I remember the quilt shop in Canandaigua, NY where I first saw Moda Marbles by Patrick Lose and the one in Buffalo where the cotton lame’s were available. My understanding of what a quilt could look like began to change the perception of what I thought a quilt should look like. The color and texture appealed to this quilter experiencing the joy of discovering the greater choices the world of quilting .
This lead me to discover what I like and to eventually be comfortable in the colors I choose for a project without freaking out about what and how others might think about my personal color choices. I still love marbled/textured fabrics for the opportunity to stitch in thread design.
I love brightly colored batiks and so much more.
When you find a color palate that resonates with you run with it. There are going to be quilters who like it and quilters who don’t. It’s just part of the process.
One more great source for making great color choices…yarn. Yep that’s why I have it in that pic up there. Yarn. Going into yarn shops and seeing what the knitters and crocheters are working with – the delightful color combinations is just one more source for choosing colors that work together.
It took quite a while for me as a quilting hobbyist going to shops and shows to develop a sense of color and a style of quilting that worked for me. Just like the process of machine quilting – the more I practiced the easier it became.
Finding colors that I like and getting those rather than what I thought should be in a quilt helped a lot.
Asking other quilters for opinions is a good way to help define our own color sense. Listen for how you respond to what they’re saying…and make your choices based on that. Opinions can be given but do not need to be taken to heart!
There is no truly wrong color combination. Jayne commented in the previous post that Mary Ellen Hopkins always adds red to her quilts.
From photos and color wheels to yarn and opinions there are lots of tools for helping to determine how color works and what colors you truly love.
Remember it’s your quilt and it’s your rules. Enjoy the process.
Happy quilting!
Teri
I love to go to yarn shops too, just to drool over the colors and textures. I remember my mom knitting and crocheting when I was little but, they didn’t have yarn than like they do now.