Color mastery is magical in quilts when it works and it’s all about the color tools.
START A QUILT WITH COLOR TOOLS
Starting a quilt with must-have color tools makes the process easier, less stressful and way more fun – with the bonus of beautiful quilts! Color doesn’t have to be hard but it often feels that way. Few of us would make a quilt today with scissors and a yardstick since the invention of the rotary cutter in 1979 – we’ve got better tools for color mastery, too! Quilters love their tools and for good reason: the right tools at the right time make better quilts. Color tools are game changers as much as rotary cutters were.
ShortcutS to color mastery
You don’t need to be born with a special magical eye for seeing color, a college-level course in color theory, or exchange tons of precious time to become the color master of your quilt’s destiny. Quilting is a time-intensive hobby, even before we start sewing: from selecting colors palettes and fabrics to patterns and thread. We choose to do it, even better if our quilt looks amazing! When a color palette goes awry halfway through a project, we can’t always fix it – either we don’t know how or even want to. We’re so done, our disappointment is big. Well, I’m happy to report that we can shortcut the color mastery process when we have the right tools at the start.
EXPLORING COLOR TOOLS THE PLAYFUL COLOR WAY
Exploring color with my must-have tools makes the journey from color muddler to color master fast, fun and stress-free. The tools don’t have to be perfect. In fact, they’ll probably change as you progress. For example, you may start with freebie paint chips and then graduate to a Kona Color Card.
Play time with tools is at the heart of exploring color. Tools sound like work but the Playful Color way is so fun and rewarding. You’ll hear yourself Erkeling, “Did I do that?” in no time.
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Must-HAVE TOOLs LIST
Here are my must-have tools:
- Color chips – I use Kona Color Chips by Robert Kaufman. They all work whether you use Kona, Moda, Free Spirit, or simply paint chips from the hardware store.
- Color Chip organizers – Quilters like their containers almost as much as their tools! Organized color chips makes playing with color easier and stress-free.
- Color wheel – I have a couple I use – this jewel is the first one I invested in.
- Value finder – Find one here or use a black and white filter on your phone!
- Solid-colored fabrics (Find here) – Working with color without the distraction of prints can be super helpful. Prints can be an added hurdle when you’re focusing on color. On the other hand, if you are an all-prints-all-the-time girl, why not study color using prints from the get go? Make the choice that works best for you.
CALLING ALL COLOR MUDDLERS
Now that you’ve got the color tools list, take the step from color muddler to color master. We quilt for fun and color doesn’t have to be hard! I will teach you to master color and quilt with your Passion Palettes (the color combos that you swoon over). Find where your personal color journey begins on the Playful Color Roadmap here.
Your next step is building your Personal Color Wheel, which includes your favorite colors and combinations plus techniques to create exciting palettes. You will look at your stash in a new way, I promise!
Starting a quilt with the right color tools makes quilting easier, more fun and stress-free. Playing with the tools is where the magic happens! Our Playful Color Quilters follow a roadmap that takes them from color muddlers to color masters. Wanna play with color like a master? Learn more about the Playful Color Quilt Guild.
