• About
    • Privacy Policy
  • Teaching
    • Member/Student Login
    • Online Programs
  • Shop
  • Member/Student Login
  • Blog
    • Free Quilt Patterns – Scrappy Whirligig Quilt

Bryan House Quilts

New Free Colorful Pattern! Rainbow Jacks

Playful Color· Playful Color Month

20 Sep

Welcome to back to Week 3 of Playful Color Month. This week we’re learning about one of my favorite color tricks, the Personal Color Wheel exercise.

As a quick refresh, during Week 1 we talked about symptoms of color trouble (how do you know when you’re having trouble?) and the causes of color trouble. In Week 2, we started to tackle color trouble by beginning to add tools to our Playful Color Toolbox.

Today’s Goal: Tuesday I introduced you to the Personal Color Wheel exercise. Today I want to show you how to use the Personal Color Wheelhouse exercise to choose colors for a real project. To that end, I’ve made my Jacks pattern available as a free pattern to my Newsletter subscribers.

Using the Personal Color Wheel to choose colors for new projects

In the past, without a personal color wheel, I have struggled with putting together colors quickly. I discovered that having a go to Color Wheel has streamlined the color choosing process and let’s me get to the fun part – the sewing. As I mentioned on Tuesday, you can use your Personal Color Wheel to help you generate palettes quickly for new rainbow quilts. And it can help you choose the colors when there are fewer or greater than 12 colors. For example, Rainbow Jacks calls for 16 colors.

 

On my very first ever Facebook live, I demonstrated how I use the Personal Color Wheel to choose my palette for a pastel version of Jacks. (Subscribers: grab your copy of Rainbow Jacks in the Free Pattern section of the BHQ Resource Library.)

Once I have my pastel color wheel drafted, I can quickly pull fabrics from my stash and get to sewing. Aren’t those fabrics pretty!

And the best part is that choosing the color this way makes it so much quicker and easier. Yah!

The Playful Color Month Goal

My goal for you this September is to start you on the path away from “Color is hard and I can’t do it” to “Color is hard, but I have some tools to work with Color.” (I love that gif!)

I’ve struggled in the mires of color for years. As I fought my color battles I learned lots of color tricks. And I am here to share them with you so that you can maximize your creative fun time.

And by now I hope you are seeing the potential of my Playful Color Toolbox and are getting excited about playing with color!

Playful Color Toolbox

So far we’ve added three ways to play with color to our Playful Color Toolbox. Yah!

1. Playful Color Tool: The best way to use big, busy, bold fabrics is to reign in the chaos by organizing your quilt either by pattern or color. 

2. Playful Color Tool: a Framework for Mixing Fabrics

3. Playful Color Tool: Personal Color Wheelhouse

Up next

Tomorrow I’ll be hosting a live event where I show you how I pull fabrics using my Personal Color Wheel for the new(ish) free pattern, Rainbow Jacks. You can join in live in my Facebook Group.

Next week, I’ll be showing you some of my personal favorite supplies I use to explore color and the Fall Session of Playful Color Theory for Quilters will start. I hope to share more details very soon!

If you are loving these Playful Color Tools and you want more, you’ll love my online workshop launching at the end of the month, Playful Color Theory for Quilters. Registration is now open (newsletter friends, wait for the discount code in your inbox before registering!) for the Fall session and will close on September 30th.

This workshop is a great resource to learn more about color theory and to add more tools to your Playful Color Toolbox. Specifically you’ll be learning alllll my tools in that workshop, should you choose to enroll. In the meantime, enjoy the video.

Schedule of Events

Subscribe to the Playful Color Month Emails

SUBSCRIBE HERE

As a reminder here’s the schedule of events and please remember this plan is a bit fluid because of my life transitions. (I just can’t wait to be perfectly settled to share this awesome stuff with you!)

Week 1

Tuesday September 4 – My Top 9 Symptoms of Color Trouble – Do you have a problem?

Thursday September 6 – The 2 Root Causes of Color Mistakes

Week 2

Tuesday September 11 – How to use Busy, Loud, but GORGEOUS Prints

Thursday September 13 – How to Mix Fabric Lines for a Custom Look

Week 3

*New(ish) Free Pattern this week!*

Tuesday September 18 – The Color Secret Artists use to Maximize Creativity

Thursday September 20 – Using the Personal Color Wheel to plan Rainbow Jacks (I’m planning on a live event!) (You are here!)

Week 4

Tuesday September 25 – My Favorite Playful Color Tools

Thursday September 27 – I’m sharing and demoing live (I think!) one of the painting exercises from the Playful Color Theory for Quilters online workshop.

Next steps after Playful Color Month

Registration for the Fall Session of Playful Color Theory for Quilters is now open and will close September 30th.

 

Previous Post: « The Color Secret Artists use to Maximize Creativity
Next Post: Catch me on American Patchwork & Quilting Radio (Part 2) »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. JANNINE AMATO says

    August 8, 2019 at 11:30 pm

    Diid you make your own color chips or can they br bought dirctly from moda?

    • rebeccabryan says

      August 15, 2019 at 7:19 am

      You can buy color cards from Moda, or any of the other fabric manufacturers. Mine are from Robert Kaufman.

Trackbacks

  1. Quickly Generate a Fun, New Palette Using Secret Colors says:
    September 27, 2018 at 7:43 am

    […] September 20 – Using the Personal Color Wheel to plan Rainbow Jacks (a new free […]

  2. Why you shouldn't use fabric to explore color - My favorite color supplies - Bryan House Quilts says:
    April 16, 2020 at 9:39 am

    […] September 20 – Using the Personal Color Wheel to plan Rainbow Jacks (a new free […]

Primary Sidebar

New 2026 Block of the Month!

Graphic of Alchemy Quilt

Join the 2026 Block of the Month Program

Get my Modern Triangles Quilt Book

Get my Modern Rainbow Quilts Book

Image shows cover of the book "Modern Rainbow Quilts"

Make the Solstice Quilt!

Solstice Block of the Month by Bryan House Quilts

Get Your Invite!

Make Modern Triangles Logo

Make the Sparkler Quilt!

Image Shows Sparkler Quilt Top by Rebecca Bryan

Make the Echo (Echo!) Quilt

Echo BOM now open to join

Make the Wildflower Quilt!

Wildflower Block of the Month by Bryan House Quilts

Make the Stargazer Quilt!

Anne's Stargazer BOM

Make the Rainbow Triangles Quilt!

Rainbow Triangle BOM, modern triangle quilt, Rebecca Bryan

About

Hey there! I’m Rebecca, an author and teacher and freezer paper piecing evangelist. I’m also the founder of the Make Modern Triangles Quilt Club.

Disclosure

Just so you know, my site includes affiliate links from which I (it’s me! Rebecca!) receive payment or compensation. Something to consider as you peruse my website. Thanks!

Latest on Instagram

As a beginner quilter, you sometimes might be aski As a beginner quilter, you sometimes might be asking yourself when you are going to start feeling confident. 👇

And in all honesty, you’re not just going to wake up one day and start feeling confident. 

Most of the really talented quilters that you see on Pinterest and Instagram weren’t just automatically good at it, and I sure wasn’t either. 

For me, confidence wasn’t one big moment or a clear feeling one day. 

It comes project by project. And even now, every single quilt takes me on the same emotional roller coaster. 🎢

💭 “This is going to be beautiful.”
💭 “What was I thinking?”
💭 “I don’t think this is working.”
💭 “Wait... maybe this is working!”
💭 “Ahhhh... I love it.”

Sometimes confidence is trusting yourself enough to keep sewing anyway, and sometimes it looks like trusting yourself enough to walk away from a project that isn’t bringing you joy anymore.

Not every quilt has to be finished, and not every idea has to become your favorite, but every project teaches you something, whether it ends up on your bed, your wall, or back on the shelf.

So if you’re waiting to feel confident before you start your next quilt, just know that the confidence doesn’t come first. It comes from showing up, one project at a time, and just keep sewing. 😉

One thing that helped me build a lot of confidence is being around other quilters who can support you, cheer you on, and celebrate your wins with you, and that’s exactly why I started the Make Modern Triangles Club. 

Every year, we do a block of the month program together, month by month. There are always new members joining,  new projects starting, and others finishing. 

This year, we have TWO block of the month programs, but when you join the club, you get immediate access to the growing library of all of the previous block of the month quilts, along with tons of other resources, workshops, and patterns, so there’s always something to sew and build your confidence one project at a time. ✨

Comment ‘CLUB’ for details to join us. 💕

#modernquilting #paperpiecing #foundationpaperpiecing #quiltingtechnique #quiltteacher
I will never tell you that it is always going to b I will never tell you that it is always going to be easy, but I will tell you that it is always going to be worth it. ✨

Alchemy is my most challenging block of the month quilt yet, and I feel so lucky to see so many of them coming to life inside the Make Modern Triangles Club! 

We’re learning so much with this quilt, and It’s going to be worth every stitch in the end. 

If you’re on the hunt for a new hobby, something to do with your hands, a new skill to learn, or simply a way to get offline, take my free class and give quilting a try. 

Comment ‘FREE’ for the link to sign up. 💌

#modernquilting #paperpiecing #foundationpaperpiecing #quiltingtechnique #quiltteacher
I will never tell you that it is always going to b I will never tell you that it is always going to be easy, but I will tell you that it is always going to be worth it. ✨

Alchemy is my most challenging block of the month quilt yet, and I feel so lucky to see so many of them coming to life inside the Make Modern Triangles Club! 

We’re learning so much with this quilt, and It’s going to be worth every stitch in the end. 

If you’re on the hunt for a new hobby, something to do with your hands, a new skill to learn, or simply a way to get offline, take my free class and give quilting a try. 

Comment ‘FREE’ for the link to sign up. 💌

#modernquilting #paperpiecing #foundationpaperpiecing #quiltingtechnique #quiltteacher
I’ve made enough quilts to know that I am NOT the I’ve made enough quilts to know that I am NOT the only one who has been riding this roller coaster. It’s just part of the creative process that every quilter will go through. 😅

Every project starts with excitement, and then somewhere along the way I convince myself I’ve made terrible color choices, wonder if it’s ever going to come together, and seriously consider putting it back on the shelf. Then, almost without fail, there’s a moment where it all clicks, and the excitement returns. 

If you’ve ever felt this way, I hope you know you’re not doing anything wrong. You’re just making a quilt. 

Which part of the roller coaster are you on right now? Comment below! 👇

#modernquilting #paperpiecing #foundationpaperpiecing #quiltingtechnique #quiltteacher
Month Three already... can you believe it? 😅 This Month Three already... can you believe it? 😅

This is usually the point in a block of the month program where things start to shift. 

The blocks aren’t just individual blocks anymore. You’re beginning to see the design of the quilt come to life, your confidence is growing with every block, and suddenly the project that you once questions was possible starts to feel completely doable.

That’s one of my favorite things about Block of the Month quilts.

You don’t have to tackle the whole quilt at once.

You simply keep showing up, one month at a time, one block at a time, and one sewing session at a time, and you’ll have my tutorials and resources to guide you every stitch of the way.

Before you know it, you’ll have created your very own beautiful quilt! I can’t wait to see all of the Alchemy quilts being made inside the Make Modern Triangles Club keep coming to life. ✨

Comment ‘ALCHEMY’ if you want to make this beautiful quilt with us! 💌

#modernquilting #paperpiecing #foundationpaperpiecing #quiltingtechnique #quiltteacher
In the beginning, it can be so frustrating as a ne In the beginning, it can be so frustrating as a new quilter. 👇

There is more to learn than you imagined, things seem to take way longer than you expect, and let’s not even talk about how bad my fingers hurt from ripping paper bits out of my seams. 

I had gotten to a point where I just wanted to give up. I wasn’t enjoying quilting anymore. 

But I stayed the course and got introduced to freezer paper piecing. It saved me so much time and made life so much easier. 

It honestly made me fall in love with quilting again, and now I teach it to thousands of quilters, of all skill levels and experience. 

Comment ‘FREE’ to take my free class. 💕

#modernquilting #paperpiecing #foundationpaperpiecing #quiltingtechnique #quiltteacher
Follow on Instagram

Browse by Category

Archives

  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • email
As a beginner quilter, you sometimes might be aski As a beginner quilter, you sometimes might be asking yourself when you are going to start feeling confident. 👇

And in all honesty, you’re not just going to wake up one day and start feeling confident. 

Most of the really talented quilters that you see on Pinterest and Instagram weren’t just automatically good at it, and I sure wasn’t either. 

For me, confidence wasn’t one big moment or a clear feeling one day. 

It comes project by project. And even now, every single quilt takes me on the same emotional roller coaster. 🎢

💭 “This is going to be beautiful.”
💭 “What was I thinking?”
💭 “I don’t think this is working.”
💭 “Wait... maybe this is working!”
💭 “Ahhhh... I love it.”

Sometimes confidence is trusting yourself enough to keep sewing anyway, and sometimes it looks like trusting yourself enough to walk away from a project that isn’t bringing you joy anymore.

Not every quilt has to be finished, and not every idea has to become your favorite, but every project teaches you something, whether it ends up on your bed, your wall, or back on the shelf.

So if you’re waiting to feel confident before you start your next quilt, just know that the confidence doesn’t come first. It comes from showing up, one project at a time, and just keep sewing. 😉

One thing that helped me build a lot of confidence is being around other quilters who can support you, cheer you on, and celebrate your wins with you, and that’s exactly why I started the Make Modern Triangles Club. 

Every year, we do a block of the month program together, month by month. There are always new members joining,  new projects starting, and others finishing. 

This year, we have TWO block of the month programs, but when you join the club, you get immediate access to the growing library of all of the previous block of the month quilts, along with tons of other resources, workshops, and patterns, so there’s always something to sew and build your confidence one project at a time. ✨

Comment ‘CLUB’ for details to join us. 💕

#modernquilting #paperpiecing #foundationpaperpiecing #quiltingtechnique #quiltteacher
I will never tell you that it is always going to b I will never tell you that it is always going to be easy, but I will tell you that it is always going to be worth it. ✨

Alchemy is my most challenging block of the month quilt yet, and I feel so lucky to see so many of them coming to life inside the Make Modern Triangles Club! 

We’re learning so much with this quilt, and It’s going to be worth every stitch in the end. 

If you’re on the hunt for a new hobby, something to do with your hands, a new skill to learn, or simply a way to get offline, take my free class and give quilting a try. 

Comment ‘FREE’ for the link to sign up. 💌

#modernquilting #paperpiecing #foundationpaperpiecing #quiltingtechnique #quiltteacher
I will never tell you that it is always going to b I will never tell you that it is always going to be easy, but I will tell you that it is always going to be worth it. ✨

Alchemy is my most challenging block of the month quilt yet, and I feel so lucky to see so many of them coming to life inside the Make Modern Triangles Club! 

We’re learning so much with this quilt, and It’s going to be worth every stitch in the end. 

If you’re on the hunt for a new hobby, something to do with your hands, a new skill to learn, or simply a way to get offline, take my free class and give quilting a try. 

Comment ‘FREE’ for the link to sign up. 💌

#modernquilting #paperpiecing #foundationpaperpiecing #quiltingtechnique #quiltteacher
I’ve made enough quilts to know that I am NOT the I’ve made enough quilts to know that I am NOT the only one who has been riding this roller coaster. It’s just part of the creative process that every quilter will go through. 😅

Every project starts with excitement, and then somewhere along the way I convince myself I’ve made terrible color choices, wonder if it’s ever going to come together, and seriously consider putting it back on the shelf. Then, almost without fail, there’s a moment where it all clicks, and the excitement returns. 

If you’ve ever felt this way, I hope you know you’re not doing anything wrong. You’re just making a quilt. 

Which part of the roller coaster are you on right now? Comment below! 👇

#modernquilting #paperpiecing #foundationpaperpiecing #quiltingtechnique #quiltteacher
Follow on Instagram
© 2026 Bryan House Quilts