We Love Color Blog Tour + Giveaway

Welcome to the final stop on the We Love Color Blog Book Tour!

I’m excited to have a design in this book and humbled to be included with 15 other talented designers whose work I have enormous respect for and have long been inspired by. The book was conceived and compiled by Susanne Woods. The book includes 16 quilt designs using only Robert Kaufman Kona Cotton Solids. Each design includes a specific list of the colors used in the quilt.

The theme of the blog tour is for each contributor to talk a bit about where we get our color inspiration.

I own a color wheel, somewhere – I’m certain I could locate it if my life depended on it – hopefully! I tend to get an idea in my head and just start pulling fabrics. I go in cycles but generally gravitate toward cool, bright and clear colors. I put things on the design wall, step back, and choose what my eye finds pleasing.

It needs to have balance as my eye sees it. I attempt to bring in light, medium and dark – that gives me something to work with in the design. If something is ruining the party I 86 it. If I don’t LOVE it then it needs to go.

When I was asked to contribute to We Love Color I took that concept literally. What Kona Cotton colors do I LOVE. I started with Cactus, Slate, Jade Green, Eggplant and Stone.

I also started with 3 different designs – all using this color palette. I sent in my ideas and let Susanne pick the winner. I also let the Pink Chalk team view the designs and make their choice. Guess what? Everyone chose the cross quilt except for me. Always work with a good editor!

Back to color. As I worked out the color formula for the final quilt Eggplant was replaced with Hibiscus – it was more clear and bright and played much nicer with the other colors. I tried to make Stone work – over and over and over again but it just didn’t. Out it went. In came Ash – quite a versatile color!

I also allowed the design to drive the inclusion of additional colors. After realizing I had 9 blocks with 3 colors each I focused on the idea of using 9 colors that would appear 3 times in the quilt. Once as the outside squares, a second time as the border to the center square and a third time as the center square itself. It was not a straightforward process to bring in the additional colors. Many auditions, re-trys and re-makes. I have a very difficult time deciding if I like a combination until I see it sewn together. I can put something on the design wall as cut pieces but still react differently to it after it’s sewn.

The color stack above featured in the quilt includes: Slate, Hibiscus, Cactus, Ash, Jade Green, Hyacinth, Peacock, Thistle and Windsor. My favorite Kona color in this quilt is Hyacinth.

Robert Kaufman released 28 new Kona Cottons this month (our shipment arrived today – spectacular!). My blog tour color is Water.

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OK, two ways to win some amazing prizes here. I’m giving away one copy of the book and a FQ fabric bundle of all 28 new Kona Cotton Colors (thank you to Robert Kaufman for providing that prize!!!). Leave a comment sharing your favorite Kona Cotton Color. Winner will be selected one week from today on Thursday, July 12.

The Big Kahuna Grand Prize (updated):  Read the posts from each designer on the blog tour. The complete list is located here. Write down their favorite Kona Color. Mine is Hyacinth. Each designer was also assigned a color from the new 28 colors just released – you won’t need that information for the contest.  Leave a comment on the Robert Kaufman blog post dated July 9th (Monday) with your answers to be eligible for a Bounty of Basics 100 FQ Set that includes 2 FQs each of the top 50 colors used in the book. Wowza! Good luck!

Congratulations to Patti of Retired to Quilt – winner of the giveaway.