3 in 1 Color Tool by Joen Wolfrom

Here is another in my series on color tools. This one was suggested by several readers. It is an impressive combination that should be helpful for a variety of decisions that quilters need to make. Compact enough for the handbag, it can easily be carried to the fabric shop or to class.



If one is not interested in investing in the Color Aid cards, this provides a wealth of color chips very compactly. Each color chip has a scale from the pure color in the center to increasing tints to the left and increasing shades to the right. And on the other side of the card and especially fascinating are the scales for tones. There is a scale of shade + gray to the left, a scale of pure color plus gray in the center and then a scale of tints plus gray to the right. You can see them in the blue and blue violet cards displayed.



I was particularly pleased to see the variety of pure colors used.

There are five color cards for blue, ranging from blue-violet, through, blue, cerulean blue, turquoise to aqua blue. you can see these on the second photo.



On the back of the color cards are the colors that will provide different color plans. The third photo shows the back of the cards.


It is interesting to compare adjacent color cards to see the very fine differences in that occur in the analogous colors and complementary color plans. If your quilts are not having the color punch that you want, you might consider checking these color plans out.































Several readers have written into the Quilt Art list that they do not need or use a color tool, that they use the colors that feel right to them. That is great, man, how I envy them. Some artists do have an amazing sense of color and what colors go with other colors to convey their message. My ex had a wonderful, intuitive, untrained sense of color that was far beyond mine.



I love color and find that I am always learning more about it. My intuitive sense is fair, but I find that I may need to tweak my color usage to better convey what I am trying to say. And then the tools are great. So if you don't need them, don't use them. But if you are like me, and are still learning, give some tools a try out and see if they help develop your comfort level with choosing colors.



Another tool at the back will be good for quilters who piece in small squares, circles and triangles to try out different patterned fabrics to see what they will look like in small amounts. This is another tool that can be very useful to the quilter who is just learning about fabric choices.


And then there are value finders in red and green that can help determine contrasting values without color confusing the decision making. All in all, this is a great little tool that is published by C&T Publishing for less than $20. Check out your local quilt shop. You can probably find it there.
May glorious color fill your life,

Nancy

Mockingbird's Larder

Mockingbird's Larder was a real joy to create. I started with photographs of the deciduous holly trees taken at the Mint Museum in Charlotte. The berries hold onto the branches late into the winter long after the leaves drop. Looking closely at the junctures of the berries to the stems, there are these interesting little knots at the base of the stems. Seems to me that they probably are where berries have been in the past. And then there are little leaf buds along the stems as well. The tree's past, present and future is visible right there. Love how this really portrays the continuity of life.

Here in the Southeast USA, the Mockingbird likes to find a source of winter food and stand guard over it, running away any competition for the berries. But just as the berries ripen in the winter, a flock of Cedar Waxwings, or American Robins will descend and strip the berries before moving on -- raiding the Mockingbird's larder. Such is life.

Just had the quilt photographed by Deidre Adams. She was able to get the full piece well lit and professionally pulled out of the background, skills I have yet to master.