Figuring out Color
03-23-2010, 08:43 AM
#11
Junior Member
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Michigan
Posts: 294
Thank you for this information. I have trouble with colors and patterns on the fabric. Not confident enough to match fabrics. I stay with 1 pattern fabric and lots of solids, or I end up buying kits. I guess it just takes practice. My DH does a good job of choosing matching fabric, but I hate to give him any praise. :)
03-23-2010, 08:47 AM
#12
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Sugar Land, Texas
Posts: 680
Thanks, TK. That explains why the quilt I am working on came out even busier than I thought. It is a Stack n Whack Lemoyne Star and the kaleidoscope stars are black background with red and yellow tulips and green stems.
I picked a red background and used yellow for the sashing and 9-patch cornerstones. At this point it is pretty much blinding. I think I will use the tulip/black fabric and make a border for it, but I keep thinking I might have been happier with black sashing. I think/hope the border will tone it down and pull it together. Any thoughts? I will post a picture when I find the camera so you can see what I'm talking about.
I picked a red background and used yellow for the sashing and 9-patch cornerstones. At this point it is pretty much blinding. I think I will use the tulip/black fabric and make a border for it, but I keep thinking I might have been happier with black sashing. I think/hope the border will tone it down and pull it together. Any thoughts? I will post a picture when I find the camera so you can see what I'm talking about.
03-23-2010, 09:27 AM
#14
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Southern Ontario, Canada
Posts: 353
Oh, thank you so very much! I am such a dunderhead when it comes to colours, tone, warm, cool, etc. It makes my head spin. This will be a great help for me if I have to shop for colours on my own. I usually go with my dear quilter friend who visits this site regularly but has yet to join- yes, you know who you are!!!
03-23-2010, 09:51 AM
#15
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Gladys, VA
Posts: 1,626
Black will normally recede and make your colors pop especially if you have used intense/bright colors. So you may not want to do it that way. But I do love black sashing and borders so I know how you feel. I had a very busy red, blue, and harvest gold sampler quilt going and it was looking awful until I added the black sashing and border. I should have done an inner boarder to finish it before adding the black border But I didn't realize it until after I had the other border on. Oh well that's the way it goes sometimes.
Give your DH the praise. Especially if it gives you quilts that really pop and that you love. Maybe even fix him a special dinner on fabric shopping day. Who knows what he might come up with...the next state fair blue ribbon quilt?
I know exactly what you mean about your head spinning. I'm like that too. When I can talk her into it I take my best friend along. She is good at matching colors although she says she isn't. I like the colors she chooses.
3699 I understand where you are comming from. Me I like to march to a different drummer so I can't talk myself into buying kits. But I did read a good tip somehwere. Get the paint chips at the hardware store. The long strips tell you which colors will look good together and the little squares will give you good combinations of the color schemes we've discussed mixed with neutrals. It's so nice when someone else does the work.
What about Prints
I have learned that large prints work great as focus fabrics. What does that mean? It means someone else has already chosen your color scheme for you. All you have to do is chose colors that are in that one fabric and your good to go. For example lets say that your focus fabric is a pastel with greens, blues, and purples. If you want to do a medallion quilt you might want to do the framing blocks in the exact greens, blues and purples as are in the quilt but in small prints with dark neutral backgrounds. Like a small print green vine on a black background, A small flower print on a dark grey background. And a purple star pattern with a black background.
Are you able to visuallize what I'm describing?
Give your DH the praise. Especially if it gives you quilts that really pop and that you love. Maybe even fix him a special dinner on fabric shopping day. Who knows what he might come up with...the next state fair blue ribbon quilt?
I know exactly what you mean about your head spinning. I'm like that too. When I can talk her into it I take my best friend along. She is good at matching colors although she says she isn't. I like the colors she chooses.
3699 I understand where you are comming from. Me I like to march to a different drummer so I can't talk myself into buying kits. But I did read a good tip somehwere. Get the paint chips at the hardware store. The long strips tell you which colors will look good together and the little squares will give you good combinations of the color schemes we've discussed mixed with neutrals. It's so nice when someone else does the work.
What about Prints
I have learned that large prints work great as focus fabrics. What does that mean? It means someone else has already chosen your color scheme for you. All you have to do is chose colors that are in that one fabric and your good to go. For example lets say that your focus fabric is a pastel with greens, blues, and purples. If you want to do a medallion quilt you might want to do the framing blocks in the exact greens, blues and purples as are in the quilt but in small prints with dark neutral backgrounds. Like a small print green vine on a black background, A small flower print on a dark grey background. And a purple star pattern with a black background.
Are you able to visuallize what I'm describing?
03-23-2010, 10:26 AM
#16
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Salem, OR
Posts: 320
I think it is great you are doing this. Your "students" might enjoy experimenting with color choices on this web site. http://www.tigercolor.com/color-lab/...eory-intro.htm
03-23-2010, 10:29 AM
#17
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Rustburg, VA
Posts: 612
Originally Posted by tkhooper
I did that at the quilt show I went to on Saturday. There was a monochromatic in green that hadn't used any neutrals and I found it to be very busy. It was beautiful but it wasn't restful if that makes any sense. I find I'd rather look at something that pops. Than something that is busy. The "grandmothers garden" pattern always thrills me when it is done on a black background.
03-23-2010, 03:06 PM
#18
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Southern Ontario, Canada
Posts: 353
Originally Posted by Feathers
TK: THANK YOU...I have so much trouble with colors and usually struggle mightily in selection. You narration will really help me. I appreciate your time and effort in putting all of this together for all of us "color-tarded" quilters.
03-23-2010, 05:33 PM
#20
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Oklahoma
Posts: 776
Originally Posted by tkhooper
I have a few more minutes.
A nice addition to the red and green would be one or more of the neutrals. Now so far we have one cool and one warm color so the red is going to have the pop factor. If white is added it will become the pop factor. But if black is added the red will continue to dominate the color scheme. And again if a red print has a white background it will take center stage. But if you add a green with a white background it's going to come in conflict with the red and they will fight for dominance. So if those are your color choices placement is going to become incredible important.
Thanks for your effort, energy and knowledge. Color will be so much easier from now on.
The lesson here is constantly pay attention to the value of your colors/fabrics.
Triad - I think we have all seen primary color quilts done for children they are bright and charming and eye catching. But triads can also be busy and fight with one another. There will always be two colors on the same "side" of the color wheel. So you will either have two warm colors (dominate) or two cool colors (submissive). A neutral will "control" this color combination and help make it into the color scheme that will pop. If you have two warm colors and choose White that will become the dominate color and will calm down the yellows and reds. If you have two cool colors and choose black or brown then your warm color will really dominate while the blue and green will blend with the neutral.
Tetrad - This one is fun lets say you choose yellow and purple as your complementary colors. You won't use either of those colors. Your color palette will consist of orange and green, blue and red. Here the orange and red will dominate and the green and blue will be submissive in the color scheme. Varing the value of the colors in your fabric choice will enhance the wow factor but placement of the different colors requires very close attention.
Analogic - This is one of my favorites. I think it can make some very elegant quilts. With three colors next to each other you can have Yellow, Orange, Red combinations where all the colors are dominate with yellow being the "lightest" value and thus taking the main stage. With red being the darkest and thus falling to the background color. A large focus pint with these colors can make some fantastic medalion quilts. The addition of neutrals can definitely add drama and impact.
Accented analogic - 4 colors with a complementary color as a part of the mix can make for just about any combination you would like. Add neutrals and the sky is the limit. Just watch out that it doesn't become chaotic.
I'll try and look up any questions that you have and get you answers. I hope this has helped.
A nice addition to the red and green would be one or more of the neutrals. Now so far we have one cool and one warm color so the red is going to have the pop factor. If white is added it will become the pop factor. But if black is added the red will continue to dominate the color scheme. And again if a red print has a white background it will take center stage. But if you add a green with a white background it's going to come in conflict with the red and they will fight for dominance. So if those are your color choices placement is going to become incredible important.
Thanks for your effort, energy and knowledge. Color will be so much easier from now on.
The lesson here is constantly pay attention to the value of your colors/fabrics.
Triad - I think we have all seen primary color quilts done for children they are bright and charming and eye catching. But triads can also be busy and fight with one another. There will always be two colors on the same "side" of the color wheel. So you will either have two warm colors (dominate) or two cool colors (submissive). A neutral will "control" this color combination and help make it into the color scheme that will pop. If you have two warm colors and choose White that will become the dominate color and will calm down the yellows and reds. If you have two cool colors and choose black or brown then your warm color will really dominate while the blue and green will blend with the neutral.
Tetrad - This one is fun lets say you choose yellow and purple as your complementary colors. You won't use either of those colors. Your color palette will consist of orange and green, blue and red. Here the orange and red will dominate and the green and blue will be submissive in the color scheme. Varing the value of the colors in your fabric choice will enhance the wow factor but placement of the different colors requires very close attention.
Analogic - This is one of my favorites. I think it can make some very elegant quilts. With three colors next to each other you can have Yellow, Orange, Red combinations where all the colors are dominate with yellow being the "lightest" value and thus taking the main stage. With red being the darkest and thus falling to the background color. A large focus pint with these colors can make some fantastic medalion quilts. The addition of neutrals can definitely add drama and impact.
Accented analogic - 4 colors with a complementary color as a part of the mix can make for just about any combination you would like. Add neutrals and the sky is the limit. Just watch out that it doesn't become chaotic.
I'll try and look up any questions that you have and get you answers. I hope this has helped.
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