The result is a fabric that reads calm and airy from a distance, then rewards a closer look with its scattered star motif. It is a 100% cotton quilting fabric, 43 to 44 inches wide and sold by the yard, and it brings together modern design and whimsical charm in a colourway that is especially easy to live with in a quilt.
Where a true solid is flat and a busy novelty print demands all the attention, Starry sits in between. The stars add movement and joy without overwhelming neighbouring fabrics — which is what makes Soft Blue so useful.
What Starry New Soft Blue Is Best For
Soft Blue works first as a background. In blocks with white, cream, navy, coral, mustard, or soft pink pieces, a pale blue background gives more depth than plain white while staying light and fresh. It is lovely behind appliqué and star blocks — a gentle night-sky echo without going dark — and keeps baby and spring quilts feeling open and restful.
It also works as a blender and as a low-volume-style print. Pair it where a solid would feel too stark: sashing, borders, and setting triangles gain subtle texture from the stars, so large areas never look empty. In scrappy quilts, it can repeat across the top to tie many colours together. It also makes sweet binding, pouch linings, pillow shams, and nursery accessories.
Cutting and Piecing Tips
At 43 to 44 inches wide, this is standard quilting-cotton width, so plan cuts as you would for any 44-inch fabric and check the usable width after removing the selvage. The star sprinkle is a non-directional, all-over motif, which is forgiving: strips for sashing and binding can be cut without worrying about keeping the pattern upright, and smaller pieces can be rotary-cut efficiently from yardage or from leftovers.
Press seams consistently — quilting cotton pieces cleanly with a sharp rotary blade and holds a crisp fold. You can fussy-cut to centre a star, but the fabric looks good cut randomly, so most projects need no special placement. For long borders, piece lengths with a diagonal seam and let the scattered stars disguise the join.
Pairing Colour with Confidence
Soft Blue partners naturally with other Starry colourways and with Moda basics: white and natural solids for calm, navy and cobalt for depth, and textured blenders for a moodier edge. For warmth, add peach, coral, butter yellow, or soft gold. For a fresh modern palette, try crisp white, grey, and one bold accent such as red in small amounts.
Because the print is light in value, watch value contrast when you place it next to other pale fabrics. It should sit clearly behind medium and dark prints; next to very pale pinks and creams it will blend softly, which can be exactly right for a low-contrast, gentle quilt.
Care
As a 100% cotton quilting fabric, Starry New Soft Blue should be cared for like your other quilting cottons. Wash finished quilts in cool water on a gentle cycle with a mild detergent, and tumble dry low or line dry to help colours stay fresh. If you prewash yardage, expect the same handling you give other premium cottons, and press with a warm iron before cutting. Store folded quilts away from direct sunlight to protect the soft blue ground.
Shop the Starry New Soft Blue 43"/44" Fabric Per Yard at Linda's Electric Quilters.
