I was just wondering what inspires other folks color choices for quilts?

Mine usually is a object I find, one was a piece of china, one was my daughters prom dress another was a rose I had in the garden.. Just curious about others.

Lisa

I'm going through a "focus" phase... where I see a bit of material that I really like with lots of colours, and then add in other fabrics that will go with it.

But I'm finding myself more and more looking at nature, something catches my eye and I think "oh, those colours would be awesome!"

I am like a little kid and am drawn to any brightly colored shiny object :D :D :roll: I like to see how I can use dark colors to set them off even more.
Two fabrics I found are so bright they almost hurt your eyes...one is oranges and the other is pinks :lol: I just had to have them 8) 8) 8)

Most of the time it is the kind of block I am doing. But if I have a piece of material that has multiply colors, I pull the colors from there to see if I can match them and usually I can get several different shades of several colors and it seems to work.
BillsBonBon

I look for a focus fabric and coordinate with it. Then when I am in among the fabrics, whatever catches my eye is what I NEED at the moment, which I why I am limiting my trips to the LQS until I find a place to put what I already have! :?

The sky, the grass and the earth. My favorite colors are blue, green, and brown. Quiet, calming colors.

what ever takes my fancy, might be some embroidery that I am putting in, might be a piece of fabric, my mood plays a part, sometimes it depends on who the quilt is for. Depends on the block or blocks. It changes more than the wind does.

I love bright colors. But most of the time I work with values
Say I need 10 dark values, 10 medium values and 10 light values to make a quilt. Some how with the type of quilting I do, they always come together. right now I am piecing a red and white quilt, but I have 20 different reds in it! I have tried to make quilts with only 2 or 3 fabrics and I just can't get into it. LOL

i've always been drawn to color. if things aren't colorful i actually feel like my retina is hurting.

i take my color ques from nature and when i studied natural surroundings i discovered that all colors go together and its value and tone that makes them play well with each other.

I am with Klue on this one- I loooove color and I agree that all colors match if you mix them right.

I love scrappy quilts, so they usually have every color in the rainbow in them by the time I'm done. Why make a two color quilt when you can have 40 or 50 in there? LOL!

A lot of the quilts I make are gifts, though, so I try to match them to the giftee's house or something I know they like. If it's a wedding gift, I will use the wedding colors. I try to make it personal.

I love bright colours and scrappy quilts...I get inspired by vintage fabrics, nature, memories....some are quiet and thoughtful designs others more bright and jumbled. I love looking at other peoples work, I find that injects me with a bit of courage and makes me braver in my choices. I am learning to "just go for it" and not let my fear of failure or imperfection hold me back.

i usually find a piece of fabric that catches my eye and can't live without it, I buy 3 to 5 yards (just to make sure I have enough) and then I wait until the right project comes along. I then go to my stash to find coordinating colors and if I need more then it's off to my LQS, where I usually find another piece I can't live without and here we go again! :D

I am usually drawn to a fabric and built a quilt around it. It is fall colors mostly. Other than that it is what my kids ask for.

I thought I was the only person on the planet that likes orange and pinks...course you didn't say, together, but I LOVE them together! :mrgreen:

dassa my answer, too! :wink:

Since maybe 95% of my work is made as gifts, I end up choosing colors for the recipients; their favorites or the color scheme of the room(s) in which they may put the quilt item. For myself, there is no consistency, for example, I made a long wallhanging for the empty wall above the stairwell in bright red, yellow, royal blue. I made a wallhanging in golds, creams, browns, touch of green, for my "tuscan" bedroom and my new lapquilt for me is different yet again. It makes life interesting. Also, I have never repeated a quilt pattern, maybe a block, but not the overall design. There are just too many to try so I guess I just have to live forever, unless there is a quilting heaven!

This is what I do. The problem is that my hubby says I have too much fabric that I couldn't live without. But, that is his problem not mine. :lol:

It is always about values and tone for me. The color is secondary.

Sybil

I love the 1930's fabrics. Also green and rose. Blues and yellow are alright but Im more of a green person. I love the marble fabrics in all colors and batiks. I also like red, white and blue for stars. It just depends on what I am making. I have made two quilts from brown and turquoise and loved the results.

I too like to go for a focal fabric and then I like to draw my other fabrics from that one. I love to pick colours that are not so dominant in the focal and draw those out. I get some interesting designs doing that!

Most of my quilts are gifts so first thing I decide is what color(s) would be appropriate for the person. I really like brighter colors but sometimes the person the quilt is intended for likes everything kind of neutral. Got a surprise when the fabrics in the quilt kit I ordered for a dear friend's quilt were a lot bolder (really louder) than I expected. You know what? She loved it, said she sleeps under it every night and that it added a little brightness to her home. So I guess just go with what you like and it will be OK.

Presently I'm working on 2 baby quilts for soon to be born grandnieces. Instead of pink quilts I'm making one quilt in yellow and blues and the other will be scrappy 30"s Repro fabrics with white background. I'm sure the new babies will get plenty of pink stuff. May in Jersey

EXACTLY! I just buy what I like ...usually without a plan of how I will use it. When I get fabric home I start mixing with what I already have. Most of the time, I have to head back to the store to get more of one of my choices. I usually start with FQs. One time I couldnt find exactly what I needed until I was at the resale shop... there was a mans cotton shirt in the perfect plaid... so I bought it, washed it and cut it up. It's in a table runner and nobody would ever guess where that fabric came from.

i tend to gravitate towards autumn colors - my favorite time of the year. I like traditional blocks. I like Civil war prints and actually contrary to what i just said I like the 30's prints too... all but bright vibrant colors I guess.

I'm attracted to a fabric and then build around it. I try to figure out the best type of block that will work to enhance the fabric.

I start with a pattern and person in mind. Then, when that's is done I want to use the scraps from that quilt, add more to it and make another and sometimes that leads to a third. Then I tire of that color group and start the whole process over again. I have material for several quilts now with no one in mind for them and that is very foreign to me.

I'm with Cutebuns. I get a pattern I like and play with different colors until it looks the way I want. I did a sampler once in burnt red, navy on off white. Although not many colors, it was dramatic because it was a king size with double batting, handquilted.

I love bright true colors. Recently Mexico folk fabrics have gotten my attention. I also love earthly greens, blues, and purples together. I agree that the more different fabrics in a quilt make it more interesting and fun to play with.

so glad you posted this, I said the same thing! :D :D Color is not my first worry. Do I have enough darks? and so forth: I've tried the other way, but my brain just doesn't function that way anymore! :wink:

Ninnie, I've learned to think outside the box and my brain is wired up differently. The more colors, the more problems I run into, so less is more for me. I so enjoy seeing quilts done by others and the colors they use.

I love bright colors and also prefer needleturn applique. I just see something and then try do make do with what fabrics I have, and I have quite a bit of fabric.

Oh! I'm surprised to see Shemjo's name on this. I thought I had written this one. :lol:

I do the same.