Have you ever chosen colors for a project only to be disappointed by the results? Sometimes once a project is complete, the actual result just doesn’t match up to our creative vision.
One question that I hear often is, “How do I choose colors for my project?” There are some tricks that can help:
Try searching the internet for things like flowers or landscapes along with the color you are wanting to use. The hardware store’s paint section has paint chip selections that allow you to play with the colors to see what goes together. My favorite is looking at the selvedge of a fabric that I like. Here you will find dots of the colors that are used in the print which will help you choose coordinating colors. This is a guaranteed win!
Once you have some fabrics that you are interested in using, cut some squares and place them next to each other and see what you think. In fact, take a picture with your phone and then take a look at them and see if anything stands out too much.
Are you more of a planner than that? You may like to use software to plan your project from start to finish.
When working with embroidery software, change the background color to match the fabric you will be stitching it onto and choose it to display using the actual brand and color of threads that you have chosen. This is especially great for seeing if the colors in your design will be visible on the fabric it is to be stitched. Embroidering for someone else? Use this to get final approval before you sew.
For a quilt, use quilting software, like Design N Quilt. Here you can take actual images of your fabric and use those to color in the pieces of your blocks. This way you can get an accurate look at what your project will look like on screen before you start to sew a stitch. With Design N Quilt, you can audition different blocks and even plan a whole quilt resulting in printable fabric requirements, rotary cutting instructions, paper piecing diagrams and even appliqué patterns.
Don’t let choosing the right colors frustrate you. Get creative on playing with colors before you get started so you end up with project results you love.
Happy Sewing,
~Reva
