Building a Jane Austen Quilt with Emma The Campbells Fabric: Pairings and Projects
Some fabrics are pretty, and some fabrics tell a story. Emma The Campbells, from the Emma collection by Riley Blake Designs, does both. This 100% cotton quilting fabric is 43"/44" wide and sold by the yard. The Emma collection is part of Riley Blake Designs' collectible series honoring Jane Austen's six published works, and it is an official licensed product. Riley Blake describes the collection as great for quilting, apparel and home decor, which gives you plenty of room to use this print well beyond a single quilt top.
What Emma The Campbells Is
The Campbells is one print within the coordinated Emma collection, named for characters Austen readers will meet in the novel Emma. Like the other fabrics in the collection, it is a standard quilting-weight cotton at standard width, so it cuts, presses, and pieces like the Riley Blake cottons most quilters already know. You do not need special tools or a special pattern: drop it into a favorite block pattern, combine it with other Emma prints, or pair it with basics from your stash.
Because Emma is a collectible series, these fabrics also carry gift value. A quilt or book tote made from an Emma print means more to an Austen fan than the same project in a generic floral, because the fabric references a book they love.
Best Projects for This Print
- Literary quilts: Use The Campbells as one of the feature prints in a sampler or medallion quilt built from the full Emma collection. Alternating collection prints with quiet solids lets each print be seen instead of competing.
- Borders and sashing: A coordinated print makes an excellent outer border or sashing fabric, framing blocks made from companion prints and tying the whole top together.
- Reading accessories: Book sleeves, reading pillows with a pocket, and tote bags are quick, satisfying projects that suit this fabric's story perfectly and make thoughtful gifts.
- Apparel and home decor: As the collection notes suggest, quilting cotton also works for easy aprons, gathered skirts, pillow covers, table runners, and placemats.
Cutting and Piecing Guidance
Press the fabric before you cut, then use a rotary cutter, ruler, and mat for clean, accurate strips and pieces. Cut across the width of fabric as your pattern directs and sub-cut into the squares or rectangles you need. Sew with a consistent 1/4" seam allowance and press as you go — seams to one side for most patchwork, or open where several seams meet and bulk is a problem.
Before sewing a full top together, lay out all your blocks and step back. Check that The Campbells and your other feature prints are distributed evenly, rather than clustered in one corner. Repeating each print in several places creates rhythm and balance. If you add borders, measure through the center of the quilt top and cut border strips to those measurements, so the finished quilt lies flat and square.
Color Pairing Ideas
The easiest pairings live inside the collection itself: the other Emma prints were designed to work together in color and scale. Start there, then add one or two quiet basics or solids in tones pulled from the prints to give the eye a place to rest. If you are shopping your stash, audition candidates in natural light, choose fabrics that share a color with the Emma prints, and mix scales — one larger print, one medium, and one small print or solid — so the quilt reads clearly from across the room.
Care
Care for this fabric as directed: machine wash cold and tumble dry low. Gentle washing and low heat help preserve color and hand in the finished project. For quilts, wash only when needed and store folded away from direct sunlight to keep the fabric looking its best for years.
Whether you are planning a full Austen-inspired quilt or a small gift for a book-loving friend, Emma The Campbells offers a quality quilting cotton with a genuine literary connection.
Shop the Emma The Campbells 43"/44" Fabric Per Yard at Linda's Electric Quilters.
