Fabric Patterns Books Kits Block of the Month Hangers Odds & Ends Color Wheel The Fine Print About TFoS
Color Wheel
Use the color wheel below to help you determine what colors will give you the effect you are looking for in your finished quilt.
Red, yellow & orange are in the warm color family. Blue, Green & violet are in the cool color family.
Using black in a quilt intensifies the other colors making them stand out.
Color & Light: Subdued lighting creates a distortion of color. If the room is not bright, lighter colors need more intensity and darker colors need less.
Color & Distance: Distance causes cool colors to "blackout". Use lighter colors for greater emphasis.
Complementary Harmony: Combine a shade, tint or tone of one color and choose another color on the opposite side of the color wheel. For example, Christmas Red & Green are opposite sides of the wheel, as are Easter Yellow and Violet.
Split Complements: Choose one color and use the color on each side of it on the color wheel.
Try to limit the number of colors used in your quilt-even if it is a scrap quilt. Too many colors and the eye has nowhere to rest. Two or three color families usually are enough. If you select more, make sure to use only one dominant color.
Limit vivid colors to accents.
