Color Theory: RCTQ BOM

Do you Kathy?!? Now I have to come back to Cali and visit!

~NS

Danielle,
Co-sign with everyone: good topic!

I quilt as the spirit moves me. I can only think of a couple of times that
I went to the quilt shop with a specific pattern in hand in order to buy
fabrics for -- and that was back in the early 90's when I was rediscovering
quilting. Nowadays I either rootle through my stash, pull out fabrics I
would like to put together, and then look for a pattern. Or vice versa!

My RCTQ BOM uses a black-and-bright color scheme. When the BOM began I was
being very true to the Stashbusters No-Buy Challenge and I was determined
to use what I had on hand, even though these are not my usual colors at all.
The black fabric in each block was left over from a group project that I
quilted and bound; the brights are from my stash. (I have since fallen off
the No-Buy wagon, but that's another story!)

I may re-do a couple of the BOMs so that the black print is on the outside
edges. When I set the blocks I'm going to use the black as the sashing, and
I want the brights to appear to float. If black edges touch black sashes
they'll float more. (Does that make sense?)

Nann
whose thrift shop fabric haul today was 22-1/2 yds for $15

What a wonderful conversation!

I typically don't make (or choose fabrics) for a whole quilt all at
once, and even if I start that way, I will make changes before it's
finished.

When I am designing with color each time is different, sometimes I
start with a pattern, sometimes a focus fabric, sometimes one color and
a mood I want to create.

One of my favorite color books for quilting is:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...glance&s=books

http://www.funquilts.com/

,
NS

If I pick everything ahead of time I find myself having to buy more
fabric or pulling something different from my stash. Plans might
seem ok but changing them is ok too. I seem to go to more scrappy kind
of quilts with lots of fabrics though.

Taria

Kathy Applebaum wrote:



A number of my customers pick everything ahead of time, but I find those
quilts to be, well, just not that exciting. Not enough contrast, not enough
"zing".

As for me, even though I'm a "color professional" (I own a paint and
decorating store), there's just no way I could pick everything in advance. I
find the more I quilt, the less I can pick in advance. The quilt just hasn't
always told me where it wants to go. And I *always* do what my fabric tells
me... ;-)

On 21 Oct 2005 18:21:31 -0700, "Scorpio" wrote:

What a wonderful conversation!

I typically don't make (or choose fabrics) for a whole quilt all at
once, and even if I start that way, I will make changes before it's
finished.

When I am designing with color each time is different, sometimes I
start with a pattern, sometimes a focus fabric, sometimes one color and
a mood I want to create.

One of my favorite color books for quilting is:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...glance&s=books

http://www.funquilts.com/

,
NS
Loved the 'Once upon a time' quilt idea - an added twist to an I-Spy
quilt.
--
Sally at the Seaside~~~~~~~
http://community.webshots.com/user/sallyswin

For a long time, I only chose colors that I would wear in clothing -boring!
And every time I've tried to control the colors in a quilt, it just doesn't
work -boring! So now I make blocks using whatever is in the stash. Then I
find something for sashing if necessary, and put that part together. Then
borders. Then backing, quilting thread, binding. If I run out of an
essential color and have to shop, I don't worry if it's not the exact same
fabric. I don't try to outsmart the quilt any more. As long as the stash has
a wide variety, it's a fun process. No theory involved.
Roberta in D, Queen of the Scrap Heap

"Dannielle" schrieb im Newsbeitrag
...
I have been looking, and looking, and then looking again at the BOM photos.
I look at mine, then I look at others. Some I love, some I hate...we all
have that with our personal color preferences. Regardless of the color
preference (and no, I don't even like mine, I'm just using up some old
fabric to test the blocks out and discover which ones I really like), the
blocks are positively stunning!

The differences between each block based solely on their color
combinations
is just amazing to me. Each block, although assembled in the exact same
pattern, looks like a completely different block. How many of you have
studied color theory? Or are most of you just inately fabulous at picking
great color combinations?

I'd really like to see a long discussion about color choices in quilts,
kind
of like our topic discussions on different blocks. I'm sure we could all
get something out of it as well as have something to add to the discussion
that might help someone else! I know just from looking at the BOM photos,
I
need to spend a little more time on pre-planning my color combinations!

For example, I have a couple of blocks made up from a beautiful butterfly
batik that I fell in love with. I held the batik up to other colors and
found a peach that looked stunning, but I wanted another color involved,
so
I looked at the yellows. I made one block with each color, peach and
yellow, and the yellow actually makes the batik pop even more than the
peach - which I thought would be more stunning. I plan on making more of
both color combinations and then sashing them together ( or maybe put them
on point since I have never done that). I haven't picked a sashing yet,
as
I like to wait to finish the blocks and then take those with me to the
store
to pick the next fabric...and I don't pick backing or borders until it is
time for them. Am I the only one who does this? Or do you all pick all
the
fabrics ahead of time?

--
Dannielle

Great thread. I've been enjoying this one a lot :-)

About 2 years ago, I was trying to entice a friend into the wonderful
world of quilting. We found a beginner class at a LQS -- whole weekend
and you have a finished (mostly) lap quilt by the end. She didn't want
to go alone, so I went and learned a lot in spite of having quilted for
years.

The instructor started by sending everyone into the shop to bring back
two bolts of fabric, one that they really, really liked and the other
one they thought would go well with it in a quilt. Then she took each
pair of fabrics and showed how they did or did not work, quilt-wise.
Some people (blush, I was one of them) were sent back to find a better
contrast -- I've always had value issues. Only after we had constructed
the blocks (irregular 9-patch) and put them together were we sent back
into the shop to find an inner border fabric. After that was on, we were
sent back to find another border fabric if necessary -- or one of our
original fabrics could be used.

After the whole top was done, back out to the shop for a back. The focus
for this project was a back that would show so needed to relate somehow
to the front. Only after that could we choose our binding. At each step
of the way she was subtly teaching color theory and value theory but
most of the students just thought she was being a "kindergarten" type
teacher ;-)

If you want to look, some class pictures are in my webshots album,
"Begin with Bev" -- http://community.webshots.com/album/482949519rQrZfg

Anne in CA
annerudolph AT comcast DOT net
"It's not having what you want; it's wanting what you've got." -- Sheryl
Crow
http://community.webshots.com/user/annerudolph3



Dannielle wrote:
I have been looking, and looking, and then looking again at the BOM photos.
I look at mine, then I look at others. Some I love, some I hate...we all
have that with our personal color preferences. Regardless of the color
preference (and no, I don't even like mine, I'm just using up some old
fabric to test the blocks out and discover which ones I really like), the
blocks are positively stunning!

The differences between each block based solely on their color combinations
is just amazing to me. Each block, although assembled in the exact same
pattern, looks like a completely different block. How many of you have
studied color theory? Or are most of you just inately fabulous at picking
great color combinations?

I'd really like to see a long discussion about color choices in quilts, kind
of like our topic discussions on different blocks. I'm sure we could all
get something out of it as well as have something to add to the discussion
that might help someone else! I know just from looking at the BOM photos, I
need to spend a little more time on pre-planning my color combinations!

For example, I have a couple of blocks made up from a beautiful butterfly
batik that I fell in love with. I held the batik up to other colors and
found a peach that looked stunning, but I wanted another color involved, so
I looked at the yellows. I made one block with each color, peach and
yellow, and the yellow actually makes the batik pop even more than the
peach - which I thought would be more stunning. I plan on making more of
both color combinations and then sashing them together ( or maybe put them
on point since I have never done that). I haven't picked a sashing yet, as
I like to wait to finish the blocks and then take those with me to the store
to pick the next fabric...and I don't pick backing or borders until it is
time for them. Am I the only one who does this? Or do you all pick all the
fabrics ahead of time?

I also think this is a terrific thread, and a good time for me to
express my appreciation of the photos of the RCTQ BOMs for this
year---so much more insight is gained than I had ever dreamed of...so
"THANKS" to all who participated and sent in their photos! (Whoever has
that site, please post it here again!!) Sometimes when participating in
LQS blocks of month, everyones block is the same--the fabric having been
chosen by the store's teacher--and in a kit-- well, this is all okay for
learning how to piece and plan for a completed quilttop, but I do admit
that some of the color choices aren't what I would choose, and some of
the blocks I probably might not ever make again simply due to the
colors/fabric chosen. However by viewing the diversity of color schemes
in the BOM from this group, it has truly been an eye-opener, and much
inspiration!! I feel it has been an educational venture worth a lot.
Thanks again to all who sent in their photos!

~~Ann in central Tx~~

The BOM is just one of the many joys of a virtual guild :-) It was
Melissa's idea, way back in January, and she chooses and posts the
blocks each month. There's no deadline with our BOM and each month's
posting has all the other block links in it.

So, if you've a mind to, jump in when the November blocks are posted. Or
send me an email at the address below (make the obvious changes) and I
will send you the links for Feb-Oct. Then you can join in again.

The link for the gallery is: http://gallery.ppwp.com/gallery/RCTQ-BOM
and Teri maintains that.

Anne in CA
annerudolph AT comcast DOT net
"It's not having what you want; it's wanting what you've got." -- Sheryl
Crow
http://community.webshots.com/user/annerudolph3



~Ann~ wrote:
I also think this is a terrific thread, and a good time for me to
express my appreciation of the photos of the RCTQ BOMs for this
year---so much more insight is gained than I had ever dreamed of...so
"THANKS" to all who participated and sent in their photos! (Whoever has
that site, please post it here again!!) Sometimes when participating in
LQS blocks of month, everyones block is the same--the fabric having been
chosen by the store's teacher--and in a kit-- well, this is all okay for
learning how to piece and plan for a completed quilttop, but I do admit
that some of the color choices aren't what I would choose, and some of
the blocks I probably might not ever make again simply due to the
colors/fabric chosen. However by viewing the diversity of color schemes
in the BOM from this group, it has truly been an eye-opener, and much
inspiration!! I feel it has been an educational venture worth a lot.
Thanks again to all who sent in their photos!

~~Ann in central Tx~~

I agree wholeheartedly, Ann, that the BOM was a wonderful idea. Thanks
Melissa and Teri. I have enjoyed looking forward to the first of the
month for the new pattern, and making blocks with very little pressure
to get them done at a specific time. My guild made Drunkard's Path
blocks every month of batiks, and only four people participated. I think
most were too intimidated to try, or tried and failed. So I volunteered
for next year, and will used the same BOM's on RCTQ!! Nancycog in MD