Experiment with Maverick Colors in your Art Quilts
Choosing prints and solids to construct balanced blocks of the palette colors- Part 3 of 3
Part 1 -Maverick color palettes and “mother fabrics”
Part 2 - Unrestrained colors pack drama into your art quilts
Have you decided on the accented analogous scheme yet? The following examples are an interesting study of 3 similar palettes, each one having the same accent color. The difference is that the analogous colors vary in range from close together, separated more and farther apart. (as indicated by the little white and black dots) The widest separation gives the most drama.
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Do you still want to use that mother fabric? Do the colors in it loosely fit the accented analogous color scheme? If yes, it’s time to look in your stash for printed and solid fabric that can be considered for the entire palette.
If no, not really, can you cut into the mother fabric and pull out suitable portions of color? If you loved the fabric in the beginning, then you will find a way to adapt and build it into your quilt art.
Now analyze the mother fabric, (if you are using a print). The fabric might have an overall design that does not vary much. It could be restrained or bold. Your fabric might have light and dark areas of color in a larger controlled design. There may be a great deal of variety in the colors, in the density of the print, perhaps a strong diagonal or a stripe or all of these. For example, some batiks have a lot of variety in the colors, large areas of dark and light, a stamped motif, even white and black lines.
 challenging mother fabric |
 a challenge to use this one |
 fussy cut this one |
 this small print will "read" as purple |
 fussy cut this one, create some drama |
 a great print, but needs lots of filler fabrics |
 terrific mother fabric |
 lots of potential mother fabric |
Study the print’s characteristics. You can do some selective fussy cutting to use parts of the print that you need for the various color block shades. If the print has a very bold multi-colored area, experiment with patch sizes as you work toward the balance of main color, the accent and the 2 supporting colors.
Depending on what the mother fabric is like, you may need to tone down or boost the accent or analogous colors by the amount of that print you put into the piecing of the quilt. Big chunks of print will draw the eye and might be treated as accent. Small pieces will blend in and can be treated as analogous or accent.
Adding white/gray/black fabric can be a part of the planning. White/gray/black can always be added or substituted during the building up of the whole quilt. This is one reason for the 1/5 – 2/5 – 2/5 approximations discussed in part 2 of this series.
These are your personal decisions. It’s an opportunity to discover the fresh and unexpected. You will change your mind many times. You can usually tell if something is not working. Step away for a day or two. Your subconscious mind often will come up with a solution. See what effect “breaking the rules” has on the look of your art quilt.
You are now equipped to assemble blocks of fabric using colors in the approximate area sizes and shades shown in the examples.
You can be confident that the analogous and accent color scheme is balanced to optimize the brilliant effect Maverick colors bring to your quilt art.