How to Put Quilt Fabric Colors Together

Question “How do you see quilt fabric colors going together?”

I answered very quickly, “You just see it.” 

But the question has stayed with me.

 So, I have broken down how I do it.

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1) Start with one fabric. Take this one fabric and work from it. Is that one fabric, a dark, medium or light color?

This is a Dark

Add the light and medium. Move and change it until you like it.

Lay them out in front of you.

Then add, a dark medium, a light medium, until you have the mix of what you like.

2) Choose colors and patterns you love. An average a twin size quilt will take me about a week to piece together, and if hand quilted another, 3-4 months. If tied or machine quilted 3-4 weeks, you have so much time and cost involved you have to love it.

3) Natural or background colors. These are the corner stone. More often than not the background color is your light color. Your background color helps bring the blocks together. It does not always need to be a light either, dark or medium work well to, any color can be used.

4) Color Wheel. I’m not a big fan of the color wheel, I do like when colors pops and on most of my quilts the start fabric is not the most prominent color used it in, it is just a starting point.

5) Make one block. This should always be done, a Quilters practice, cut only fabric for one block and live with it for a few days. Especially, if it’s something you’ve never tried before. Most times you will know right away if you like it or not.

6) Have fun. This is the best way to ensure quilt success, when you enjoy the process, your quilt will be fantastic.

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Make a Quilt Triangle with The Quilt Ladies

How to Make a Quilt Triangle

Just like the square if you are not ready to purchase a rotary cutter and mat. You will need to make a freezer paper pattern.  How to do Square's HERE

Take the FINISHED size of the square you want and add 7/8 of an inch.
example:
for a finished size 2 inch square you will cut your fabric 2 7/8" x 2 7/8"
for a finished size 3 inch square you will cut your fabric 3 7/8" x 3 7/8"
for a finished size 4 inch square you will cut your fabric 4 7/8" x 4 7/8"

And so on, either make you freezer paper pattern or up with a rotary cutter and ruler.

I've used a 3 inch FINISHED Square cut 3 7/8" x 3 7/8"

A light and a dark.

On the Wrong side of the light fabric draw a line from corner to corner.

This is the cutting line NOT sewing line

On your sewing machine sew a straight seam, 1/4" from the line.

Turn and do the same thing on the other side.

(when I have many to sew, I do chain piecing, one right after another, not stopping the machine until all finished and then turn and do the other side)

If NEW do them one at a time.

Cut on the drawn Cutting line.

You have 2 triangles

Open them up and 2 triangles

Press your seam to the dark fabric and trim the end tail off.

This is your finished triangle


GIVE IT A TRY.... IT'S NOT HARD.

I recently posted a block on Facebook and there was a lot of take about points.

Here's how I do it.

Pieced together a triangle to a block

Added this as a strip to another piece.  Pin as much as you need, check as you pin to make sure

you have the 1/4 seam allowance. 

On this seam I had to move the needle in just 2 threads to make the point perfect.

Press the fabric 

The point. 

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How to Quilt, Freezer Paper Quilt Patterns, How to Piece a Quilt Square

How to start quilting

Always remember that quilting has been done for hundreds of years and all the new gadgets are great.

You can still do things very simply and fill your sewing closet with new innovations as your talent grows.

No need to purchase a rotary cutter and mat your first time out. Take your time and enjoy.

Things needed to start a quilt project:

A sewing machine that sews a straight line, borrow one or purchase one at a large chain store. No need to spend hundreds on a machine to straight stitch. OR

Hand piecing can be done too. Everything is the same as a machine, but you hand stitch using the same ¼" seam allowance.

1)Graph Paper
2)Freezer Paper – Plastic coated paper, like the butcher’s wrap meat in. You can purchase it at your local store or if you ask they may give you some at your butcher counter
3)Glue stick
4)Iron
5)Gray thread
6)Ruler
7)Pencil
8)Basic sewing supplies, Scissors, thimble, sew riper, etc.
9)Needles – for hand piecing Sharps size 7-12, for quilting Between needles size 10-12
10)Sewing Pins
11) Fabric and Batting

Fabric – The best rule of thumb is to purchase the best fabric you can afford. Always 100% cotton. Avoid loose woven fabrics. Wash cotton to check for color fast and iron if needed. If new to quilting it is always best to start with a light and dark color.

Cutting – Rotary cutter, mat and ruler can be used if you have them. If you are new to quilting and are not sure you want to buy all these supplies try Freezer paper. It may be purchased at any grocery store. You will notice that one side is shiny, one not.

Draw the pattern pieces on to graph paper, the finished
size, the - - - line. The - - - - will be the sewing line

Add a ¼ inch seam allowance around the entire outside edge –the cutting line
(example – 2 inch finished size cut square 2 ½" x 2 ½") Cut pattern out

With a glue stick. Paste the pieces to the NON-shiny side of the freezer paper.

Cut the pattern out.

You can now iron the pattern to your fabric, shiny side down.
This pattern can be used over and over. It will leave no film on your fabric.

Square -
Cut 2 squares the same size (finished size of square plus 1/2 inch) example cut 2 ½ x 2 Good to good Fabric
¼ inch seam allowance, sew
Trim threads
Open and Press to the dark

1)sew seam with a 1/4 inch seam allowance,

you may need to mark your machine with this measurement.

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2) You can chain piece a few at a time

Cut thread and open

3)sew these together

Watch your color placement, sew good side to good side.

4) A 4-patch quilt square

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Quilt, Hand Quilted and All Done

I've been hand quilting for quite a bit on this, it's what I've been taking to my Monday quilt group and it's now all done.

When I was teaching this is my beginner's quilt 5 week class, the class would have been 2 1/2" squares, I cut mine down for a table topper size.

HERE is my binding tutorial for you 

On a regular size quilt, I would cut my binding strips 2 1/2" wide, but on this little one, I cut them 1 1/4" wide.

I like, little quilts to have little binding.

All the sewing is the same, 1/4" seam allowance.

But, I like to trim the backing and batting about in half.

This is before the binding is turned and sewn down. You can turn it under and see what you like before trimming around the entire quilt.  I like to hand sew the binding down, I can get the corners, better and yes, you will have to mess with them a bit to get them perfect, they are VERY tiny. 

The Before

The After

Have to LOVE hand quilting ! 

AGAIN, here is my tutorial on binding and how to hand sew it !

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Learning to Quilt - Basic Information

Here is some information that is nice to have when you start quilting, the need to knows.

Basic Quilt Making Information

Standard Cut Sizes of Fabric

Fat Quarter – 18” x 22”

Fat Eighth – 9” x 22”

Fat Sixteenth – 4 ½” x 22”

1 Yards is 36” x 44" to 45”(width may be different per fabric company)

Standard Mattress Sizes

Crib – 23’ x 46’ or 28” x 52”

Twin Single – 39” x 75”

Double/Full – 54” x 75”

Queen – 60” x 80”

King – 76” x 80” or 78” x 80”

Standard Batting Sizes

Crib Size – 45’ x 60”

Twin – 72” x 90”

Double/Full – 81” x 96”

Queen – 90” x 108”

King 120” x 120”

There are MANY ways to piece quilt blocks, I'm sharing the way I like to do it.

Squares 
My How to do Squares Tutorial

Cut 2 – 2 ½” x 2 ½” squares the same size (finished size of square plus 1/2 inch)

Good to good Fabric

¼ inch seam allowance, sew

Trim threads

Open and Press to the dark 

Triangles  
My How to do Triangles Tutorial

Cut 2- 2 7/8” x 2 7/8” Squares

(finished size plus 7/8”)

Good to good fabric, with a pencil draw a line corner to corner, this is

The line you measure your ¼” seam allowance from

Sew from edge to edge use a ¼” seam

Cut in half on the pencil line, trim threads

Open and press to the dark fabric,

There will be 2 blocks 

Cutting Chart for Half-Square Triangles

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Make Picking Fabric Colors for a Quilt Quick

I'm a bit overwhelmed with all the attention this post received and I'm pleased to show you it really works ! 

This is one of the quilt rows, 

choosing fabrics this way !

This may seem a bit strange, but I love the colors in this dress and it's how I picked the colors for my quilt Pattern Book  

B. Annie HERE

(photo from Vogue and I've had it for a while)

Can you see it?

 The purples, the pink/red sleeve, the green top

And a White added for the white Chair ! 

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The only color that just didn't work for me was the black belt and I couldn't find anything I liked, so I just left it off.

(Note: when piecing the blocks the dark green took the place of the black)

If you'd LIKE the pattern - HERE it is

Here's a look at one of the 16 blocks ! 

It worked ! 

Beth Ann

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