Christine's Color Connection

A newsletter for quilters in love with color

February 2013

You can read back issues in Archived Issues.

The Quilter's Color Club has lots of info on every aspect of color. You can find my book on my website, at C&T, and in quilt shops and bookstores.

Check out my lecture and workshop schedule at the end of this newsletter. I'm always adding new dates.

This Month . . .

The new year is off to a great start, and I've been fortunate enough to stay home and get ready for another busy year of teaching. I'm still having fun with the ombré fabrics (see my Store) and new quilt designs. I hope those of you who have partaken of these luscious fabrics are having fun, too. The block you see here was made with one of the Gradations ombrés above, with a vibrant batik center.

If you are new to my newsletter, welcome! I suggest you take a look at back issues (click "Archived Issues" at left) to read articles on color topics like transparency, magic fabrics, value, the color wheel, and more.

Working with Black and White

I had so much fun with my first Lustrous Squares quilt that I decided to make another, this time with black-and-white fabrics for the center squares. I auditioned lots of center fabrics but quickly realized that the best choices were those that had mostly black with a small amount of white. Mostly white fabrics washed out the ombrés, and those with half white and half black looked chaotic. In this case, I was able to try out the possibilities by laying finished-size squares of the black fabrics over the floral fabrics in my first quilt (shown in the Schedule, below). Don't you just love that border fabric? Alas, it's all gone at Sugar Pine (thanks for sharing, Wendy), and I haven't seen it elsewhere.

black and white centers, LS

On "The Quilt Show". . .

My series "Special Effects with Color" ends on January 29. But the lessons live on the "Classrooms" page forever (well, maybe not forever), so you can watch anytime you want. To find the series, click on "Classrooms" in the lavender horizontal bar near the top of TQS home page. Just make sure to log in or join as a Basic (free) member. And as you watch, please participate in the "color studies." There will be giveaways for those who post their studies: two of my books and two color wheels.

Next time. . .

I love stripes, and I plan to write about them next time. I got sidetracked with the ombrés, but I have every intention of finishing that layered transparency quilt I keep mentioning. It's becoming a career UFO, I'm afraid. Can anyone relate?

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 events, let me know, and I'll put you in touch with the guild.

2013

February 2, Lafayette, CA, "White Opals & Gelato" workshop, Cotton Patch Quilt Shop

Featured Workshop:

February 9, Grass Valley, CA, "Lustrous Squares" workshop, Sugar Pine Quilt Shop. Here's the finished quilt (machine quilted by Cathy Stone); it measures 48" x 48". It's fast and fun using a "kit" of nine ombré strips; you bring or buy the multicolored fabrics for the block centers. Sugar Pine has a fabulous selection of Kaffe Fasset prints. (I think I own them all.)

February 19-20, Concord, CA, "Magic Fabrics" lecture, Contra Costa County Quilters

February 23-25, Berkeley, CA, "Buying Fabric with Color in Mind" lecture, "Color and Clothing: Aspects of Design" workshop (two days), East Bay Heritage Quilters

March 9, Folsom, CA, "Elegant Circles" workshop, Meissner Sewing & Learning Center

March 13-15, Gualala, CA, "Magic Fabrics" lecture, "Transparency" workshop, and "Luminaria" workshop, Pacific Piecemakers Quit Guild

March 30, Concord, CA, "Color Camp" workshop, Thimble Creek Quilt Shop

April 8 & 9, Sonora, CA, "Buying Fabric with Color in Mind" lecture, "Color Camp" workshop,

Sierra Quilt Guild of Tuolumne County

April 20, Folsom, CA, "Color Camp" workshop, Meissner Sewing & Learning Center

April 27, Concord, CA, "Lustrous Squares" workshop, Thimble Creek Quilt Shop

May 9-10, Santa Barbara, CA, "Color!" lecture, "Color Camp" workshop, Coastal Quilters Guild of Santa Barbara and Goleta

May 18, Vallejo, CA, "Color Camp" workshop, Vallejo Piecemakers quilt guild

May 19, Fair Oaks, CA, "Collage Vest" workshop (day 1), Thistle Dew Quilt Shop

May 25, Concord, CA, "Elegant Circles" workshop, Thimble Creek Quilt Shop

June 2, Fair Oaks, CA, "Collage Vest" workshop (day 2), Thistle Dew Quilt Shop

June 16-19, South Lake Tahoe, CA, "Magic Fabrics, Special Effects" retreat

July 26-28, Grass Valley, CA, "Conquer Color-You Can Do It" retreat, Sugar Pine Quilt Shop

August, 22 & 23, Citrus Heights, CA, lecture and workshop TBD, Golden Valley Quilt Guild

August 26 & 27, Red Bluff, CA, "Magic Fabrics" lecture, "Lustrous Squares" workshop, Sun Country Quilters

October 10 & 11, Oceanside, CA, "Magic Fabrics, Special Effects" lecture, "Luminosity" workshop, El Camino Quilt Guild

October 25-28, Grass Valley, CA, "Transparency: Parent/Child and Layered Strategies" retreat, Grass Valley Quilt Shop

2014

February 7-8, Burlingame, CA, "Transparency" workshop and "Black Opals & Ribbon Candy" workshop, San Francisco Quilters Quiltaway retreat

February 15-16, Fresno, CA, lecture and workshop TBD, Fresno Fiberarts Guild

April 11-12, Templeton, CA, "Color!" lecture, "Black Opals & Ribbon Candy" workshop, Almond County Quilt Guild

About This Newsletter

If you've received this newsletter, you may have 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