Deciding upon a colour scheme and pattern for a quilt can
seem daunting. But instead of waiting for inspiration to strike,
go looking for it instead – it’s easy when you know how!choosing
fabric colours
and patterns
Many patchwork and quilting patterns
tell you which fabrics you should use
for that particular project, but what if
you don’t like the fabrics suggested?
Or what if you’re not even following a
pattern and want to come up with your
own design? What’s the best way of
deciding which colours and patterns
in fabrics to bring together to make a
beautiful piece of patchwork? Well, the
good news is that you don’t have to sit
around waiting for inspiration to strike
- you can go out looking for it!
An obvious starting point is to pick one
piece of fabric that you love and simply
base your other fabric choices around
that favourite swatch. Fabric packs such
as charms and layer cakes are usually
selected from a single range of designs
so they’re intended to work well together,
so explore those options first.
Another great spur is simply to go out
for a walk – not only will the fresh air clear
your head (and of course you might
accidentally end up strolling past your
favourite fabric shop!) but you’ll also be
able to think about what catches your
eye: a pretty display in a florist’s window,
colours reflected in a puddle, different
shades of moss on a tree, even the
colours of certain cars parked together
on the street. Take a photo of everything
that appeals to you, then once you get
home pick one of your photographs and
identify the colours in it that you really
like. Today, it’s easy to find inspiring
colour palettes on sites such as Pinterest
and Instagram, too. With so many
different fabrics available, finding
something that matches the palette of
your favourite photo should be easy.Colour theories
If you don’t feel confident about matching
up colours yourself, there are a few ways
to approach this. One is to simply work
with various shades of the same colour –
from pale pink, say, through to deep
magenta. Alternatively, you might want to
try experimenting with colour theories.
Using the colour wheel on the right,
choose a colour that you want to work
with, then pick out fabrics in the colour
that’s directly opposite it on the wheel: if
your favourite swatch is blue, then pick
some orange-coloured fabrics to
complement it. For a more subtle effect,pick a starting colour but choose the
colours either side of it on the wheel for
a harmonious range of hues: purple, pink
and red, perhaps.
Once you think you’ve found a colour
scheme you’re happy with, lay out the
fabrics and look at them from a distance- often you’ll just get a ‘feel’ for whether
they’re working together or not!