The Color Connection

Christine's Color Connection

A newsletter for quilters in love with color

August 2011

In This Issue

This month's issue features a closer look at visual temperature, upcoming articles in quilting magazines, and my "Workshop Schedule."

The Quilter's Color Club covers the three color characteristics-value, visual temperature, and intensity-in depth. You can find my book on my website, at C&T, and in quilt shops and bookstores.

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My "Quiltified" Kitchen & Other News

That's how Melissa Maher of Generation Q magazine described my kitchen design, which was inspired by the Double Four Patch quilt you see hanging on the far wall. You can read the story and see more pics in today's online issue. I had fun talking to Melissa!

Webcast

You might also want to check out the webcast I did on June 29 on

C&T's Digital Lounge. (It's about color of course.) Just scroll down a bit and look for the quilt with the "Elegant Circles."

Warm and Cool Colors

Summer seems the ideal time to consider "temperature," probably the easiest-to-understand color concept. It's just as easy to apply to your quilts. Here's a quick lesson:

If you drew an imaginary line on the color wheel between red-violet and yellow-green, the colors to the left (reds, oranges, yellows) are considered warm, while those to the right (greens, blues, and violets) are cool. Red-violet and yellow-green can be warm or cool, depending on the context; that is, red-violet is warmer in the company of blue-green, yet cooler in the context of orange.

The key to using visual temperature is balance. A quilt with all warm colors may be overwhelming, but if you add a few cooler accents, it may seem more harmonious and balanced. The opposite is true: an all-cool quilt may literally "leave you cold," but the addition of a few warmer hues can make the design more appealing. Of course, if you want to make a blue-only quilt, go right ahead. Just be sure to include a range of values, patterns, and textures to add variety to the design.

In the first Oregon Trail block below, the effect is very warm, perhaps visually uncomfortable. In the second block, warm and cool colors coexist, and to my eye, the block is restful.

From watching people's reactions to quilts over the years, I've concluded that the eye craves both warm and cool colors. Quilts that sparkle, traditional or contemporary, almost always have a mix of visual temperatures. Try applying this concept to your next quilt (or the one you're working on now) and see the difference!

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Summer Fun

Here's a top made from a Martha Negley fruit print, a Kaffe Fassett dot/stripe, and hand-dyed rick-rack from Rainbow Resource. I've made several tops since in cool batiks and a peppermint-and-white print. Fun (and so much faster than making a quilt).

fruit top

Upcoming Articles

I have several articles about color in print or in the works.

apq cover

The October issue of American Patchwork & Quilting includes an article I wrote entitled "Shed Some Light." It's all about magic fabrics, which I wrote about in my June newsletter, and how they create special effects in quilts. I loved the clean, simple graphics they used to illustrate the concepts.

The November issue of McCall's Quilting will contain an article I wrote about visual temperature. I've had experienced quilters tell me that balancing visual temperature has made a difference in their work

In January of 2012, American Quilter will include an article I wrote on black opalescence. In addition to the concepts behind this special effect, you'll find instructions for making my quilt "Black Opals and Ribbon Candy." I can't show you an image until the article runs, but when I tested the directions on a small group of local quilters, I wanted to take their quilts home with me!

Lecture and Workshop Schedule

Note: You can often attend guild meetings and take their workshops if you aren't a member. If you're interested in any of these lectures or classes, let me know, and I'll put you in touch with the guild.

2011

August 18 & 20, Quincy, CA, "Color!" lecture, "Color Camp" workshop, Quincy Crazy Quilters

August 22, Pat Sloan, host of American Patchwork & Quilting Radio, interview,

http://www.allpeoplequilt.com/radio/index.html

August 29 & 30, Loomis, CA, "Magic Fabrics, Special Effects" lecture, "Luminosity" workshop, Pioneer Quilters Guild

September 10, Concord, CA, "Color Camp" workshop, Thimble Creek Quilt Shop

September 11, Concord, CA, "Lotus Leaves Squared" workshop, Thimble Creek Quilt Shop

September 17, Paradise, CA, "Color Camp" workshop, Morning Star Quilts

October 2, Grass Valley, CA, "Elegant Circles" workshop, Sugar Pine Quilt Shop

October 5, Roseville, CA, "Color!" lecture, Roseville Sun City Needle Arts

October 11 & 12, Modesto, CA, "Magic Fabrics, Special Effects" lecture, "Luminosity" workshop, Country Crossroads Quilters

November 2, Ukiah, CA, "Magic Fabrics, Special Effects" lecture, Grapevine Quilter's Guild

November 11, Rocklin CA, "Transparency" workshop, Meissner Sewing and Learning Center

November 17 & 19, Citrus Heights, CA, "Magic Fabrics, Special Effects" lecture, "Color Camp" workshop, Capital City Fiber Arts Society

2012

February 14 & 15, Folsom, CA, "Magic Fabrics, Special Effects" lecture, workshop TBD, Folsom Quilt and Fiber Guild

March 9 & 10, San Luis Obispo, CA, "Color!" lecture, "Color Camp" workshop, San Luis Obispo Quilters Guild

March 21 & 22, Roseville, CA, lecture and workshop TBD, Rosevile Quilters Guild

April 22 & 24, Arroyo Grande, CA, "Magic Fabrics, Special Effects" lecture, workshop TBD, Central Coast Quilters

April 26, Nipomo, CA, "Color!" lecture, Olde Towne Quilters of Nipomo

May 14 & 15, Auburn, CA, "Magic Fabrics, Special Effects" lecture, "Black Opals & Ribbon Candy" workshop, Foothill Quilters Guild

June 17-20, "Magic Fabrics, Special Effects Retreat." Learn to create the special effects of transparency, opalescence, luminosity, luster, and depth in your quilts using fabrics that have light and life, all in a gorgeous Lake Tahoe, CA, setting. Details soon!

July 19 & 20, Santa Rosa, CA, lecture and workshop TBD, Santa Rosa Quilt Guild

July 21, San Rafael, CA, "Color Camp" workshop, Mt. Tam Quilt Guild

August 27 & 28, Santa Clara, CA, "Magic Fabrics, Special Effects" lecture, "Luminosity" workshop

September 9 & 10, Aptos, CA, lecture and workshop TBD, Pajaro Valley Quilt Association

September 20 & 21, Benicia, CA, "Magic Fabrics, Special Effects" lecture, "Lumiosity" workshop, Carquinez Straits Stitchers

October 5-7, Weaverville, CA, gallery lecture, show, and workshop, Main Street Gallery

Coming in the Next Issue. . .

I can't stand it. Next month I just have to write about transparency. Having just taught two workshops, it's on my mind. In fact, a quilter friend from Canada just sent me pics of several table runners she made recently, and my first reaction to one was, "Oh wow, she got transparency!" Am I too immersed in all of this, or what?

If you've received this newsletter, you probably attended one of my workshops or bought one of my books, patterns, or color wheels. It's easy to opt out, below, but I hope you'll stick around to see what's in store. It's all about color, using it, enjoying it, and sharing it with other quilters!

Thank-you!

Contact Info

Christine Barnes

cebarnes@sbcglobal.net
www.christinebarnes.com