If there is one thing I find frustrating about sewing, its fabric! Really! I buy things I like, solids, print and patterns, but then when I look through my (several) boxes of fabrics, I'm never sure which to put together. I love to sew bags, and I'd like to sew more for the home, but usually I never actually start – paralyzed by my inability to put the right fabric with the right project, or just to put the right co-ordinating fabrics together.
Do those two prints work together? Which solid should I use as contrast/binding/piping/straps? Even, what color zipper would work in this bag?
I've looked at various sites about color theory, mainly as it relates to art or photography and usually never come out of it any the wiser. Then this year, Craftsy introduced their Block of the Month class and I almost never even looked at it – I'm not a quilter after all and don't have the time to start another hobby when I haven't yet mastered so much about sewing clothes. Luckily, I did take a closer look and found it was exactly what I was looking for!
Join quilting instructors Amy Walsh and Janine Burke as you say goodbye to color confusion. Learn how to choose inspired color combinations for captivating quilts! Start with color theory basics and discover accessible techniques for combining colors. Create a soothing, low-contrast look with analogous colors, or an energetic, high-contrast effect using complementary colors. Add emotion to your designs with warm and cool colors, make your piecing pop with hexadic color schemes and create contrast with value. Along the way, you'll make six different blocks, sewing and arranging them into a vibrant 60″ x 90″ (152 cm x 229 cm) sampler quilt. Plus, you can develop your color confidence without having to worry about selecting fabrics-— use the same sumptuous collection of Michael Miller's batiks that Amy and Janine work with in class. These fabrics are available in convenient kits right from Craftsy! Don't forget to look for the kit when you sign up for this fun, free class.
At last, a class about color theory and how it relates to fabrics, prints and sewing. It doesn't just look at color as flat color, but also looks at the texture of the fabrics and the variance of color throughout each print.
Each class has two elements. 1 – the quilt block pattern itself and how to sew it. 2 – the section about color theory. Obviously, if you are into quilting, both are excellent and the previous Block of the Month Classes have had fabulous reviews and student projects posted. But for me, the elements about color theory make the whole course worth watching.
Now, it IS a Block of the Month Class, so the classes are released monthly so you can't get too far ahead of yourself and finish the whole quilt in a week. This means that so far, I've only seen
Lesson 1 – introduction to the class and the instructors. What we are going to learn.
Lesson 2 – color theory basics
- basics of the color wheel, primary, secondary and tertiary colors
- terminology and color vocabulary, do you know the difference between a tint, a shade and a tone? Now I do !
- how to ‘read' the color of a fabric and classify it accordingly
Lesson 3 – the analogous color scheme.
- using colors that are next to each other on the color wheel for a calming feeling.
- just how much of the color wheel to use. How far is too far!
- matching degrees of saturation.
Lesson 4 – the complementary color scheme.
- using colors that are opposite one another on the color wheel for impact and contrast
- examples of fabrics which fit the various schemes and those that do not.
- looking at examples of fabrics with high contrast printed patterns and how to use them.
Lesson 5 – not yet released. Can't wait!
If you want to take a look at color theory and how it applies to fabrics, then this course looks really good – and its FREE!
Sign up for the 2014 Craftsy Block Of The Month
If you want to take a try at quilting, these blocks look a little too advanced for a beginner, but the earlier Block of the Month Classes from 2012 and 2013 are still available and are free too. You can sign up for these and take the whole class from start to finish right away without having to wait month-by-month.
Want more free sewing and quilting classes? Just click here –>
I have purchased several classes and love those instructors,specially Kim Einmo,she is so pleasant as well as very knowledgeable.
You do have to create an account on Craftsy, which is free. In their search engine, which is excellent, type in free classes, and not only this class will come up. I love their classes. They are really good.
Hello all! Thanks so much for your help! I’ve created a Craftsy account and have ‘bought’ the class.
I am a very new knitter and a brand brand new aspirational sewer (I don’t even have a machine yet) so Craftsy looks like a resource that will help me ALOT!
Deby I love your site and your tutorials are a GREAT help to me. Thank you for putting in the work to share your knowledge, I really appreciate it! Just so you know the banner box on the side of the page takes me back to this post and the ‘Click here to sign up link” embedded in the body of your post takes me to an error message. At least that’s what I’m experiencing on my end.
Thanks again for your tutorials. The essential sewing tools and preparing your fabric tutorials are fantastic!
Thanks for letting me know about the link – yep, I did it wrong, I was rushing, but I’ve corrected it now. I think you’ll love all the Craftsy resources for knitting, they have several free classes for that subject too I think. It’s kind of you to let me know about which posts you have found particularly useful.
Wow – this is a class I would love to take! I can’t find the link to connect to the class. Please help 🙂
You can just click on any of the banners = the bright graphics advertising the class and they take you right to the 2014 Block of the Month class, with the Color Theory lessons.
This is a class I could use! I know nothing about combining color. Thanks! I don’t see the link? I can find the class myself on Craftsy but do you get some kind of credit if we click from here?
Hi Becky. There are a couple of banners within the post itself but sorry if you didn’t know you could click on them. My fault for making assumptions. I’ve added in a link at the bottom of the post to make it more obvious. And thanks for asking, but No I don’t get anything for you signing up through my site, but I appreciate you thinking of me~!
I kid you not, this very subject ran through my brain just 2 days ago. I had no idea about this class. As a former art student, I was thinking I should know this stuff. I’m going to go sign up for that right now.
Thanks!
Debbie… (0;
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