Sunday, July 22, 2012

More Blocks for the BQA

Saturday late afternoon and evening I managed to get the other three blocks from the Beginner's Quilt Along finished in my second colorway.   I really love the play of these colors. The aqua blue batik along with the pink/red leaf fabric make a great counterpoint for the  rich purple leaf fabric. The white with aqua pin dots plays a quiet but necessary supporting role. Although in the 4 pointed star block it gets the lead and plays it well.  


BQA Block 6 Take 2










BQA Block 7 take 2


The main trick to this color scheme is simple color theory.  You mix red and blue to get purple.  If you look on a color wheel,  you will see that all three of these colors are on the same side of the wheel. 
They are not all touching, but they are close. This would be an analogous, or more correctly, split-analogous color scheme.   So many times I am asked how I pick fabrics.  Honestly it has become instinct but it is always based on color theory I learned in art.  I am not formally trained, but I was fortunate to take an amazing art workshop soon after I started painting. That teacher taught a lot of things and I was like a sponge soaking them up.  
Another trick in picking colors is to look at nature.  If three colors are together in nature, it is a safe bet that when you put them together it will work.  I did some quilt blocks  in purple, fuschia and green. When I posted them, several commented that they would have put those colors together.  Ha, I had seen a lovely orchid in those colors, so I knew it would work.

I believe in using color fearlessly.  But I also use some common sense.  I always stack the fabrics first and see if I like the combination.  You can even do that with bolts at the fabric store if you are mixing up your own fabric palette for a quilt - it will make your quilt different from everyone else's.  And variety is the spice of life isn't it? 


6 comments:

Kate Brown said...

I love the colors!! I lean toward the bolder brighter colors, I always find them pleasing. I have some great color palettes on my pintrest in the colors section you might like.

Connie Kresin Campbell said...

Great blocks and colors Gene! Color wheels are always fun to use and you can't go wrong with the choices you are using! Thanks for sharing.
Quilting at the River Linky Party Tuesday

Deborah Hamilton said...

That's very interesting. THanks for the info.

Vicki H. said...

I like the block! I tend to stick to the color wheel but sometimes I just like to break all the rules too and those projects are just as much fun!

Sue Daurio said...

love your color choices for the blocks, very pretty

Snoodles said...

I love these blocks - they look wonderful!
Thank you so much for helping me with my trial linky party...it's working! Yay!