Riley Blake Designs has a gift for turning beloved stories into fabric. Their Emma collection is part of the company's collectible series honoring Jane Austen's six published novels, and the Emma Mrs. Bates 43"/44" quilting cotton is one of its character-inspired prints. Whether you sew for yourself, for an Austen-loving friend, or simply adore a beautiful print, this fabric opens the door to quilts, garments, and home decor projects with a literary soul.
What Is the Emma Mrs. Bates Fabric?
This is a 100% cotton quilting fabric from Riley Blake Designs, 43"/44" wide and sold by the yard. It belongs to the Emma collection, an official licensed collection that celebrates Jane Austen's novel Emma. The fabric is named for Mrs. Bates — the cheerful, talkative widow of Highbury who appears throughout the novel. Like all Riley Blake quilting cottons, it's designed for a range of makers: quilters, garment sewists, and home decorators alike. Care is easy: machine wash cold and tumble dry low.
What Is This Fabric Best For?
Standard-width quilting cotton is the most versatile fabric in the sewing room. This print works beautifully as:
- Quilt tops and blocks: Use it for piecing patchwork, or let a larger-scale section of the print shine in a feature block.
- Binding and borders: A themed print like this makes a binding that tells its own story along the quilt's edge.
- Apparel accents: Skirt panels, apron pockets, or a book-club tote cut from Emma collection fabric make thoughtful handmade gifts.
- Home decor: Throw pillows, table runners, or wall hangings that nod to your favorite novel.
Cutting and Piecing Tips
Character and story prints deserve a little extra planning at the cutting table:
- Fussy cut the motifs. Position your ruler so the most charming part of the print lands in the center of each block or square.
- Prewash before piecing. A cold wash and low tumble dry keeps quilting cotton stable so your seams stay true after quilting.
- Press, don't iron. Lift and press seams open or to one side with a hot, dry iron to avoid stretching the woven cotton.
- Pair with tonal blenders. A literary print pops against soft tone-on-tone basics. Pull one quiet color from the print and let it carry the surrounding blocks.
Color Pairing Ideas
Prints from a heritage collection like Emma tend to have a refined, timeless palette. Try pairing the Mrs. Bates print with:
- Soft creams and ivories for an heirloom look.
- Muted rose or sage from the Emma collection's coordinates.
- A deep navy or espresso solid for contrast in a modern quilt setting.
Pull a fat-quarter bundle of Emma collection coordinates and audition them on your design wall before you commit — themed quilts come together fastest when the family of prints does half the styling work for you.
Project Ideas
- A literary book-club quilt: Pair this print with other Emma collection fabrics for a lap quilt every Austen reader will envy.
- Reading pillow: A simple envelope pillow with a fussy-cut front panel makes the perfect gift for a book lover.
- Library tote bag: Quilted with a layer of batting, this fabric turns into a sturdy everyday tote.
- Table runner for a tea party: Regency-era Highbury would approve of a runner stitched from Emma prints and finished with a scalloped edge.
- Character study quilt blocks: Collect the character-named prints from the Emma collection and build one block per character — Mrs. Bates included.
Caring for Your Finished Projects
Follow the fabric's own care guidance for the finished piece: machine wash cold and tumble dry low. If your project combines this cotton with other fabrics, wash at the gentlest setting the most delicate component requires.
Shop the Emma Mrs. Bates 43"/44" Fabric Per Yard at Linda's Electric Quilters.
