Colorful Quilts-Stealing from the Experts

January 25, 2013
Choosing Colors
Stealing from the experts

Quilt tip, color, hand dyed fabrics

I like to keep a file of colorful photos to use as a starting point for most of my quilts.  Color experts design magazine pages, so why not learn (or steal?) from them?!   As I am planning a new quilt, I go through this file.   Usually one of the photos will jump out…

Quilt tip, color, hand dyed fabrics

Then I go to my stash and see if I can pull fabrics to match the photo.

Quilt tip, color, hand dyed fabrics

It is important to add all  the colors in the photo-as sometimes it is the small accent color that makes all the difference in whether or not a quilt “pops”.  Also proportion is important here.  For example, there is only a small amount of the rose-flower color in the photo, so that might give you a clue to use only a small amount of rose pink in your quilt.

Choosing colors005

After I have found all the photos colors, I audition fabrics from my stash that might blend well.  I add transition fabrics and fabrics that are lighter and darker.

Quilt tip, color, hand dyed fabrics

This becomes the quilt stash.  Each block is made from these fabrics only.  As I progress making blocks, I constantly put them up on a design wall.  If my quilt is not “singing”, I refer back to the original photo.  I check to see if I have all colors and in similar proportions and that usually does the trick.

So start shredding your magazines, and start your own color file.  Give this little tip a try the next time you are making a block or a quilt!

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