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dawnp_gw

Choosing colors for a scrappy quilt

dawnp
11 years ago

You all were so helpful and encouraging about the quilt in a day that I recently made that I thought I'd come back for more advice.

I am attaching a photo of a scrappy Irish Chain that I love. I have lots of fabric from years and years and would love to use it as opposed to making another coordinated quilt that I know I would spend a lot of money on.

So, my question is about choosing colors. Does pretty much anything go? In the picture, it looks like a lot of random fabrics. Are there any colors to avoid or any rules?

I already found some free instructions online.

Thanks!

Dawn

Comments (19)

  • dawnp
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Here's another photo

  • msmeow
    11 years ago

    Dawn, I love that quilt! To me, the whole point of a scrappy quilt is to throw everything in together. Once the small squares are sewn together, they become part of the whole and lose their individuality.

    I might go as far as not putting orange next to red, but other than that I would cut the colored squares and throw them in a bag or box and pull them out at random.

    Donna

  • teresa_nc7
    11 years ago

    With squares that small, you'd never even notice red next to orange! Go for it! Maybe try to not put too obviously really close in color squares next to each other.

    I've done a lot of scrappy quilts and the one thing I have learned is to have lots and lots of fabrics used in the quilt. My scrappy 1930's Sunny Lanes quilt on my bed has over 40 different fabrics in it and I think I could have used more. So if you think using 25 fabrics is scrappy enough.....add another 20 or 25 more different fabrics to the mix!

    Here is a pic of my Sunny Lanes quilt, using 1930's reproduction fabrics, a few checks and plaids and even a navy and a black print.

    Teresa

  • loisflan
    11 years ago

    Gee, Dawn, I think I see almost every color in the quilt. There are even quite large prints. I don't see any stripes. And I do notice that any very pale fabrics that might not contrast enough with the white are kept in the middle of the chain. I would avoid a block of the same color (I see an area where there are four red blocks in a square.) I think I would have broken that up. I think the quilt is great looking. It will be a wonderful way to use up your scraps.

    Teresa, I think your quilt is lovely too. Lois

  • nannykins
    11 years ago

    I have done several scrappy quilts. And I tend to keep my colours semi-related, for instance, all pastels or all darks. And the more fabrics, the merrier.
    Just my preference but I should step out of that box and throw everything in. And Teresa, your quilt is just gorgeous.
    Theresa

  • day2day
    11 years ago

    I think you can use almost any color in a scrappy quilt...the more the merrier.
    Scrappy quilts have always been my favorites.
    With all the quilts I have made, the one below is my favorite.
    I had lots of 2" squares and I just joined them randomly.


    ~Geraldine

  • bev2009
    11 years ago

    The quilts are all lovely! I love the scrappy look and the idea of using what you already have. Teresa, I like how the few darker squares make everything pop.

  • lowraine
    11 years ago

    I love the ideas you quilters come up with, how can I save these pictures. I am a visual person so I do my best work when I have something to look at. I am new to quilting and have started a scrappy quilt using a five sided center and adding to it until I have an eight inch square with the five sided square somewhat in the center, they are beautiful blocks. Being new to quiling I don't have as much extra fabric as you guys so I bought 300 pieces from someone on ebay for a small amount. I have ordere more this week. She makes rag dolls and has lots of scrape. Anyone interested in knowing who she is let me know. I will show my quilt when I finish. Thanks for the help and ideas.

  • nanajayne
    11 years ago

    I love scrappy quilts. Use as many fabric as you can but mix them up with value and color.



    A couple that I have done.

  • dawnp
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Teresa and Geraldine - Beautiful quilts! Thanks for the pictures!

    Great pointers everyone. I will now have to pull out all my fabrics and see how many I have. It's fun because many of them are fabrics from clothes I made for my children when they were little. I can never bear to part with any of them so it will be nice to incorporate them into a quilt.

    Lowraine - that's a great idea to pick up scraps on ebay. If I don't have enough of an assortment, I'm going to look into that.

    Lowraine - To save these photos, you hold your mouse curser on the picture. Then right click your mouse. You will get a box with choices in in. Highlight save image as and then you can save it on your computer. I have recently opened a Pinterest account which is so easy to use and save any photos from the internet that you see. It's free but you might need a facebook account to get a Pinterest.

    Thanks again everyone!

  • lowraine
    11 years ago

    I love the ideas you quilters come up with, how can I save these pictures. I am a visual person so I do my best work when I have something to look at. I am new to quilting and have started a scrappy quilt using a five sided center and adding to it until I have an eight inch square with the five sided square somewhat in the center, they are beautiful blocks. Being new to quiling I don't have as much extra fabric as you guys so I bought 300 pieces from someone on ebay for a small amount. I have ordere more this week. She makes rag dolls and has lots of scrape. Anyone interested in knowing who she is let me know. I will show my quilt when I finish. Thanks for the help and ideas.

  • dawnp
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Nanajayne - We were posting at the same time. Love both of your scrappy quilts!

  • dawnp
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    I found this photo online

  • nannykins
    11 years ago

    Here is one scrappy. The pattern is called Eclipse and because of the bright colours. I called it Solar Eclipse. Looks like it as planned but only each block is planned.
    Somehow the picture got rotated.
    Theresa

  • nannykins
    11 years ago

    And here is Lunar Eclipse. The same background fabric makes it seem less scrappy but it really is. Again the picture got rotated. Is that happening to anyone else?
    Theresa

  • geezerfolks_SharonG_FL
    11 years ago

    There is so much you can do with scrappy squares, whether they're controlled or not.

    SharonG/FL-MN

    Here is a link that might be useful: scrappy squares with QST

  • rosajoe_gw
    11 years ago

    At first I did not care for scrappy, but I love them now. This is a scrappy Irish Chain I made for my sister's bday. I am working on a more colorful one for another sister.

  • nannykins
    11 years ago

    The things we can do with scraps!!!!!
    Theresa

  • calliope
    11 years ago

    Oh boy...........so much eye candy! Years ago before I started making quilts, I hated scrappies, but I love them now and I make at least every other quilt a scrappy. I resist the temptation to hunt and peck for values or the chance one square might look too much like the one next to it. When I see that occasional happenstance on a quilt, I smile. Yep.........a REAL scrappy by a purist. LOL.