Color Palette Series: January
Welcome to the first edition of my 2024 color palette series! January’s featured color palette that is sure to kick-start your year with plenty of inspiration as we head into all things heart-themed! This month, I thought I would focus on a particular fabric pull that I curated for a recently completed quilt pattern - Lovelace by my lovely friend Mandy of The Dandy Patch!
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Fabric Choice:
For this project, I turned to my most trusted source for texture - Essex linen by Robert Kaufman.
The black and white 1-inch gingham is Carolina gingham, also by Robert Kaufman, but is 100% cotton rather than a cotton-linen blend.
All of the fabrics pictured here were purchased from Fat Quarter Shop. I love their selection of Essex linen fabrics! Each specific fabric is listed below for your reference.
I wanted to make this quilt scream Valentine’s Day without relying on the traditional pink and pastel candy heart colors we’ve all come to love. There is nothing wrong with any of those colors, but my style trends toward a more muted, monochromatic color scheme. I also knew that I wanted this project to work as a seasonal piece that could stand the test of time. (Let’s face it - I cannot be trusted to put holiday decor away in a timely manner!) This quilt pattern is absolutely adorable, and I wanted to be sure that the finished quilt could be showcased year-round.
I settled on a decidedly Valentine’s, yet decidedly neutral color palette that I think is an absolutely perfect color palette for the contemporary quilter. Read on for all of the details!.
Subtle Strawberry
Always in season!
The Background:
If you’ve ever seen any of my quilts, it will come as no surprise that I chose a bright, almost white neutral for my background. I actually thrifted the specific fabric that I used for my Lovelace quilt, but Kona Natural would be a great substitute.
The Main Colors:
The minute I saw the release of Robert Kaufman Essex Linen Classic yarn dyed in Strawberry Plaid, I knew I was going to use it. I had been waiting for the perfect project, and THIS WAS IT! I absolutely adore a gingham, and let me tell you, this is a good one!
To tie in the strawberry vibes, I chose Essex Linen yarn dyed in Berry. I had used this fabric in a previous project, and felt confident that the color would go well with the Strawberry plaid although it wasn’t an exact match. Generally, I try to find coordinating colors rather than exact color matches, especially when I’m working with a color as distinct as red.
The Neutral:
Ah, the neutral. The unsung hero of every quilting project. My absolute favorite place to be is in this neutral zone. Something about a taupe or beige just sets my soul at ease! Honestly, I surprised myself when I chose a red stripe on a natural background to serve as my neutral in this fabric pull! I had planned to use a tan stripe, but I saw the strawberry stripe and just couldn’t resist. I love how it turned out!
The Accents:
BLACK - it had to be black. Black is one of my all-time favorite colors. Yes, I believe it goes with anything and no, I will never be convinced otherwise! When I first looked at the Lovelace pattern, I noticed that the small heart blocks essentially framed the design repeats, and I really wanted to highlight it with my color choices. Seriously, this might have been one of my best decisions of the year!
Since the quilt top was basically all red with a black pop, I wanted to be sure to bring a little something special to the backing. I chose the 1-inch Carolina gingham so that it would be larger than the strawberry gingham on the front (which is about a 1/4-inch gingham), and I went with a black + gray combination to pull the whole project together.
Check out the graphic below to see all of the colors that I used in one convenient place! Be sure to follow me on Instagram where I will be sharing my progress on finishing my Lovelace quilt!
