Choosing Fabrics and Colors for Successful Scrap Quilts

(1)  Use 100%-cotton good-quality quilting fabrics. (2)  Identify your color scheme:

Start by selecting a dominant color (for my Jambalaya series, I picked slime green). Then choose a secondary color (I chose dull mauve) that contrasts with, yet complements, the dominant color. Finally, choose one or more accent colors (I used yellow and black). Often you'll find a print fabric you love, from which to identify your color scheme; this fabric makes a great backing, in addition to its role in the blocks.

(3)  Fill out each color palette:

For each color (dominant, secondary, and accents) in your scheme, add additional fabrics that are variations on the color, from light to dark and bright to dull. Be sure to include colors that don't seem to "go" with your color-scheme fabrics. (For instance, I used shades of green from kelly to lime to evergreen, and variations of mauve from grape to bright red.) These are the fabrics that, in the finished quilt, will add sparkle and complexity that you wouldn't get with a strictly color-coordinated scheme.

©1997 Nancy L. Restuccia
All Rights Reserved

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