Firstly…hey. Wow, it has been a hot (checks notes) year and a half since blogging. Life man. Im going to try to do a short educational blog a couple times a month. For the most part…some of the same things in my newsletter, but a different format.
If you are curious…I do in fact have an art background. My bachelors degree is from Longwood University in studio art. I bring that into my daily life when thinking about all the things that make quilting great…outside of sewing a decent seam. I think abut things like color theory, use of theme, and the use of scale and design movement to create drama and focus.
One thing to consider when picking thread is how it shows up. I think we are often conditioned to match or closely match our thread color. It’s a classic choice but you can also consider something else.
Choosing complementary colors is a great plan
Turquoise blue or similar blue-greens pair amazingly well with rusty orange, because they are complements on the color wheel…which means opposite each other
Every color has a complementary partner
When placed together, they make each other stand out.
To keep an area “neutral” … remember to consider value
The value is also important, so a light turquoise pairs with a light rust…otherwise known as a peachy vibe.
Similarly, a dark value turquoise pairs with a darker rusty brown.
A fun little color theory for you! In quilting we also have the thread WEIGHT and SHEEN to consider, and often we can make a big impact changing the weight of the thread. Doing a dense backfill with a complementary color, but very thin thread (like 80 or 100 wt) makes a subtle but powerful statement. Similarly, if a thread is a shiny polyester it will reflect light, but a long staple cotton will not. Therefore the high shine poly will have a bit more “main character syndrome” than a cotton, or matte poly will…both of which can impact making a design recede or come forward.
Thanks for the quick read…I hope this sparks a little creativity next time you are picking out a quilting color and want your work to show up a bit!
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