Fabric & Materials
Tone-on-Tone
A fabric where the print and background are the same or very similar colors, reading as a textured solid.
Tone-on-tone fabrics have a print (texture, small motif, or subtle pattern) woven or printed in a color that closely matches the background color. From a distance, they read as solids; up close, they show visual texture. Tone-on-tones are versatile because they add interest without competing with other fabrics in a block. They're popular as backgrounds, sashing, and borders. White-on-white, cream-on-cream, and navy-on-navy are common tone-on-tone choices.
Related Terms
BatikA hand-dyed fabric with a distinctive mottled, marbled appearance created using a wax-resist dyeing process.Blender FabricA low-volume print that reads quietly and supports other more dominant fabrics in a quilt.Background FabricThe fabric that forms the negative space behind the primary design in a block or quilt.
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