The Quilter's Practical Guide to Color

January 19, 2015
“Playing with color is the happiest part of quilting,” writes Goldsmith, a cofounder of Piece o’Cake Designs, a quilt specialty firm. Fun, yes, but scary, too, she allows. The actual quilt is what she finds at the end of a process that began some time back, combining colors with designs. Color is the crossroads of science and art, so one of Goldsmith’s first lessons is to explain how the color wheel works. With that wheel in hand (or mind), Goldsmith explains monochromatic and complementary color schemes, as well as triadic, quadratic, analogous, and rainbow ones. She includes information about color value and contrast, and considerations about color on fabric, the texture and scale of which can affect how color is perceived. In these lessons, Goldsmith offers blocks of practical advice: for example, organized fabric stashes do matter for making quilts. Although the guide is less about quilt-making and more about designing with color, she offers 10 projects dedicated to building skills, including an ugly-fabric challenge, which teaches the process of “auditioning” colors. The author’s motto: “You are the boss of color.”

April 1, 2015

Color choice is key to the look of a quilt, but choosing the right colors to produce a desired effect can be difficult. In this guide, quilter Goldsmith (The Best-Ever Applique Sampler from Piece O' Cake Designs) provides an approachable overview of color theory, with a focus on its application to quiltmaking. Goldsmith takes the "practical" aspect seriously--her focus isn't on the whys of color theory but on the theory in practice, including plenty of color-wheel illustrations, as well as photographs of both finished quilts and fabric stacks to demonstrate the process of color choice. Ten projects allow quilters of various styles and skill levels the opportunity to practice their new-found color confidence. VERDICT There are several "color for quilters" books available--it's a hot topic--but this is one of the most user-friendly, plus it features the bright, cheery quilts (several including her trademark applique) Goldsmith is known for.

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