It's the Color of Money...or the Color Purple... or the Color of the Rainbow...

I love color.  And I've found through my post-graduate studies in education, that I'm a visual learner (like most people) and this makes me even more sensitive to color. There are colors that make me instantly happy, and there are colors that depress me profoundly.  For instance, the first thing you will notice when you walk in my house, is that my living room is painted yellow.  I like yellow.  It makes me happy.  As a blond with blue eyes, I can't wear yellow very well (it makes me look sallow), but it's my "happy color."  I can be in horrendous mood when I come in from work, but those yellow walls?  They make me smile.

I found this out the hard way.  For years  my living room was a very stiff and formal affair, with hard Burgundies and deep greens, thick carpets, and dark, formal furniture.  Bill thoughtfully suggested one day that we refurbish the room, complete with new furniture.  He'd take care of the whole thing, the only stipulation he put in front of me was that I had to trust him with everything...from the colors on the wall to the flooring beneath my feet.

I'm  a control freak.  This was hard.

But I am so glad I let him.  He asked me what flower always made me smile and without hesitation, I said "Daffodils."   I've always loved them -- ever since I was a small girl.  They signaled spring and warmer weather and Easter.  Plus, they always looked happy.  I came home from work and he had painted the walls the softest daffodil yellow.  And to this day, those walls still make me smile and get rid of the worst post-work mood I can possibly have. 

So I tell quilters to always put a "happy color" in their quilt.  One that will always make them smile...and one they'll always have good memories about when they look at their quilt.

Color and quilts can be intimidating.  When I first began quilting, I was petrified to try to chose any of my own colors.  My quilts looked as close as they could to the picture on the cover of the pattern.  I was even happier if I could order a quilt kit -- that took all the guess work out of picking any colors.  Now, after about 15 years later, I'm over that hurdle.  If anything I have to reign in my color choices. 

And I could write a whole book on color and the color wheel and how to balance your lights and darks and hues.  But that is a book and this is a blog.  Maybe one day a book will come out of this blog and if it does, I will tackle the color issue and spend pages discussing it.  However at this time let me just illustrated this.  Below are three blocks:

These blocks aren't perfect...they are working models for a project I'm designing.  However, my point is they are the same block pattern.  Notice how the color choices makes them look different. The first block appears to have some parts of it that "float" since the background and some of the triangles are the same color.  The second block is a bit richer, but parts of it are tone-on-tone and white has to be added to the block somewhere to add sparkle and definition.  The third block looks much more traditional and scrappy.

My point?  Don't be intimidated by color.  It's a tool in your toolbox as a quilter.  A very important one, too.  It adds character and definition and breathes life into your work.  Color is not defined by a set number.  I've seen some beautiful two-color quilts.  I've also seen quilts that seem to have all the colors of the rainbow in them and are a riot of tones and hues, and are also just as beautiful.  My advice to you?  Begin with four or five colors.  Make sure one is a focal fabric -- one with lots of color.  Let the other colors you select harmonize with the focal fabric.  Make sure one of the fabrics is one you can't live without.  Play with them.  Mix and match.  Switch them around. 

Have.  Fun. 

The color police aren't going to slap the cuffs on you and haul you to quilt jail.  Remember there are very few mistakes that can't be fixed and very few mistakes you won't learn from.Above all, don't be afraid of color.  Dive right in.  Remember how excited you used to get over that huge box of Crayolas?  Think of your fabric as your grown-box of crayons.  Enjoy!