Just wonderin...

But one method of choosing fabric colors _is_ precisely mimicry. Lots and lots of designers, quilters and authors suggest choosing a "focus" or "feature" fabric. Choose a print that says "yummy" to you. Then from that print, look at the colors that are used. Pick bolts of fabric that blend with and are darker and lighter than the colors used in the print fabric. Viola you have lots of fabrics that work together.

Some people use the color dots on the selvedge for help in pulling coordinating bolts.

Mimicry -- just copying the colors a professional put together :-)

marcella

I'm not an expert, but I think you should go with colors you love, especially for the first quilts. You will be working with these colors for an extended period. If they are colors you don't like, it will seem like an eternity in Hell. Also, pin generous swatches of the different fabrics up somewhere that you can look at them for a day or two. You may discover that while you want that color included in this quilt, it will need to be in a lighter -- or deeper-- shade to blend or contrast (whichever you want) with the other colors.

Nell in Austin

Nettle quiche...I read a book (Regency romance) once about a young lady who accepted a position as governess to a young boy in Yorkshire (?). Turns out his widowed farmer-father is also a handsome earl (told you it was a romance). The young lady found her way into the hearts of the farm workers and the earl by making nettle beer. Nettle quiche sounds better.

Nell in Austin

kind,

around

though

I saw this quilt which used purple, orange, red and a deep pink and I just wanted to eat it with my eyes. If you know what I mean. I try not to analyze the color thing too much. I just go with what I like... sometimes a quilt is really well made and I can tell that a master quilter constructed it, but if it's done in pastels, it bores me rigid. Or butter yellow - I do truly hate that color.

-- Jo in Scotland

Jo,

Color preferences are funny...I like to use yellow (even botter yellow) as a setting material.

Anyway, I don't usually try to analyze color. Certainly, I don't normally work with a color wheel. But when you said that purple, orange and red are yummy together I was curious enough to look at one

Purple, orange, red and deep pink sounds even better than purple, orange and red.

lisae

But.... did it work?

I know better than to ask Leslie for a log cabin. I met her yesterday and she must have shown me a dozen pictures of all the log cabins she's had to make others. I'm pretty sure she'll go on a date with Clifford before she makes another!

Well, I don't know if I can help you there. After all, I beg and I beg, but my mailbox is empty, so obviously I'm not getting it right. :)

I just bought a piece of fabric.....I think maybe Timeless Treasures.... that had all these colors in it..... Purple, orange, sort of a scarlet. It looks like calypso to me.......very "island-like". Anyway, it was a swirly stripe which I used for stack & whack. The background fabric I used was a purple and those stars just jumped right out.

~Elaine in WNY

She's joshin' ya. I tried to give her something recently and she said she didn't need any more stash. That WAS you, wasn't it Kathy???

Cheers,

Lynne >

Clearly it was an imposter! ;-)

I mean just because the sewing room is so full of fabric that I can barely see the floor, and has WAY more fabric than I could use in two or three lifetimes, does that mean I don't need more stash? Oh, yeah, right. It does.

Guess that means I need to get off my duff and finish those two charity quilts I started. After all, we know what Ragmop says about finished!

But I heard she always has room for good, dark chocolate :-)

anon.

Yes! Even in hot weather -- I'll just lick my sticky fingers on the way home from the post office. :) Yum... chocolate.... droooooollll.......

But a request to all you RCTQ'ers who are rushing to the grocery store as I type -- please make sure there's no milk in it. There's nothing sadder than my face when I have chocolate so close that I can't eat. ;)

Hi Nell,

Thanks for all your replies :-)

I visited my local library on Friday. It is pretty basic being about the size of a large living room but they did have a few issues of Down Under PW&Q an Australian magazine and a couple of books. Definitely came away with some good ideas.

My NZ Critter quilt was made using various pictures out of NZ bird books and off of the web. What a great idea to do a 'weed' quilt!! I will have to start collecting pictures :-)

Nettle is a great food, much higher in iron than spinach and so versatile. If you are keen to use it, just substitute it for spinach in any COOKED recipe (please don't try to eat it raw....ouch!). You can use gloves to pick/process it or just grab hold and suffer the odd sting... you get used to it and it is great for hayfever so I don't mind... the more careful you are around it the more it stings. Have fun!

Shona sipping nettle tea in NZ