How To Identify Two-Way Directional Fabrics

In case you haven’t heard, the Grandma Core quilt is:

1) amazing,

2) perfect for showing off two-way directional prints!

The quilt pattern accounts for two-way directional prints to make sure that the prints all run the same way in each flower. Let’s spend some time looking at different fabrics to determine what prints would be best to use in the Grandma Core quilt.

First of all, what is a two-way directional fabric? It is a print that makes sense in two directions, like a stripe. Consider a stripe that runs left to right. If you rotate the print 180 degrees, the print is identical to the original orientation. This is different than a one-way or non-directional print. A one-way directional print only makes sense in one direction; if you turn it upside down, figures and motifs are upside down. A non-directional or four-way print makes sense no matter which way you turn it.

Keep reading to see some examples of fabric I would use in the Grandma Core quilt, and how to identify tricky examples of one way directional prints.

Two-Way Directional Prints

Let’s start with learning how to identify two-way directional prints. If a print runs left to right or up and down, it’s probably a good candidate. The real way to know is, if you can turn the fabric 180 degrees and the print looks identical, it’s perfect. Here are some of my favorite examples.

This fabric is a classic example of a stripe print. The fabric is Timeless Ticking Forest by Sharon Holland for Art Gallery Fabrics. The first image is the fabric oriented correctly. The second image is the same image rotated 180 degrees. You can see the images and prints are identical, and it’s a yes to using this fabric in the Grandma Core quilt.

This fabric is Elixir Metallic Smoke, part of Melody Miller’s Elixir collection for Ruby Star Society. The print isn’t a stripe, but the motifs run up and down. The image on the right has been turn 180 degrees, and the motifs still make sense! That means we can use it in the quilt.

This print, Regalia in Lipstick by Melody Miller, is another print that isn’t obviously a stripe, but is a two-way directional fabric. Rotating the fabric 180 degrees shows that all the elements work perfectly in either direction.

This floral print from Ruby Star Society’s Favorite Flower collection is the trickiest of the examples. This fabric is a stripe print where the stripes are made up of various flowers. When turned 180 degrees, the yellow flower in the center looks like it’s upside down. It’s not out of the running yet though. Notice that other flowers are now right side up. Because the flowers are oriented both up and down, the print makes sense in both directions, and it’s perfect for the Grandma Core quilt.

One-Way Directional Prints: Geometric Examples

Some prints look pretty close to a two-way directional print, but aren’t. If one little element is off when we turn is upside down, what we actually have is a one-way directional fabric. The examples I cover below have strong geometric elements that aren’t identical when the fabric is rotated 180 degrees.

Not all stripes are created equal. This fabric, Bud in Cayenne by Alexia Marcelle Abegg for Ruby Star Society, can be called a stripe. But the rotated image reveals that it’s actually a one-way directional stripe, because the print is only repeatable in one orientation. In full transparency, I did use this print in my Grandma Core quilt, but the pattern directions don’t cover how to use a print like this.

Hibiscus in Balmy by Melody Miller is another tricky example. When rotated 180 degrees, the majority of print looks identical - the center orange flowers and surrounding elements look pretty good! The only thing that gives it away is the orientation of the curved elements are wrong.

While it may be tempting to immediately call this a stripe and use it in the Grandma Core quilt, let’s take a closer look. This stripe print is Love Lane by Art Gallery Fabrics. While it is a stripe, it is another example of a one-way stripe. Because the hearts are all oriented in the same direction, the print isn’t identical when turned upside down.

One-Way Directional Prints: Other Examples

Some obvious candidates that we can rule out are certain tossed prints and landscape prints. Of course, these can be used in the Grandma Core quilt, but the pattern does not tell you how to make sure the print runs in the same direction across the flowers.

This tossed print is Love All Around by Art Gallery Fabrics. A tossed print is when the motifs seemed to be tossed or scattered across the fabric in a balanced way. Tossed prints are often four-way directional prints, but this one is not. Let’s figure out why. Look closely at the larger motifs. While the small elements still run every-which-way, the larger motifs are all upside down in the left image, making this an imperfect option for the Grandma Core quilt.

This Summer Butterfly print by Gingiber for Moda Fabrics is another example of a tossed print that is not identical when upside down. The varied angles of the plants and wings almost makes you think it would rotate well, but everything is still only oriented in one direction. 

As a final example, this Rural Idyllic print from Sharon Holland is a landscape print. This type of print would include many Toile de Jouy fabrics. These complex scenes are often printed as one-way directional prints and would not work well in the Grandma Core quilt.

I hope these examples help you feel confident and ready to pick fabrics for the Grandma Core quilt. And if there is a one-way directional print you really want to use in the quilt top, don’t let me stop you! Use whichever fabrics your heart desires. Make sure to share your fabrics and progress pictures using #grandmacorequilt, and tag me (@mija.handmade) to make sure I see them!