Hi! I haven't been quilting very long about 3 yrs. But I have been sewing for over 30. I recently discovered foundation quilting and love the way it gets my triangles to match so perfectly!! I just bought a Handiquilter, used, and I'm a bit nervous about using it. Wondering if I should have bought the Inspiration instead. I have been doing free motion but wanted to try something else.question...my favorite part of quilting is picking fabrics. I understand the light dark value but have been looking for classes on color theory with no luck! Is this a subject that's not valued in the quilt community?

I don't know about 'valued'.... for color wheel stuff...
I try not to mix too many weird colors like orange and red :mrgreen: :shock: but at this stage in my life I'm having an ABSOLUTE ball playing with all the new colors, designs, etc that are out there for quilters...
I think this is a fabulous time to be quilting - I remember when I first started quilting lo these many years ago how fabrics were NOT at all fun and finding something different was impossible - not 'almost' impossible - but actually impossible...
Things improved some in the 80s and 90s but today's fabrics are wonderful.

When I find something I like, I get it (within reason of course, I DON'T pay elebenty dollars a yard for anything) I'm very fortunate in that there are actually affordable places to buy fabric here - have I mentioned yet that I LOVE SW Alabama :!: :roll:
I generally do not buy with a 'certain' quilt in mind or a particular pattern...
when I find something, I get a couple yards and if there is something else that 'goes with' it that day, I get that too...
then I bring it home and think about my 'stash' and what's in there that will go with those two or three that I just got...
If there's not anything ( :D ) then I'll look for something the next time I'm out shopping....
I'll do a 'theme' but usually it's a result of looking through what I have rather than going out and buying yardage according to a pattern or something in a magazine.

Right now I'm pleasing myself on what I get, what I put together and the patterns I use, except when I come across something that leaps up and says 'buy me' and make something for so-and-so..... or like that swirl fabric that definetly jumped up and said BUY ME in no uncertain terms LOL

Have you tried 'googling' on 'color values', light and dark colors, color wheels etc etc... there's probably a blue bazillion websites out there

here's just two:
http://painting.about.com/od/colourtheory/ss/ColorClassTones.htm
http://<br /> <br /> http://char.t...olor/color.htm

I just typed in color values for that search...

thanks for the info! i will check out those websites. this blog is great! I don't have any friends that sew or quilt, so it will be nice to have someone to talk with!!

click on this link for 'quilting color magic' a free newsletter that you can receive in 7 parts with instruction on exactly what you are looking for.

http://newsletters.drgnetwork.com/

About the 4th row down is 'quilting color magic' and click to receive the newsletter to your email, FREE.

I've gotten it and it is chock full of info

happy quilting, sue

EXCELLENT! there were a few others i was interested in too!!

Hafa Adai from Guam!
Welcome to the boards!
Tons of info here and friends to be made.

welcome! i too dont have friends who sew or quilt so you will find lots of like minded people here. i too have trouble picking colors which is the part that i find hardest about quilt making as it takes me forever to pick fabrics! I will also check out those websites to see if that would help me as i need all the help i can get with colors!

Welcome to the board! You will love it here, we love to share, post pictures, chat, so much to learn here too :D

Thank you for posting this link, I found a couple of newsletters that will really help me out! :D :D :D