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Quote:

Originally Posted by Jerse

I really like the wedding ring quilt. Recently I saw an easy version; does this sound like a good one to begin with?

Elanore Burns makes everything easy to understand and do..there are guidelines in quilting..but no set rules for creativity..that comes later..the Double Wedding Ring is not an easy one for a beginner..I teach a beginners class..Log Cabin or 9-patch is a good start..just jump in..you'll be fine ..welcome to the wonderful world of quilting!!

And yet another piece of advice - do try a D9P - the results are awesome and you only need 1 background color, 2 in either the same color family or contrasting and one that should pop off the quilt (the center 9 patch square). It an easy quilt to make, looks a lot harder than it is and will quickly teach you about strip piecing, bookmarking and matching seams and cutting accurately. Becasue it goes together fast, you also get some quick gratification.

As far as color goes, I pick one fabric I like and then pick a color from it to use as my 'inspiration'. I pick the remainder of the colors I need based off that inspiration color - ones that either go with it or contrast it.

No. Wedding Ring is not a good one to start with in my opinion. Wait until you have some experience. Start easy and then get more variety in your techniques. Wedding Rings are a beast. Not there are many who love them and do well with the design. But it is not my recommendation to "begin with".

I totally wing it on color combinations. Never could get that color chart figured out.

As a relative newbie quilter myself, as well as one who struggles with color, I have a few suggestions.

1) Try a quilt kit where the fabric is preselected and you can see what the finished product will look like. Be sure to select a beginner's quilt (a wedding ring quilt is very challenging) to avoid frustration and build your confidence.

2) Try purchasing a Fat Quarter bundle of a family of fabrics to work with in a quilt. These are typically all from the same fabric line so they should all coordinate well with each other.

3) Jelly Rolls / Layer Cakes / Charm Packs of a fabric line all coordinate with the pack contents as they are all from the same fabric line. You can do wonders with these precut fabrics. (This board or http://tutorials.missouriquiltco.com both have some wonderful tutorials for easy but lovely quilts using precuts.)

4) Try using solids. For me, it is easier to identify pleasing combinations with solids than it is with some prints. Solids can make a stunning quilt. (http://www.youtube.com/user/Missouri.../0/ORH13QQKoWs) is a great one that is easy, quick and lovely.

5) If you can't trust yourself in color choices, pick a couple fabrics you do like together and then have your LQS help you find coordinating fabrics. Be open you their suggestions, but remember you are the one making the quilt so don't hesitate to be sure you like the suggested fabrics.

6) When picking fabrics try placing the bolt / FQ on the table together and walking away for a few minutes. Then stand back a few feet from the fabric and look again for any fabric that stands out in a bad way or blends in too much.

7) The key word in my reply seems to be 'try'. Try different things. Try different combinations. Try different patterns. Try different techniques. You will learn with experience what you like and don't like.

8) Fearless quilting - there are no rules one must follow so do what makes you happy. Quilting is supposed to be an enjoyable experssion of ones self. If you like a particular combination go with it.

May you be able to express your heart through your art!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jerse

What is gray scale?

I'm not a pro, so someone help me if this explanation is not the best. If you take the fabrics you have chosen for your quilt and lay them out and do something to, in a sense, take the color away, you can get a better feel for the variety of color intensity your fabrics have. You can take a black and white picture or get one of those clear red things that you lay over your fabrics. If there is not some good contrast, where some fabrics look dark and others look light, even though your fabrics are different colors, they will all kind of run together. I guess the term "gray scale" comes from what they look like if you make a black and white picture. How much gray do you see? You need some blacks and whites in there. Did I make any sense?

I have trouble with colors too and I've been making quilts for years. Sometimes I just pick up fat quarter bundles that are already color coordinated or fabrics from the same fabric "family". But often I'll get a print fabric that I like the colors in it, whether I like the print or not, and find colors that are in that fabric. If I don't like the print I'll put it back on the shelf and just use it as a color guide. The little color dots along the selvage may help some too with finding coordinating colors for you. Just remember to get some lighter and some darker fabrics. (See the post above I wrote about "gray scale".) To me, picking colors are the hardest part, but I find I am way pickier than I should be. There are plenty of prints and colors that look great together in a finished project that might not quite suit my fancy at the store.

Hey LDB, you SURE you're a newbie?:-)

As for grey scale, there is a tool called a 'RubyBehold' that does exactly what Martha describes (the 'clear red thing'). its a good tool for identifying light, medium and dark colors with good contrast.

Take a look at your own wardrobe. Pick some blouses or a dress that you really like. Study the color combinations. Look at Light and Dark, how they interplay. Make a quilt block or pillow top that repeats your favorite dress colors. If you like neutrals and tend to dress in black and cream or khaki, well, that's good too!!! Or, since it is your bedroom, make a coverlet that matches/coordinates with your pajamas. Whatever you do, lay the fabrics out many times over before you cut or stitch. Play. Think of fabrics as your playtime. and enjoy every moment.

Quote:

Originally Posted by LDB

Thanks for posting the link to missouriquiltco. That looks like a great site. It's now in my favorites.

To the OP. I am new to quilting as well. I recently read on this board somewhere that the Disappearing 9 Patch (D9P) is a great beginner pattern. I also found a tutorial in the tutorial forum on this board that explains how to do quilt top using a jelly roll. It makes a very easy quilt top using a 40 strip jelly roll.

I hope you have fun and don't sweat the color thing.