Tilkunviilaaja®

Developing a colour palette is important when creating a fabric pull for a block, and when that s ame block repeats across your quilt top. Also if you have defined a colour recipe for your block so that the quilt is built of those similarly coloured blocks. Let’s start with a quick look at the colour wheel. It can be a handy tool in your quilting process, for planning a colour palette – when you want your quilt to have a deliberate, well-thought-out colour scheme. The colour wheel works best for a quilt design if you add the interesting group of colours that isn’t part of the wheel: neutrals. Meaning, black, white, grey and brown in all values and shades. Three ways to use the colour wheel I will share three ways to build a palette using the colour wheel. There are plenty of others, of course! A harmonious palette For a harmonious palette, you will choose colours that sit next to each other on the colour wheel. For your block or quilt, you will then pick fabri...

Today I’m sharing three simple tests that every quilt block should pass. They’re especially worth doing when you’re making a scrappy quilt, where you may have picked a wide colour variety for the blocks. Before we get to the three tests, though, there’s an entrance exam. If a block doesn’t pass that, it cannot move further in your project. The entrance exam for quilt blocks: sewing a test block If you’re making quilt blocks following a pattern, first sew one block using expendable fabrics. Not poor-quality fabrics though, because if your test block colours work with the rest of the quilt, you may very well end up using it in your project. If the test block turns out to be of wrong size, you can also use it as part of your quilt backing. So it is worth picking decent fabrics even for your test block, though fabrics that you aren’t in love with. I often work out my own measurements for blocks, so I’ve sewn more than my fair share of test blocks. Once I had a particular...

This post is one of my Splendid colour tips series, where I share information to help you choose fabrics and colours for your quilts with more confidence. Today’s post is a little different because it isn’t about any specific colour. Instead, it discusses how you can use a single colour to effect in your quilt. One colour can be surprisingly versatile in quilting, and perhaps this post encourages you to experiment a little. I suggest three basic ways to discover the versatility of using just one colour in a quilting project:  Create a scrappy surface  Make single-coloured blocks Choose one colour and complement it with a neutral I’ve illustrated these three ways with examples of my quilts and quilted items. I also give an answer to the question: “Could the whole quilt be of one colour?” 1. Create a scrappy surface Using your fabric scraps is a low-threshold way to start exploring the idea of using just one colour in a quilt project. If you have a mishmash o...

The other day, I started thinking about the thing people call “an eye for colour”. Some people get compliments on their eye for colour, but I’ve also heard people claim that they don’t have one at all. Perhaps it’s more to do about recognising one’s preferences – or not knowing what one likes? If you aren’t certain about your eye for colour and would like develop it, you may find it difficult to know how to start. Here’s a solution for you: seven quilting habits that you can adopt – and develop your colour sense at the same time. At a glance, the 7 quilting habits are: 1. Know your own ways 2. Think about what you really like 3. Forget about pleasing someone else 4. Stop comparing your work to others 5. Face your fears 6. Give yourself encouragement 7. Return to your successes 1. Know your own ways For a long time, I thought that there was only one correct way to sew a quilt. I thought one had to pick a block pattern and choose the fabrics, then one would sew as m...