April 17th
2006
Choosing fabrics for the next quilt!
Frequently, I hear quilters say “I hate choosing fabrics” or “I’m not really good at putting fabrics together” for a quilt. For some, it’s the hardest part of quilting. Not so for me. I think it’s the part I love the most, actually. I’ve been thinking ahead to the next project, and since I’m going to be near the quilt shop tomorrow, I thought I’d play a little today in case I need to buy more fabric while I’m out. After I pulled out these fabrics from my stash:
I decided I definitely didn’t NEED to go shopping. 
Bummer. I guess my stash is quite big enough! I’m keeping the quilt design under wraps for the moment, but to give you an idea of the thought process behind the fabric choices, I’ll tell you this much. There’s a garden with a low wall around it, a fountain and flowers. My process for choosing fabrics is similar to Jinny Beyer’s Color Confidence method, although I was developing my technique before I was introduced to hers. Basically, color blending is the key. Any colors can be used together successfully in a quilt, if they are blended together. Obviously, there will be MANY fabrics in this quilt, and the more fabrics you choose, the easier it is to blend them together for a beautiful and successful color scheme.
Posted by Nadine in Quilts, Tips, Quilting, Inspiration |
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Pingback by Quilt Epiphany Blog—Musings on Quilts and Quilting » Off the Bookshelf—Color Confidence for Quilters
May 6, 2006 at 7:16 pm
[…] After Choosing Fabrics for the Next Quilt, it seems an appropriate time for a review of Color Confidence for Quilters by Jinny Beyer. I actually took the class from Jinny in 1996 in Lyon, France at the Quilt Expo. She was really great. Don’t worry if you can’t get to the workshop in person though, because her book is extremely thorough. As I mentioned in my previous post about choosing fabrics, I was already choosing fabrics and colors in much the same way she does before I took her class or read her book. However, after absorbing her method, my own system was much improved thanks to her exercises and tips. Essentially, her book (and related workshops or videos) introduces you to her method of color and fabric selection through exercises using fabric swatches from her Palette collection of fabrics. Jinny shows you how to blend colors to create an exciting palette, so that you can use any colors together in a quilt without regard for, or knowledge of, color theory. She also tells you what the three ingredients for a successfull color scheme are, and how to include them in your quilt. By the way, her method is not just for quilters, but is wonderful for any project that uses color: knitting, scrapbooking, interior decorating, painting or anything else. You don’t even have to have her fabric swatches to do the exercises, as there are pictures on color plates in the back of the book which can be cut out and used again and again. Get her book, and learn to see colors in a new way. […]
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