January Colour Inspiration
This month's colour inspiration is brought to you by the Canadian winter ;-) As I'm writing this, it's currently -18C outside, and this palette of cool blues and greys just seemed fitting. It's not nearly as grey outside, though, it's mostly white, but I've always been amazed by how a winter landscape can be beautiful but at the same time almost free of what we normally perceive as colour. And I say perceive because if you look closely, there is still lots of colour, but they're mostly shades of cool blues, greys, and some browns mixed in from the dead grasses and the shrubs peaking out from the snow
This is not a colour palette I would normally jump to for a quilt, so I thought this would make a nice challenge for the mockups this month.
January Colour Palette
I picked Kona solids in Metal, Cloud, Copen, Titanium, and Blueberry to represent this colour palette.
January Quilt Mockups
Starting off with Flocks of Colour, this quilt works really well in this colour palette. The pattern uses 5 fabrics for the geese, so it's ideal for this mockup. And I love how it almost looks like a winter forest with the white background.
Line Dance was a bit trickier to place the colours, because there are so many options for colouring this quilt. I love this sort-of ombre effect the blue fabrics have achieved.
If you're looking for something without a background fabric, Ripple & Swirl checks that box. It might not hurt to add another light grey, and maybe even another icy blue as well, but this would make for a really stunning quilt, especially in prints.
The original Staccato sample was made in a blue ombre, so of course I had to try this colourway as well. For this one I used one of the blues as the background fabric...
... and for this one I used all the colours from the inspiration palette in the dots, and added white as a background.
What do you think? Are you going to make one of these winter quilts?
Hi Gail, that’s going to be a fabulous special exhibit at your show. I hope someone will post some photos so I can see them, too.
Hi Nancy, HSTs are such a simple but versatile block to use, they make for some really stunning quilts.
I’ll probably do Ripple & Swirl as I love HST and have lots.
We have close to 10 inches of snow on ground. The roads probably okay, but I haven’t been out. Our streets are slick or look that way. Have to go out today, so I’ll find out.
Stay warm.
Thanks Monika, I enjoyed reading your musings on Christmas and fresh beginnings. I love the flocks of colour pattern – will consider it as I try to keep organized and not have too many things on the go at the same time. I have finished my Planned Improv quilt and will post soon on Instagram. Our workshop group ( YHQG) is thinking of having a group exhibit of your workshop at our next show in November 2025.