Warm and Cool Color Demo for Quilters

 This post updated February 26, 2023 for the Aunty & Annie Blog Re-visit.

Of all the Color Theories, the warm/cool concept is very practical and manageable for quilters.  It is easy to understand. 

Starting with a 12 point color wheel, divide it in half keeping the yellow and green divided. 

The warm side consists of  yellow/orange/red.  
This may make you think of fire and sun.  


The cool side consists of green/blue/purple.
This may make you think of cool water, grass and sky. 

 

This patterned example will give you an idea

of how fabric might look as a Color Wheel. 

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The Demo:
 

First start with a bag of scraps. 

Here are the scraps spread out onto the table. 

All the colors in the color wheel, mixed all together. 

Now start to divide them, using the color wheel as your guide. 

 

This is the warm color pile: yellow, orange, and red scraps. 

The warm neutrals of browns and creams

work best with the warm colors. 

This is the cool color pile:  greens, blues, and purples. 

The cool neutrals of black, gray and white

work best with the cool colors. 

A sample of warm color scraps sewn together. 

A sample of cool color scraps sewn together. 

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The following quilts are all made from scraps. 

This quilt I made pulling

any and all colors out of the scrap bag.

(Custom quilting by: Virginia Klarenbach)

Here is a link to the method:

Crazy Quilting Tutorial

This quilt I made pulling

only warm colors out of the scrap bag. 

This quilt I made pulling

only cool colors out of the scrap bag. 

(Custom Quilting by: Lorraine Appleby)

Thank you for looking at this demo...Melanie

These photos are from the Chinook Guild of Fibre Arts Demo in Calgary on December 10th. 

Please see this additional post for Neutral Color Theory

 - excellent for choosing fabric for your Mystery Quilts

Neutral Color Theory Demo

Braided Rugs

I met a very lovely lady at the craft show at the BMO Centre in Calgary last week.  She was making beautiful knit-felted handbags that she was selling there.  We had a conversation about fibre art and somehow the braided rugs came up. Here are a few of the old fashioned braided rugs that I have made.  These rugs are made with strips that are braided into each other every row.  I took a class in this technique with my mom and a friend a number of years ago. 

 This rug is approx. 4' diameter. 

 This rug is approx. 3' diameter. 

 This rug is approx. 3' diameter. 

NEW THIS WEEK "Good Energy" - SOLD

"Good Energy"

24 x 30"

Acrylic on Canvas

Quilt Border Tutorial

 

Begin by measuring for the side borders. 

Measure in the middle of the quilt from top to bottom. 

This will allow for the quilt to square up evenly

once the borders are attached. 

Cut your border fabric to the desired width

and remove the selvage edge. 

You can stack both border pieces for cutting, if desired. 

Cut your side borders to the desired length.   

When cutting,

keep the edge of your fabric and your cutting line perpendicular,

using your mat as a guide. 

Pin the length of border fabric in half. 

Now pin into quarters.  

3 pins and 4 even sections of border fabric.  

Now pin the side edge of the quilt into quarters. 

Match up pins on border and quilt edges.

Pin border to quilt edge. 

Sew border to quilt, easing as necessary,

using a 1/4" seam allowance.

 

The first side border on.

Press towards the border.  

Repeat the process for the other side. 

The two side borders are now on.  

Now measure for your top and bottom borders.

Measure at the middle of the quilt from side to side.  

Cut your borders and divide into quarters as above.

 Pin top border in place and stitch, using a 1/4" seam.  

Repeat process for the bottom border.   

The borders are on.

There is one more step.  

Set your machine to a 4mm stitch length.  

 Stay stitch all around the edge of the quilt borders. 

This will keep your quilt nice and square for the quilting process.   

Stay-stitching around the quilt edge.  

Pinwheel Quilt

Custom Quilting by Lorraine Appleby

 This uses charm squares to

make a pinwheel quilt. 

Enjoy this video for a fabulous and very easy technique

to make pinwheels from any size square:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekYpJzHoW6E

Sashing the pinwheels. 

One strip ready to go.  I will make 3 like this.  

Here is my plan. 

Tip:  pressing less will help your joins lock in better

for nicer points.