Link-Up #summerstackfridays Complimentary

Sometimes when I pull a stack of fabrics together, and take a second look to re-examine it, I realize that I've pulled a complimentary color scheme without actually intending to. If you have studied color theory at any length, then you know that the complimentary colors are: blue and orange, red and green, and purple and yellow.

Because complimentary colors are directly opposite from each other on the color wheel, they create the strongest contrast. When you work with pure color combos, the combination can be pretty intense. For me, a purple and yellow combo can leave you thinking of easter eggs and candy, and make you wish that you had brought your sunglasses along.

The best way to tame such loud explosions of color, is to play around with the colors' clarity, intensity, and value. When you are adding grey or black to a color, it tends to go a little muddy, which is exactly what has happened to some of these gold/ochre colors in this fabric pull. Once the color darkens, it starts to brown, which is why these colors would technically still be in the "yellow family".The red-violet colors are also a little muddy, which gives the overall fabric pull a less intense feel for a complimentary color combination. I can lighten the value of the color to add a little contrast.

This pretty floral print was my inspriation fabric for this week's fabric pull, and was really my starting point. Like some of the other fabric pulls that I've shared already, I played off of some of the existing colors in the inspiration fabric.

If I decide to eventually turn this stack into an actual project, I might consider adding a few of the reddish hues, but right now I am liking the restrait of essentailly a two-color palette.

  
So, let's get started - anyone can link up their fabric stack, even if you are coming late to the party. Be sure mention that you are linking up with Campbell Soup Diary for #summerstacksundays. You can also link up from Instagram. The link-up runs from July 5th - August 30th.

Please take the time to visit/comment/like the posts from others who are linking up and be sure to look through the comments. If you happen to be struggling with your fabric stack, then just say so in the comments, so the rest of us can stop by and maybe help you out... sometimes a fresh eye can see something that might have been missed.  

If you are following the weekly themes, next week I'll be sharing a "Soft Summer" stack... which will everyone might inturpret differently. See you then!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Read More

Link-Up #summerstackfridays Primary

One of the benefits of documenting fabric pulls is that it gives you a starting point, once you are actually ready to dive into a new project. If you are like me, you might have several projects going at one time, but may have to wait until the other projects are finished before starting new ones... having time to think about favorite fabric stacks may not always match the beginning of a new project.

So for this weeks' #summerstackfridays, I started out with this "Ladder" print from the Sweet Dreams collection, from Anna Maria Horner as my inspiration fabric.The darker dots are actually an interesting dark, greenish-khaki color that is a little hard to match up. Since I don't have very much of this color in my stash, I ended up letting it read a little more gold than green.

When you match up this color to a color card/wheel, you notice that this IS the same color... just a few steps above it. By staying in the same color family, I am able to work in a color that appears to not even be in the inspiration fabric... all I did was lighten it.

Since the gold fabrics that I chose also have some pink/coral accents, it connects to the inspiration fabric. Some of the lighter and darker shades of teal are fairly obvious picks, but if I am being perfectly honest, I have to admit that I struggle a little bit with this fabric pull... not the fabric selection part, but the end result. I'm not the biggest "primary color combo" fan. If you break this stack down, it is "blue, yellow, and red"... obviously not in it's pure and bright shades, but primary nonetheless. Visit my previous post for a few more ideas how to put a twist on your primary color palette.

Currently I have a project in the works, where I used a several of these fabrics. Since it is not a high priority, deadline project, it will be on the back burner for a bit. Now that I have it cataloged, I can pull this fabric stack back up when I'm ready to pick it up again and see where I left off. Keeping a fabric stash pull in the same photo folder is really helpful once a project is being pulled to the front burner again.

So, what are you stacking this week? Do you have any color combinations that you struggle with too? If you are following the weekly themes, then how about if we warm things up next week, with a "warm colors" fabric stack - think reds, oranges, and yellows... we are headed into summer, you know?

Be sure mention that you are linking up with Campbell Soup Diary for the #summerstacks Link-Up party. Anyone can link up their fabric stack, even if you are coming late to the party, and I will keep the link open for a week. You can also link up from Instagram. The link-up runs from July 5th - August 30th.

Please take the time to visit/comment/like the posts from others who are linking up and be sure to look through the comments. If you happen to be struggling with your fabric stack, then just say so in the comments, so the rest of us can stop by and maybe help you out... sometimes a fresh eye can see something that might have been missed.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Read More

Link-Up Week 1 #summerstackfridays

Welcome to week one of the #summerstackfridays... I'm so glad you've joined in! As I mentioned in my introduction post, summer stack Fridays is all about carving out a little bit of time in the busy summer months to sneak in few creative, quilty mintues, even if it is just 10 - 15 mintues. Let's just face it - summer sewing doesn't have anything on the cold, winter months, but a link-up party gives you a chance to make it into your sewing room, even if you don't have the time to sew anything. ... and let's face it - what quilter doesn't love petting all her pretty fabrics, am I right?

Just in case you happened to miss my first fabric stack, be sure to backtrack where I shared a little of my process of how I select fabrics. For the link-up, you don't have to follow my method, but perhaps it helps you take a different approach when you select your fabrics. Remember, there is no wrong or right. Picking fabrics is purely personal, and what appeals to me, might not appeal to you. 

So, as a fun little experiment for this week's fabric pull, I wanted to start with the same "inspiration fabric" that I used last week. With my first stack, I used a lot of cool colors, but with this fabric stack, I wanted to warm it up - we are going into summer, you know! I added the middle brown fabric to connect some of the warmer colors into this stack. The second fuchsia fabric brings in a little element of orange, which connects to the warmer tones, while connecting to the inpiration fabric too.

And now it's your turn... just link up either from your blog or from Instagram, and be sure to use the #summerstackfridays hastag. Please visit some of the other fabric stack posts, because it's all about connecting. If you are struggling with your fabric selection, and would like for me (or others) to give you my (our) two cents - just say so in the comments! Happy stacking!

Just in case you would like to have a weekly theme, next week I will be sharing a "primary" fabric stack. Primary colors can be pretty insense, so if you struggle with working with such vibrant colors, it might be helpful to thinkin about playing with the values and clarity of the colors... make sure you look back at my "Art of the Fabric Pull" for working with values. For some fantasic primary color ispiration, be sure to stop by Rachel's blog.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Read More