Playing with Color: Part 1

This week I want to show you a couple of fun ways that I play with color. Since I am a quilter I find most my color inspiration from fabric, usually fun multi-color fabrics. The problem with this is if there isn’t any cute fabric you can become very un-inspired and bored with quilting. Both these methods help you figure out what colors and color schemes really appeal to you. When you know this then you don’t “need” cute fabric to be in the shops because you will know what your color preferences are and can work from there.

My first way to play with color is to visit the paint isle of my local hardware store. Here’s a shot I took of the one where I live.

Just look at all that lovely color.

To explore color with this method bring a few pieces of fabric that you really LOVE with you. For each piece of fabric find several paint chips that go with your swatch. Once you have found all the colors that go with your swatch you have a solid representation of the fabric that you love. Now you aren’t dependent on that particular fabric to make a quilt. You can find fabrics to match you paint chips and work from there. One big example of this for me was with my quilt “Bluebird’s Piece O’Cake”.

Here is the fabric I started with. Notice how it was never used in the quilt?

Here are the paint chips that go with it.

This has turned out to be one of my favorite color schemes that I plan to use again and again. They make me happy and when I’m happy I love working on a quilt.

Here are a few more examples.

I used this fabric in my quilt Miss Betty

This is the fabric and color scheme from the Miss Amy quilt

These are from Miss Ronna

This is a color scheme I'm working with for next years Block of the Month

It would be really fun to see what color schemes you guys like. To encourage you I’m starting a new FLICKR group and uploading my examples. Please join in and we can inspire each other.

To join go here and upload your discoveries.

Comments

[Karen]

What a great idea - I have read several people that say they use this method - I hope the paint store's don't catch on and start charging for their little sample cards LOL
Karen
http://karensquilting.com/blog/

[Edna]

What a terrific way to use a fabric as inspiration! I struggle with color often so I'm going to give your method a try to see if that helps me along. Thanks so much!

[Raewyn]

Great idea all right!! Your photos explain your method so well; very useful information which I am sure to use in the future, thank you!!

[Elizabeth McMahon]

I would never have thought about taking my fabric into a paint store, I will next time though...
Thanks for the tip.
Lizzie
xxx