Tag Archives: Quilting process

Creating a Quilt: Part 3 – Color Selection

Picking out the colors for a quilt is quite possibly my favorite part of the whole quilt-making process! I’m sure I’m not alone in this. There’s probably some scientific explanation about colors and endorphins and blah, blah, blah. All I know is that whenever I walk into a quilt shop and my eyes are inundated with so many beautiful colors, I instantly feel happier.

In the case this particular quilt, I started getting some ideas about colors when I was working on my prototype blocks. When I made the decision that I wanted to make the blocks more abstract, I thought using a minimal color scheme would work best. One block in particular struck my eye as far as the color palette. I really liked how the navy, black, and gray worked together.

At the same time, a fat quarter pack I had recently purchased from Gotham Quilts was sitting on my cutting table, and one of the colors in that pack kept calling out to me. It was Pear by Free Spirit. I have kind of become obsessed with this color. It’s a chartreuse with much more yellow in it than green. In certain lights it looks very yellow. But not quite. I love it. I decided I was going to use this color in my quilt no matter what. Everything else had to work with it.

During my prototyping phase, I finally decided I needed to start working with my real fabric because I was losing steam. I just wasn’t getting excited about testing out blocks in scraps anymore, and I knew if I started making the blocks for real my excitement would return. This meant it was time to make some final decisions on colors.

I chose one of my most basic blocks I had sketched out and tried it with navy, gray, and Pear. Then I tried it with black, gray, and Pear. I was also thinking about the sashing I would use around all of the blocks, so I tried several combinations. This process was a bit tedious, but it was necessary because I realized the navy wasn’t working the way I thought it would, at least not for this particular project. I also realized I wanted to frame each of the blocks in the Pear fabric. I think final color palette and the Pear frames will give the overall quilt a very graphic quality, something that will further the abstract design of the blocks.

I still haven’t figured out what color I will use for the sashing, but I can’t actually make that decision until I’ve made all of the blocks. So now it’s time to start making the blocks for real, and I’m so excited to be back on track. At the time of writing this post, I’ve made six blocks in my chosen color scheme and I’m really digging how they look.

I’d love to hear how you tackle the color selection process. Do you set parameters for yourself? Do you have a particular palette that you use for all of your projects? Do you just go with your gut and pick whatever calls to you? Tell us your process in the Comments section below, and let’s get a color conversation going! Happy crafting!

The Craft of Quilting: Process

Many moons ago, I earned a degree in Musical Theater. Tra-la-la!! As I was learning how to sing to the balcony without ripping out my vocal cords and how to form the perfect pair of Fosse jazz hands, I also learned about the difference between art and craft. The art of acting — or painting or playing the violin or dance, etc. — is not easily defined and can be associated with vaguely defined terms like “talent” or “the it factor.” The ability to tap into that mysterious inner fire of creation is essential to any artist. But equally essential is the development of one’s craft in conjunction with their art. Yes, to be a successful actor, you need to have that inherent ability to capture the attention of a 1,500-seat theater full of people and bring them with you on your character’s journey. But being able to successfully do that eight performances a week, 50 weeks a year requires craft.

Now, I have to admit that when I first started quilting, I didn’t think too much about any of this. I mean, sure, I was learning techniques and trying to improve each time I pieced a block together, which is part of honing one’s craft. But as long as I was following someone else’s instructions to achieve their design, the idea of process never really crossed my mind. In fact, it wasn’t until my third original quilt that I realized I couldn’t wing my way through designs that were percolating in my head and just expect them to appear fully formed under my sewing machine.

You see, I had decided to create a quilt as a housewarming gift for a very dear friend. Because she is a fellow crafter, I knew she would have no problem with me experimenting a bit with my scrap bin to make something fun. I decided I would make a bunch of Log Cabin blocks using a somewhat random selection of scraps and just kind of figure out the rest as I went along. After I made about 11 or 12 blocks, I decided to slap them up on my design wall to see what order I wanted to put them in, and I was horrified by the result. They looked horrible together!! It didn’t matter what order I put them in. They all completely clashed with each other, and I had a fit because I had spent so much time making all of them.

After I managed to calm down, I stood and stared at the blocks for a very long time. I mean, like, a really long time. (One of the things I’ve learned about myself over the years is that I am not a quick thinker.) I gave myself permission to just stand and stare and let my creative juices do some behind-the-scenes work in my brain.

I eventually came up with a couple solutions. One, I would use sashing to put some much needed space between each of the blocks. Two, I would frame each block with the same navy blue I had used for the center square of each Log Cabin. Once I tried that on a few of the blocks and put them back up on the design wall, I realized it was actually going to look amazing!

This was a big epiphany for me. I thought, Oh, yeah! This whole designing-a-quilt-thing is actually a process! Sometimes ideas work, sometimes they don’t. Sometimes they don’t work until you try something two or three or four more times. And that’s great because it means you’re thinking like an artist! No one creates perfect pieces of art out of thin air no matter how brilliant they are. You have to ponder, sketch, workshop, rehearse, change your direction, think outside the box, and all of that good stuff before you actually achieve your vision.

Now I want to offer a few suggestions specific to quilters who want to start working on their process.

  • Sketch out your ideas or use a program to help you sketch out your ideas
  • Get a design wall
  • Make test blocks using fabric you don’t care about
  • Don’t get frustrated when your test blocks don’t automatically come out how you wanted them to; use it as an opportunity to discover the changes you want to make
  • While it’s always great to stretch yourself and try new skills, don’t feel guilty if you decide you just don’t like certain techniques; embrace your strengths
  • Take an art class that has nothing to do with quilting and learn about composition, form, line, color theory, and all that good stuff that can elevate your quilt designs to a new level
  • Take photos throughout the process of your quilt so you have an archive of how you overcame past challenges
  • Don’t be afraid to ask others to look at what you’re making if you find yourself stuck, though be aware that some people do not know how to give a helpful critique (I should probably write a post about how to participate in a critique)

I’m sure if I sat here for another few hours, I could come up with many more suggestions, but I’ll stop here for now. Instead, I would now love to hear all about your process! Please leave a comment and share how your process works, so we can all help each other continue progressing through our exciting quilting journeys!