A Statement Print with a Literary Story
Some fabrics are quiet blenders, and some are meant to be noticed. Emma Austen Family Crest Navy is firmly in the second group. This 100% cotton quilting fabric from Riley Blake Designs measures 43"/44" wide and is sold by the yard, giving you a rich navy ground with a family crest design that can anchor an entire project. It comes from the Emma collection, part of Riley Blake Designs' collectible series honoring Jane Austen's six published works, and it is an official licensed product.
What This Fabric Is Best For
The product description notes that the Emma collection is great for quilting, apparel, and home decor, and a crest print suits all three. In quilting, it works beautifully as a focal fabric — the print you choose first and build the rest of the quilt around. In apparel, it lends itself to pieces where the design can show across a larger area rather than being chopped into tiny fragments. In home decor, it brings a formal, library-like character to cushions, table runners, and other accent pieces. Because the ground is navy, it reads as classic and tailored rather than sweet.
Cutting and Piecing a Crest Print
Prints with a defined motif reward a little extra thought at the cutting table. Before you cut, lay the fabric out flat and look at how the crests repeat across the width. Decide whether you want whole crests centered in your blocks. If so, fussy cut squares or rectangles so a complete crest sits in the middle of each piece, and add your seam allowances evenly around it. Larger blocks serve this fabric better than small patchwork: a crest that is cut in half by several seams loses the very detail you bought it for.
For a simple layout, alternate fussy-cut crest blocks with plain or low-volume blocks so the eye has somewhere to rest. Sashing in a solid fabric frames each crest like a picture and keeps neighboring prints from competing. Check as you piece that your crests are all oriented the same way, unless you have deliberately chosen a scattered arrangement.
Pairing Colors with Navy
Navy is one of the most cooperative colors in a quilt shop. It pairs naturally with cream and white for a crisp, traditional look, and with soft golds and warm neutrals for a more antique, bookplate feel. For a lighter quilt, balance the navy with plenty of pale backgrounds so the crest blocks feel like framed artwork on a wall. For a moodier result, lean into deeper companion colors and let the navy carry the quilt. A good rule is to let this fabric be the darkest and busiest print in the project, then choose coordinates that are either plainer, smaller in scale, or lighter in value.
Project Ideas to Try
- Austen reading quilt: Fussy-cut crest squares, add sashing and cornerstones, and back it with a coordinating solid for a lap quilt made for the reading chair.
- Library cushions: Center one crest on each cushion front for an instant heritage look on a sofa or window seat.
- Table runner: Use a row of crest blocks down the center, bordered with a plain fabric, for a formal dining accent.
- Book tote: Feature the crest on the outer pocket or main panel of a sturdy tote for carrying novels and notebooks.
- Framed fabric art: Stretch a well-centered piece over a frame for low-cost wall decor in a study or sewing room.
Care
Care follows the guidance on the product listing: machine wash cold and tumble dry low. Washing in cold water and using a low dryer setting helps preserve both the deep navy color and the crispness of the printed design. As with any quilting cotton, consider washing before a project where shrinkage could matter, and wash finished items the same gentle way.
Used with intention, this fabric does more than fill space in a quilt — it tells a story. Center the crests, give them room to breathe, and let the navy do the quiet, classic work around them.
Shop the Emma Austen Family Crest Navy 43"/44" Fabric Per Yard at Linda's Electric Quilters.
