In your words
Colorworks Premium Solids: What Quilters Say About Northcott’s Solids
5 favorites · 7 min read
Every quilter has a solid fabric they prefer. It’s the white behind the star blocks, the black that makes a rainbow glow, the fabric you buy by the bolt because you know you’ll use it all.
For a lot of our customers, that solid is Colorworks Premium Solids from Northcott. We read what you wrote about it, and the same things came up again and again: how it behaves as a background, how true the colors are, and how it measures up to the other solids in your stash. Here are the five Colorworks favorites, in your own words.
The short version
- What it is — Colorworks Premium Solids is Northcott’s line of 100% cotton quilting solids, sold by the yard, by the bolt, and as precuts.
- Background fabric — Colorworks white, snow, and black are the colors quilters buy most, and they keep coming back for more.
- Color you can trust — makers say the color arrives looking just like it did on screen and blends with fabric they already own.
- Kona and Bella fans — several longtime Kona and Bella quilters say Colorworks has joined their go-to list, often for the value.
- Precut names — Chips are 5″ squares, Tiles are 10″ squares, Strips are 2½″ strips, and Rolls are fat quarter bundles.
Key Takeaways
- Keep a white background on hand. White Tiles are the Colorworks precut quilters stock up on, because they turn into half-square triangles, sashing and backgrounds with no cutting.
- Buy black in strips. A roll of 2½″ black strips is ready for sashing, binding, and borders around panels.
- Try a rainbow before you commit. A Rainbow Medley pack is the easiest way to see the whole Colorworks palette in one bundle.
- Use yardage for big backgrounds. Superwhite by the yard is the pick for a queen-size background or wide borders.
- Mix it with your other solids. Makers use Colorworks right alongside Kona, Bella, and other quilt shop solids.
The 5 Colorworks Favorites, Reviewed by Quilters Like You
Colorworks Premium Solids White Tiles
A pack of 10″ white squares (Tiles = Northcott’s layer cake)
★★★★★
$37.10
The Colorworks precut that quilters keep in the stash. Ten-inch squares of crisp white cotton turn into eight half-square triangles at a time, background blocks, or smaller squares when you need them. Grab a pack whenever you start a new layer cake quilt.
Shop White TilesFeatured customer reviews
Works perfectly to make 8 half square triangles at a time. Saves me time!
— Sue W.
Perfect to use and you can’t have too much white fabric on hand! Colorworks is a soft and durable fabric
— Rebecca M.
Precuts save me time on projects and inspire me to try new things. Colorworks precuts are dependably true to size/cut and work well in my projects.
— Donna P.
Colorworks Premium Solids Rainbow Medley Tiles
A pack of 10″ squares in a rainbow of Colorworks solids
★★★★★
$37.10
The whole palette in one pack. Makers use it for rainbow quilts, cathedral windows and half-square triangle challenges, and it’s a friendly way to try Colorworks if you’ve never sewn with it.
Shop Rainbow Medley TilesFeatured customer reviews
Excellent! Colors are so clear and vibrant. I will be buying this again.
— DEBRA Z.
This brand is new to me. I recently used their dark blue as background in a quilt. I liked it enough to purchase this when it came up on sale. Good way to explore their other colors.
— Charlotte P.
I am delighted in the 10" squares the color is so vibrant and they are soft to touch.
— ester N.
Colorworks Premium Solids Black Strips
A roll of 2½″ black strips (Strips = Northcott’s jelly roll)
★★★★★
$34.73
Black makes every color around it look brighter, and a roll of precut strips means your sashing, binding and panel borders are ready to sew. Makers say it’s a true black with a nice weight.
Shop Black StripsFeatured customer reviews
I'm working on a "falling diamonds" quilt for my daughter, who requested black as a main color. I was... skeptical. But it's coming out beautifully, and it's at least partly due to the quality of this jelly roll. So happy I found it. Of course, anything from MSQC is gorgeous and reliable, so...
— Carol L. O.
The fabric is great quality and not flimsy. The color is a solid black. It was nice to not have to cut the strips. I was going to use them on a guild project, but decided on a black fabric with stars, so I will use the Colorworks strips on a future project.
— Betsy
I love that the fabric is already cut for my sashing when I do my Panel quilts.
— Shirley T.
Colorworks Premium Solids - Superwhite Yardage
100% cotton, 43/44″ wide, cut to order
★★★★★
$8.96 per yard
When a background is bigger than a precut, this is the white fabric that makers choose. It’s a clean, bright white that makes blues and brights pop, with enough weight for piecing and big borders.
Shop Superwhite YardageFeatured customer reviews
This is a high quality white fabric that I am using in a Queen size quilt pattern called 'Blue Willow Lattice.' It will really make the multiple blue fabrics pop with the crisp white fabric. The fabric holds its shape as I sew rows of blocks and strips together. Looks great!
— Susan
It was the perfect background for my project. I use it for making a quilt. There was a big contrast, so the colors just popped. It was great to work with. I love all the fabrics I have gotten from MSQC. I can't wait to come down in a couple of weeks.
— Lori
Practical and truly white. This has a good weight to use for both piecing and background
— JOAN L.
Colorworks Premium Solids White Chips
A pack of 5″ white squares (Chips = Northcott’s charm pack)
★★★★★
$11.75
Five-inch white squares for a small, fast quilt. Pair them with a print charm pack for a simple patchwork quilt you can finish in a weekend.
Shop White ChipsFeatured customer reviews
Great quality and color selection was perfect for my project.
— Kristine K.
I like the nice fabric to sew with. They worked well with my project selection. I'm using it for a jelly roll sizzle lap quilt. They worked out perfectly.
— Judith
How Colorworks Compares With Kona and Bella
If you already have a favorite solid, this is probably your question. Plenty of makers came to Colorworks from Kona or Bella, and here’s what they told us.
This solid fabric is a gorgeous color! I mean gorgeous!! Texture is silky like Pure Solids but thicker/heavier feel like Kona. Best of both in my opinion. Works very well as a background fabric for quilting. Looks the same on both sides so very easy to piecework with. It’s a fabric that makes you want to touch it.
— Charlotte
I love Colorworks solids. Less fraying than Kona or Bella at a better price.
— Martina N.
I was not sure about this brand as I had never heard of it before. My go to brand for solids has always been Bella, but this may be my new favorite. Very easy to work with, not flimsy, color was as pictured. Will definitely purchase again.
— Julie M.
Makers also say Colorworks looks the same on both sides, so it’s easy to piece, and that it sews happily next to the other quilt shop solids in the stash. Want to see the full range? Browse all Colorworks Premium Solids, or read more about the company in our guide to Northcott fabrics.
How These Five Compare
| Colorworks pick | Size | Best for | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| White Tiles | 10″ squares | Half-square triangles, backgrounds | $37.10 |
| Rainbow Medley Tiles | 10″ squares | Rainbow quilts, trying the palette | $37.10 |
| Black Strips | 2½″ strips | Sashing, binding, panel borders | $34.73 |
| Superwhite Yardage | By the yard, 43/44″ wide | Large backgrounds and borders | $8.96 per yard |
| White Chips | 5″ squares | Small, quick quilts | $11.75 |
A tip from the notions wall: Northcott uses its own special names for precuts, so it helps to know them when you shop. Chips are 5″ squares, Tiles are 10″ squares, Strips are 2½″ strips, Micro Strips are 1½″ strips, and Rolls are fat quarter bundles. If you need a lot of background, order it all at once so it comes from the same bolt.
Colorworks is only part of the Northcott story. Their Stonehenge prints come in the same Chips, Tiles, and Strips, and pair beautifully with these solids. You’ll find them all together with our Northcott precuts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who makes Colorworks fabric?
Colorworks Premium Solids is made by Northcott, the Canadian fabric company that also makes Stonehenge. It’s a 100% cotton, OEKO-TEX certified quilting solid that comes in more than 200 colors. Our Northcott fabrics guide tells the full story.
Is Colorworks as good as Kona?
Many of our customers who sewed with Kona or Bella for years now use Colorworks too. They describe it as a good weight with a smooth, silky feel, and they mix it with their other solids in the same quilt. Most of all, they talk about the value.
What are Colorworks Chips, Tiles and Strips?
They’re Northcott’s names for precuts. Chips are 5″ squares (like a charm pack), Tiles are 10″ squares (like a layer cake), Strips are 2½″ strips (like a jelly roll), Micro Strips are 1½″ strips, and Rolls are fat quarter bundles.
Which Colorworks color is best for backgrounds?
Our customers reach for white, Superwhite and Snow most often. Snow is a softer, not-quite-stark white, and Superwhite is a crisp bright white. For a dark background, black is the favorite.
How wide is Colorworks yardage?
Colorworks yardage is 43/44″ wide and 100% cotton. You can shop it by the yard or by the 8-yard bolt in our Colorworks collection.
How were these five picked?
By our customers. We read the Colorworks reviews in our shop, chose the products quilters write about most and rate highest, left out anything that isn’t in stock, and quoted verified buyers in their own words. We trimmed quotes for length only.