How to Use Scattered X Fabric in Quilts: Texture Without Overpowering Your Blocks
Every quilt needs fabrics that work quietly in the background — prints that add texture and movement without fighting your feature fabrics for attention. Hush Hush 5 Don't Cross Me Cotton from Riley Blake Designs is exactly that kind of fabric. Designed by Fran Gulick for the Hush Hush 5 collection by assorted designers, this 100% cotton quilting fabric is 43"/44" wide, is sold by the yard, and features scattered x's across the surface. Riley Blake notes the collection is great for quilting, apparel and home decor, and this versatile print shows why.
What This Fabric Is
Don't Cross Me is a quilting cotton with a simple, graphic motif: small x's scattered rather than lined up in a strict grid. That scattered placement is the key to its usefulness. From a distance, the x's read as texture — a subtle pattern that keeps a large area from looking flat. Up close, they add a playful, hand-drawn energy that works in both traditional and modern quilts. Because the motif is small and evenly distributed, you can cut it into almost any shape without worrying about matching a large repeat or centering a single image.
Best Uses for a Scattered X Print
1. Backgrounds and negative space. Use it where a plain solid might feel stark. In blocks with lots of open space, the scattered x's give the eye something gentle to travel across while your pieced motifs stay the stars.
2. Blending and sashing. As sashing, cornerstones, or inner borders, this print bridges feature fabrics of different colors and scales. It separates busy prints so each one can be appreciated, without introducing a competing theme.
3. Backing and whole-piece projects. A yard or more makes a lively quilt back, and the all-over pattern hides pieced backing seams well. It also works for apparel and home decor — try it for a simple top, pillow covers, table runners, or tote bag linings where a small graphic print is welcome.
4. Scrappy quilts. In a scrappy layout, a consistent scattered print like this one can be repeated across many blocks to create cohesion, even when the other fabrics vary widely.
Cutting and Piecing Tips
Because the x's are scattered and multidirectional in feel, this is a forgiving fabric to cut. You do not need to fussy cut, and small pieces — squares, half-square triangles, strips, and sashing — will all carry the texture evenly. Press before cutting, use a sharp rotary blade for clean edges on quilting cotton, and keep a consistent scant 1/4" seam allowance so background pieces finish to the size your pattern expects.
If you are cutting long sashing or border strips, cut them in one continuous length when possible so the scattered pattern flows without a visible break. When piecing this print next to directional fabrics, lay the assembled blocks out first and check the balance — the neutral, all-over x's should calm the layout, not create a busy patch in one corner.
Color Pairing Ideas
A scattered x print pairs the way a good blender should: with almost everything. Set it beside bold florals to give them breathing room, with plaids and ginghams for a cozy, collected look, or with bright modern prints where its graphic marks echo a contemporary style. Pull one color from your feature fabrics for binding to frame the quilt, or bind in a matching tone for a seamless finish. Limiting your feature palette to two or three main colors and letting Don't Cross Me handle the background keeps the quilt cohesive.
Care
Follow the care given for this fabric: machine wash cold and tumble dry low. That gentle routine helps protect both the cotton fibers and the printed x's, whether you prewash your yardage or wash the finished quilt.
If your stash is full of beautiful feature prints waiting for the right partner, a scattered x blender is often the missing piece — quiet, versatile, and ready for quilts, apparel, and home decor alike.
Shop the Hush Hush 5 Don't Cross Me Cotton 43"/44" Fabric Per Yard at Linda's Electric Quilters.
