Colour

Two years ago I went to a two day colour workshop with Emma King and Sarah Hazell based on their book 'Exploring Colour in Knitting'. Although it was focused on using colour in knitting  we talked a lot about colour in a wider senses and how to use it. I must admit I had not really given how I used colour in my crafts much serious thought until then. I knew what I liked and what I didn't, but tended to pick wool and fabric just on instinct. Attending the workshop didn't change how I thought miraculously overnight, but it did make me start to think bit by bit about how I used colour in what I made. These two cushions above are an illustration of one of my first attempts at playing with colour. They are made from a needlepoint pattern adapted from this book

It's very simple and just requires you to stitch in colour blocks of  7x7 stitches framed in a grid of a single colour. I based my colour choices for the cushion at the back of the sofa on one of my favourite plants from my garden.

Now this all sounds very artistic - realistically this was an inspiration, not a lot more, as I was struggling to buy tapestry wools using internet colour charts or nipping into Hobbycraft between appointments and guessing what colours I needed. I soon worked out I should have made a 'shade card' of colours I had used already to help me buy new ones. But even with these practical limitations I think the cushions turned out well and I do love them for being all my own choices.

I'm less confident with my quilts, but improving. Initially my favourite quilts have been those made with a fabric pack like this, where I have used a jelly roll so I am sure that the colours will go well together ( Fabric: Mama Said Sew from Moda, Pattern: Garden Trellis by Pam and Nicky Lintott).

However, I am gradually getting more confident about fabric choices and have just completed a quilt top with my own colour choices which I really like. Unfortunately I can't show it to you just yet as it is a gift for an occasion next year - but let's hope it is the first of many. 

I feel quite excited at the possibilities - and if there is the odd mistake along the way - well maybe that's just part of the learning process.