Advice for working with neutrals
07-28-2013, 02:36 PM
#12
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Location: Pacific NW
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I agree with Cindi; it might be helpful to find out exactly what they mean by neutrals. For instance, I consider this quilt to be a pretty neutral quilt, but it does have some color.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]426675[/ATTACH]
Alex Anderson wrote a book about using neutrals, and one of the things she said that I will never forget is if you use colors such as cream, beige, tan, taupe, etc., make sure you throw in white. Adding white to the mix will make the quilt sparkle. She had before and after pictures in the book that really proved her point.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]426675[/ATTACH]
Alex Anderson wrote a book about using neutrals, and one of the things she said that I will never forget is if you use colors such as cream, beige, tan, taupe, etc., make sure you throw in white. Adding white to the mix will make the quilt sparkle. She had before and after pictures in the book that really proved her point.
07-28-2013, 02:46 PM
#13
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Location: New Hampshire
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My friend was ask to make an earth tone quilt by a friend of hers for her daughter's wedding gift. My friend thought of dark greens, rust, golds, etc. Come to find out the bride likes tones of brown. My friend doesn't like browns but she began collecting fabrics. She is doing a snowball block and had a chocolate mousse color for the center. It just didn't look right, the practice blocks she did were just too dull. So she switched out the mousse color center for a lighter color, more like cream. That made the other browns stand out and was the perfect color. So I would say use some white or off-white fabric to make the browns perk up. Post a picture when you are done!
07-28-2013, 02:52 PM
#14
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Hey, All! Thanks so much for the great replies! You've given me lots to think about and wonderful pix of examples of anything BUT bland! (didn't mean to offend anyone, just didn't know how else to say it!) when I look at my stash of "neutrals", it looks like I have all the same value, so I may need to shop for some darker values. You've all helped a lot! Thanks!
07-28-2013, 04:59 PM
#15
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Location: S.E. Queensland, Australia
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I've made a couple of cot quilts in soft colours like the starblocks of ckcowl's quilt above. Crazy patch blocks were alternated with a white block with an appliqued bunny or the like on it. Both were loved by the new mums i'm pleased to say.
07-28-2013, 05:23 PM
#17
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This sounds very similar to a situation in my family about 20-25 years ago. Someone asked the bride what colors she liked. The bride replied "earth tones". The quilt was done in avocado greens, mustard yellows, browns, and oranges. I think the bride's vision was a bit more modern; she had been thinking soft greens, browns, and grays, tan, cream, pale blues fading into lavender. I don't think that "earth tone" quilt ever saw the light of day....
07-28-2013, 06:06 PM
#18
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Location: Piedmont Virginia in the Foothills of the Blue Ridge Mtns.
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You might look at and have them look at this site to see all kinds of taupey-beigey quilts.
https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&...mg.gzviwVsEDnA
And here are some examples of neutral colors.
But the paint chip idea is the EASIEST ever for the quilter! I did it for a quilt my DGS wanted and was able to match the swatches perfectly.
Jan in VA
https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&...mg.gzviwVsEDnA
And here are some examples of neutral colors.
But the paint chip idea is the EASIEST ever for the quilter! I did it for a quilt my DGS wanted and was able to match the swatches perfectly.
Jan in VA
07-28-2013, 06:54 PM
#19
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OMG, I am a Floridian. I love this quilt. Gorgeous!! (The Sandhill Cranes have the cutest babies!)
I have made a few 'neutrals' quilts- nothing bland about them- the first one was a 'Saturday sampler' program at an lqs- we made star blocks with all whites, creams, tans...one of my all time favorite quilts (and I tend to make very colorful quilts most of the time) I loved that one so much that I made the star blocks again in the same colors, added an appliqued sandhill crane to the center and made my sister in law a quilt for her Florida house- she loves it, here's a picture- nothing bland...and I made one with a crazy quilt center king sized quilt- it does have some browns added but again...it is not boring or bland in any way...and the pineapple border on the 'Amazing Grace' quilt I made are all neutrals- they are about the prettiest blocks I have ever made...one day I should make a whole quilt out of those.
07-28-2013, 06:56 PM
#20
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This is an awesome idea!! I will have to file this away for future reference. Thank you. (Brilliant
)
)Wow - Nothing bland about that quilt!
When someone says 'neutrals' - I would ask for some paint chip cards of what they want so that their idea of neutrals and my idea of neutrals match.
Some people may think gray tones, some tan, some pinkish tan, some cream - I usually think cream to sand to tan - but others may think grays - and there are warm grays and cool grays - - -
So 'neutrals' isn't quite 'one color range might fit all'
When someone says 'neutrals' - I would ask for some paint chip cards of what they want so that their idea of neutrals and my idea of neutrals match.
Some people may think gray tones, some tan, some pinkish tan, some cream - I usually think cream to sand to tan - but others may think grays - and there are warm grays and cool grays - - -
So 'neutrals' isn't quite 'one color range might fit all'
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