Читать книгу The Quilter's Bible - Linda - Страница 20

Colour – This is a driving force for quilters. Many people select fabrics after a colour scheme and quilt design have been decided but not always; falling in love with a particular fabric can be the starting point for a whole design and its colour scheme. Think about what works for you colourwise. What colours are you drawn to or repelled by? Do you like bold or subtle prints, bright or muted colours? If you are a beginner, it is usually best to work with colours you like and feel comfortable with.

Value – This is the lightness or darkness of a colour and many quilters find that a mixture of light, medium and dark colours produces the most visually satisfying result. A quilt that has fabrics all with the same colour value can look dull and boring. Fabric viewed through coloured lenses can reveal differences in value. Use a red lens for warm colours and a green lens for cool colours (see colour wheel diagram below and Design Tools: 3&4).

Contrast – This is often what gives a quilt additional interest, and contrast can be the juxtaposition of many things, warm against cool, light against dark, print against plain, large motif against small. Once you have chosen a preliminary collection of fabrics, look at them again to see if there is sufficient contrast.

Variety – This refers to the mix of fabrics used, as these can make a quilt more visually stimulating. Consider the style and scale of fabrics, mixing small prints with larger ones, and combining styles, such as florals with stripes, or geometrics with curves. Plain (solid) colours can work with busy prints to tie a design together.