How to choose colors based on a focus fabric
We’ve all got amazing focus fabrics for quilts. To use this fabric in a quilt, I need to choose coordinating colors for this fabric for a quilt. In this article, I discuss three ways of selecting coordinating colors. The goal is to select a color scheme and a range of values that will make your quilt pop and showcase your focus fabric.
There are three methods that I use to select colors:
1. Select fabric from the same fabric line
2. Use a color card for a line of solid color fabrics
3. Use a color tool
Method 1: Select fabric from the same line
If your fabric is recently purchased, you may be able to look at coordinating fabrics from the same line. These fabrics may include both prints and solids. This method can be a time saver because the fabric designer will have already selected a coordinated color scheme and worried about value, tints and shades. This method is great if you have recently purchased the fabric.
Baby quilt with focus panel and fabric from one fabric line.
For example, I used this method in an improvisational baby quilt that I designed for a friend. My friend loves grey and selected a panel from my collection of panels for baby and children’s quilts. The panel that she selected was designed by Sarah Watts and is part of the Sleep Tight Collection for Cotton and Steel. I was able to purchase coordinating fabric in grey and neon yellow.
You can’t always use method 1. For example, if the focal fabric is a unique hand dyed fabric, fabric that you designed yourself, or you have been saving your focus fabric for a particular quilt then there is not a fabric line. I’ll discuss methods two and three using a fabric that I hand dyed.
Hand dyed fabric with violet and green colors
The focus fabric that I have selected for this blog post is beautiful ice dyed pattern featuring violet and greens. I was thinking of spring violets and flowers when I dyed this fabric. I want to make a lap sized quilt that features this fabric. I’ve decided to use split complementary color scheme. (This means that I will be choosing colors that are opposite to each other on the color wheel.) I need to choose a range of colors and values to use in my quilt project.
Method 2: Use a color card
My first step is to get out my color cards (I am using the Kona cotton color card). I cut up my color card into little chips. The Kona Cotton Color Card retails for about $37. Since solid fabric is about $8 per yard, this is equivalent to about 4 yards of fabric. But, it can prevent expensive mistakes when buying fabric since even a lap sized quilt can require six yards of fabric. I can match the cards to specific colors in my focal fabric and use the cards to build my color palette. For this particular quilt, I selected a range of greens and violets.
The next step is to choose the value and tints or shades of my fabric. This is a difficult step for me. I gravitate towards strong bright colors and tints (colors with white added). You can see that I’ve placed the tint off to one side. Choosing colors with the same value can lead to a flat dull quilt even if your colors are bright. If your value is too dark or light, emphasis can be placed on the wrong part of the quilt. Values can help your quilt be exciting! My favorite method of checking that your quilt has a ranges of values is to snap a photo and then convert the photo to black and white. Once you have selected your colors, you have two options. You can take your selected color cards to your local quilt shop and use them to choose fabrics or you can use the selected colors to order fabric from an online shop.
Method 3: Use a color tool
I use the Ultimate 3-in-1 Color Tool. This is a collection of 24 cards, where each card is a specific color on the color wheel. For example, “5” gives green colors and codes. The card also gives CMYK, RGB, and HEX formulas so these can be used to color a pattern layout on the computer. The tool includes instructions on how to use the color card and information about color schemes. It also includes a value finder so you could also use this in combination with your color card. In the image on the right hand side, I’ve used the value find to check the range of values in my greens.
My first step is to choose two of the color cards based on my desired complementary color scheme. In this case, I choose “7”, aqua green colors, and “14”, red violet colors. You can see that my complementary scheme colors are not exactly twelve cards away from each other. (Note that card “1” is yellow and card “13” is violet color codes, so a true complement would have been “14” and “2” chartreuse. I can then select various shades and tints from the selected color cards. I usually make some notes on paper about the tints I am interested in and take photos. I can then take the color tool to my local quilt shop and use it to help me select fabric.
Happy fabric matching!