Value (the relative lightness or darkness of a color) is used in EVERY quilt, though not always successfully. You can play around all you want with color schemes (analogous, complementary…), and color temperature (warm and cool), but value is still going to be what you need to create design.
I wanted to play with value in a scrappy way that was different from my half-square-triangle Value Quilt Tutorial and thought of stitch and flip triangles as an easy place to start. The technique is one of my favorite in Quilting Modern.
Overall this quilt’s values ended up being very medium to light. The contrast created by the values was in no way extreme. The values created a softer, mellower look.
There are some places in this quilt where there isn’t enough value contrast. Giving myself some distance from the quilt would have been helpful to see that.
In the end though, I can embrace those learning mistakes and see that this quilt is perfect for a baby. And that little yellow rosebud fabric in there…I had those sheets as a kid.
This quilt also made me take a look at my overall stash building. Lights, I am deficient on lights. We all know how to take care of that little problem don’t we?
This little Value Quilt was thrown on the long-arm when I visited Sandie last week to quilt my Modern Charm Squared Quilts. The spiraling pattern was challenging to trace smoothly from the paper pattern I followed.
Sandie told me something she had heard that stuck in my head. “It doesn’t have to be a perfect line, just a pretty line.” All washed and crinkled, be it so.
The backing is from the stash. An older Alexander Henry that is just like sunshine.
The binding, a Cloud 9 flannel that I got from Drygoods here in Seattle.
This Value Quilt has already found a great home. Those babies keep coming.
I’ve now made about a million of these hst with stitch and flip triangles which I call double trouble. I’m not very enthusiastic about them up on the design wall, so I have some create thinking to do this week.
Happy Sunday!
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::Half-Square Triangle Class:: $85/Saturday October 27th from 10am to 4pm at the West Seattle Stitch and Sew Studio.
This versatile quilt block lends itself to endless designs. We’ll cover quilting basics such as picking fabrics, matching seams and create perfect points. We’ll play with a layout that suites your style and you’ll walk away with ideas for a multitude of quilts. All level of sewists welcome.
Here’s what I love about light and medium value quilt … though there are places where the contrast isn’t strong enough, it’s amazing that our eyes make it happen. Always impressed by your work!
Personally, I always like it when there are parts in a quilt where the value makes the block hard to see. Maybe because it adds interest or is unexpected?
Also love the HST quilt – the mix of standard HSTs and stitch and flip wonkiness is fantastic!
I love that quilt on the design wall! You don’t like it?! I’m sure you will come up with something even more fabulous!!
Ooh, I like what’s brewing on your design wall! I’m light deficient as well. I chalk it up to my love for bold color.
I like quilts with more color. Quilts with large amounts of one solid color are not my favorite. Your stitch and flip quilt is the kind I love the most. And your HST is also my favorite kind. Your quilts are wonderful. Thank you for your help with color.
I still struggle with color value with my quilts. Do you have and advice that could help me with this problem?? Thanks
Gasp… It’s susch a great quilt. Love everything about it. And more so the one you have on your design board with the tiny white squares…. Simply perfect!
How funny – a friend showed me her “cut corners” layer cake quilt yesterday and I decided tonight to make one of my own, but had that issue of values and how do I structure those new sewn corners. And then along comes your post using the same design. I do feel much more comfortable if I have some light values in there, otherwise it feels a little avante garde and I’m not too sure I’m up for that pressure on myself!
So in short, I love this post. Food for thought. Thank you.
timing is everything. good luck!
I love the blocks on your design board as is.All the negative space is great.
Oh, the one on the design one in the livudio has such dimension. I love it. Especially with the careful placement of colour.
scrappy, right up your alley!
Woa, I like what you’ve got on the wall exactly as is. It’s really stunning!
This is so beautiful!
Beautiful! The colors are so striking against each other, and yet they still all come together!