Ride the Color Wheel

Okay, so I lied.  First I said we would discuss quilt patterns that are simple enough to make in a weekend.  Then I said, we'd discuss creative quilt backs.  Well, as I was sitting down at my computer to begin tonight's blog, I spied my color wheel and thought that might be a great place to go for today's post.

I am posting the above picture to give you an idea of how you can view color differently using a color wheel. The truth is, I have always been fairly good at home decor, crafting and choosing colors and accessories for my home.  I have often had people come to visit at my home and ask me if I could decorate their homes for them.  My answer to them has always been the same and that is yes, I could decorate their homes and their home would look just like my house because I just have a strong sense of what I like and what I find to be harmonious.  But as with anything, it is easy to get into a rut.  As I shop for fabric now for my shop, I realize that I have to get outside the box of what I like and figure out what might be beautiful to other people.  My color wheel is my new objectivity tool.  The fat quarter bundle pictured above was built by me using my color wheel.  One of the suppliers I use has fat quarters by the hundreds precut and organized only by color so you find yourself sifting through hundreds of each color with different prints and patterns with varying color values and hues wondering what to do.  Without my color wheel, I don't know that this bundle of fat quarters would have worked together as harmoniously as they do.  I don't know that I would have thought to pull in the blues and greens like I did with the bright oranges.  This fat quarter bundle sold almost as soon as I stocked it in my shop.  The reason is that I made it easy for the buyer by giving her not only coordinating colors but giving her the contrasting colors as well  on the other side of the color wheel.

The color wheel I purchased was $5 or $6 at my local big box craft store.  It came with detailed instructions (in four languages no less!) as to how the arrow and numerical notations were to be used.  I particularly like the openings in each color  grouping so it can be set right on your object and see it next so all seven qualities of each color group.  Each color value in each grouping is numbered, and if you follow the correct arrows across the wheel, the numbers can be matched to a color value in a contrasting color.  The same can be done following a different set of arrows to to the coordinating colors.  Using the specific arrows as they are grouped will help you build combinations in two, three or four sets of colors.  You'll be surprised how using a simple tool like this will help you choose color combinations that you would not have thought to put together on your own.  This tool has definitely been a wonderful addition to my supplies especially as I go out on my supply runs.
There are also MANY apps now for your tablet or smartphone that will help you build color palettes using photographs that you upload or by simply choosing a color and asking the app to put together a palette following your specifications. Some of these apps are free, some are not.  My advice would be to read the reviews before you purchase or download.  I have a couple of these apps on my own iPad but this little color wheel is a bit more portable when I am out scouting new fabrics for my shop. Whatever direction you choose to go, you won't go wrong and I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at what you can build that you perhaps you wouldn't have thought of alone.  Get out there and color the world!