Nautical and Ocean Fabric

Set sail for quilting paradise with nautical fabrics at Missouri Star! Whether you are looking for beach themed fabric by the yard, ocean fabric with your favorite sea creatures, or nautical themed quilt patterns, you’ll find everything you need to celebrate the sand and the sea in your next project here. These themes are closely related, but each has specific motifs and colors associated with them.

Nautical fabric typically refers to fabric designs that feature maritime motifs such as sailboats, anchors, ropes, shells, compasses, lighthouses, and other elements associated with the sea. You’ll find nautical fabric by the yard, panels, and precuts in various shades of blue and white, resembling the colors of the ocean and sky. Of course, there's also nautical fabric batiks, but also prints, panels, and nautical quilt patterns to enjoy. Try your favorite nautical fabrics in the adorable Sail Away quilt block using the Quilt Snips tutorial below!

Beach fabrics are inspired more by coastal landscapes, rolling waves, palm trees, and seashells. The colors in beach fabrics tend to include shades of blue for the sea and sky, sandy beige or tan for beaches, and accents of green for coastal vegetation. 

You’ll find plenty of beach themed fabric by the yard, precuts, and beach fabric panels for your coastal creations at Missouri Star! In addition to beach fabric by the yard, we also offer beach themed quilt patterns in a variety of styles. In the free quilt tutorial below, Jenny Doan shows how to make the Sea Glass quilt using the hourglass quilt block and precut layer cake squares.

Ocean fabrics typically feature designs inspired by marine life and oceanic scenery, such as fish, dolphins, whales, seahorses, and turtles, as well as images of coral reefs, seashells, and waves. Common colors found in ocean fabrics include various shades of blue and green to represent the colors of the ocean, along with sandy beige and white for beaches and seashores. Sometimes, accent colors such as coral pink or bright yellow may be included to add visual interest. 

You will find many options to choose from in ocean fabric by the yard and precuts; many of these collections also include stunning ocean fabric panels which can serve as the focal point of your quilt or project. Ocean themed applique kits are also popular among quilters who enjoy creating projects with a coastal or maritime theme. And while it’s true that any quilt pattern can be used to showcase your choice of ocean fabrics, you can also start with any of our ocean themed quilt patterns to explore this popular theme.

Nautical, ocean, and beach fabrics for quilting are all excellent choices for creating coastal decor! Whether you're making quilts, wall hangings, table runners, or other decor items, incorporating these fabrics into your sewing projects can evoke feelings of relaxation and tranquility. They're particularly popular for creating quilts for beach houses, coastal cottages, or as gifts for beach lovers and ocean enthusiasts.