Tips on Choosing Colors for Quilts & Patchwork

I discovered, when I was making quilts for customers…either commissioned orders or items to sell in stores…my favorite colors weren’t necessarily the ones that appealed to everyone. Don’t we usually, when selecting fabrics to purchase and to coordinate into a quilt, a hanging, or other item of patchwork, tend to select those that appeal to us personally?

Since I generally wear cool colors (those with blue or pink base versus yellow undertone), I generally find the ones that appeal to me to wear and for decorating my home. However, someone who likes the yellow based colors, usually tends to choose them.

So quilts and related items often reflect the taste of the person selecting or commissioning them. If you’re making items for yourself and your home, no problem with letting your favorite colors dominate. If you’re making items for someone else, whether a gift or an order, try to find what their favorite colors are or the scheme of their home or room where they’ll use quilts and hangings.

I discovered that color combinations unappealing to me personally, but coordinating well artistically, often sold before my favorites when placed in a shop or displayed at quilt shows.

These are just some tidbits I wanted to share and hope you find helpful when making quilted and patchwork items.
©2005

(If you have questions or ideas to share, e-mail me at: me.allen@juno.com. Simply write “Quilt Blog” in the subject line.)