When we were asked to design a quilt for We Love Color, a quilting book using only solids, we jumped. Many of the quilts that Bill and I made together before we started a company in 1999 were made exclusively with solids. We knew that there were other designers involved in the book and we also knew that we would have access to the entire Kona solids collection. (I heard that — the sound of your heart racing at the thought of having access to the entire Kona solids collection)
So we weren’t just designing any old quilt. We needed to design something that wouldn’t look like anyone else’s submission. We looked at the list of contributors and tried to guess based on past work what sort of colors others would be using and what sort of patterns they would submit. We guessed that there would be a lot of bright quilts that would be very graphic. To give the book variety, we decided to go in the opposite direction.
Rather than going graphic we decided to go for subtle, understated and calm. We wanted unexpected color work that was modern but really, really different. We also didn’t want to go rainbowy even given the temptation to do so with all of those colors at our disposal. We started throwing out ideas about complex color palettes and where one found interesting juxtapositions of color.
We settled on the point at which the ocean washes onto the beach. Beach colors are usually thought to be the colors that designers assign to bright or pastel beachwear, beach umbrellas and Miami hotels. In fact, on the beaches of the East and Gulf Coasts of the US the colors are very soft and understated. The sands are soft taupes. There’s a lot of olive and muddy greens in the seaweed and sea life that washes onto the shore. Then there are those spectacular corals and pale pinks found inside the tiniest of shells or the beautiful conch shells. The pinks are special and there aren’t many of them but amid all of the tans, taupes, olives and dark greens of the seashore, the pinks look so vibrant when you stumble upon them.
It seemed to us that if we were making a quilt to best utilize a vast palette, that it would be criminal (from the perspective of color lovers) to limit our palette to just five or six colors. Thinking about the palette of Sanibel Island in Florida allowed us to use a small amount of a large number of colors to create complexity that wouldn’t be possible with a smaller palette. In basic design terms, one pink makes a quilt graphic, six pinks gives a quilt depth. One is not better than another, it’s merely a matter of knowing how to use color to achieve the desired effect.
As part of the blog tour for We Love Color each blogger has been asked to choose a color for the scavenger hunt. Choosing a single color is tough but I admit to having an affection for 197 Aloe. In fact we recently painted our bathroom a lighter shade of the same hue and I find it very calming. So click on over to the blog tour info page to learn how to participate in the scavenger hunt. You might even want to check out the We Love Color Flickr group.
Now for the giveaway: We’re giving away a copy of We Love Color as well as a bundle of new Kona colors. To enter, please leave a comment below describing the solids you use most frequently and how you buy them. Are you all over brights or do you stick to neutrals? Perhaps a mix of the two? Any colors you never buy? Does your local quilt shop carry a good selection of solids or do you buy online from a color card? You have until June 15th to enter.
craftnectar.com 
I use mostly neutral solids. I love black & white or red & white quilts. I also love using greys and tans. Thanks for the giveaway!
Most recently I have been using shades of grey, I enjoy using white and black as well, but now find I’m leaning toward more earthy colours. I rarely buy any fabrics in the yellow colour range as they usually don’t appeal to me.
I use white a lot, some black-but find it extremely hard to sew with (old eyes). So I tried some Kona Charcoal, got to say it is now my go to neutral. I do love colors but haven’t had much chance to use them a lot yet. I just finished my AMH Prism quilt top and used all solid Oakshott cottons for it & love the way it has turned out. Thanks for the chance to win.
The solids I’ve used recently include a royal blue, tan, light and dark green, and a medium pink. I have a collection of several solids from the Centennial Solids line and from my favorite, Cherrywood!
I love orange in combination with brown or grey!
I’m relatively new to using solids (so behind the curve!) as I usually use semi solids/tone on tones (I find them easier to hand piece as they’re softer and lighter) but I do love all the bluey-green colours that solids come in, they remind me of the sea! I never by anything brown or cream…
What a great giveaway!! I usually go for the brights but for my Kona Charm Pack challenge I used the pastel group, simply because it was not my comfort!! I buy from the color card online. Don’t have a good selection in the LQS.
I love muted, soft tones. I also like anything with a summery colour to it especailly shades of blue, green and yellow. I tend not to buy anything neon or super bright. I don’t have a quilt shop nearby and all fabric has to be bought using the internet. Thank you for a great giveaway. My fvourite kona solid colour is melon.
I have a huge stash in part of what I collected at the start of my quilting endeavor and in part what was given to me from the stashes of other quilters (move away into smaller homes and upon the death of a quilting friend.) My goal in life is to use as much of it as I can.
I love the modern quilt movement but have all these other fabrics I have to use up. BUT this gives me the opportunity to play in my own way.
I have some solids but mostly I work prints and use the solids to bolster and b;eunit the other fabrics. I use my SNOW with my muted fabric. My bright white with my brights. Black frequently goes into string quilts and as backgrounds to pop my colors.
In addition to white, the solids I use most often are in the “beach” palette -sea greens & blues and sandy tans as my neutrals. When I’m using a bright color for a pop of color it’s usually a spring green/apple green/lime or orange. Thanks for the giveaway.
I recently found myself using a spring green color as sashing for a group of floral prints I have pulled from the stash.
I put the blocks I made on the design wall let it talk to me before I pick my color sashing then buy that.
Snow / White and Black I buy by the bolt and cut off three yards at a time to pre wash. Other colors I buy as I need.
I frequently make donation quilts and my rule of thumb is they need to be pretty even if
nonniequiltingdreams@gmail.com
I am new to using solids as the main focus of a quilt – but, in general, I don’t limit myself to pone particular color palette in quilting. It really depends on the quilt. As for shopping, I have yet to invest in a color card, but I am thinking it might be a good idea. For now, though, it’s the LQS for me!
Being a student of Weeks and Bill, I have had such a wonderful experience of seeing solids used for many years. I usually like the strong, jewel, clear colors, however one of my favorites has been their “beach glass” collection. Kona makes a great product, and wonderful hand.
I like to use the softer tones of green, yellow, and corals. These are the shades that I like to use when I am doing neo-traditional blocks. I also use the brights when I want to do color block quilts. I am a newbie doing Modern Quilts and am loving the exploration of using more solids and letting the tones and shades carry the design. Utilizing the negative space in a design is so much fun. Thank you for the opportunity to enter the drawing for the new book. I thoroughly enjoy your (Weeks and Bill) work and your designs.
I use solids all over the board, depending on what I need them for. I have been ordering every color little by little to have them on hand. Stores in my area carry only a limited selection so I order most of them online.
At the moment, I’m on a “what I can scavenge” bender. Lot of remnants in shades of brown, green and a splash of pink.
That combo is lovely. :)
I buy a lot fo white at the moment. I have been using lots of blues and greens to use them up from my stash, which is from hand-offs from my mom and thrift store finds. (really)
My local quilt shop does not have much of a solids collection at all. :(
Solids are the best! My LQS has a pretty good stock of Kona, so I just go there when I have a project (although I can never seem to find the perfect shade of maroon there). Lately I’ve been quilting for others, so I’m buying for them, and it’s involved a lot of greens and turqoise. For myself, the only things I almost always avoid are pastels – unless they’re minimally part of a larger design.
I am loving chartreuse at the moment. It was the colour of my grandmothers eyes. I have used snow, grey, blues and natural linen, but chartreuse makes me want to make ten quilts with it in.
I mostly buy from my LQS, I like to see fabric and feel it first. The Melbourne modern quilt guild meet on a Friday night at a fabric shop, so I like to support the shop. Everything I buy there I use and I love, the only real success I’ve had online was Cherrywood.
I have used solids mostly for backgrounds, especially ash & white. Right now I’m making a scrappy quilt with Candy Blue as the background. I’ve mostly purchased them locally but the selection is limited. I would like to expand my use of solids and this book could really help me with ideas. Might need to get a color card too, so I could order online. Thanks for the chance to win!
I love white! My local quilt shop has more than 5,000 bolts of fabric so there are many choices available. I love being surrounded by the bolts of fabric!
I have recently fallen in love with Charcoal Gray, love how it makes so many other colors pop. I live far from any quilt shops so rarely see any of the Kona colors in person and am hankering after one of those great color cards that I saw at a recent quilt weekend. It is a feast for the eyes! Thanks for the giveaway and all the inspiration!
I’m really into neutrals at the moment.
I do buy from my local shop, but there isn’t the selection that you can get online.
Love your colors . . . the greens, browns and pinks are lovely together.
So far I’ve used neutral solids – white, cream, black. I used to purchase from my LQS, but since they’ve closed or moved away, I buy them online. Thanks for the chance to win.
I mostly use brights with some lighter shades and have mostly used hand-dyed (just love the Cherrywoods). Thanks for the chance to win.
Calm, that sounds good to me.
I am new to using solids in making quilts. I always tend to go for vibrant colors. I am learning to be more neutral.
I love the “theme” bundles of solids–I use the denim blues and also the oceany one, I think it’s called Neptune. I shop almost exclusively online.
I usually use creams and blacks as the only solids in my quilts. However, once I get my new sewing room up and running,:) I want to start making quilts using only solids. Unfortunately, I don’t have a good quilt shop that’s close enough to visit often, so I rely on a big fabric chain for my quilting fabrics. Their selection is minimal and inconsistent. Perhaps it’s time to start buying online…
I love solids too – I tend to make more graphic quilts with bright colors. My last quilt used bright colors – Kona Pomegranate, Corn, Sour Apple and Orange. I love the look of quiet, subdued quilts but I don’t have the confidence to pull together those shades and be happy with the results. I tend to buy my solids on line – with color card in hand!
i do love solids – i tend to use kona bone, snow, ash, and medium gray a lot. my favorite kona color is curry. and i’m spoiled – when i started quilting, i lived in los angeles, and shopped at sew modern (home of the LAMQG), which has every single kona in the store. now i live in the florida panhandle, and there’s nothing of the sort here.
I definitely use neutrals in the largest quantity. But I love solids, so I have a growing stash of all different tints and hues. I usually buy online because those stores often have much larger collections of solids and my local store doesn’t really have any.
I need several colors on hand: lime green, navy blue, bright blue, grays, whites, and tans. Other than that, I try to keep a variety in case a quilt needs a little something, but those are my must-haves.
I like Connecting Threads, Kona and Moda Bella Solids. I like light grays and whites which I buy a ton of. I also like solid natural linen colors. I buy small quantities of other colors especially brights as I don’t use them all over, just for tiny pops of color
So far, I’ve only used white and cream solids, though I do have a bright gold and a rich chocolate stashed. Your description of the colors you used in your quilt just made my mouth water! Very well written!
I use a lot of bright solids. I tend to buy them whenever I see them on sale.
I love lots of negative space, often my quilts are 50-75% negative space (ie Kona solid). I usually get my Kona solids at Quiltology in Chicago. My last two used an aqua and a raspberry, respectively. Every quilt I’ve made has been a gift, and people love the saturated, bold colors. They never thought quilts could be modern.
I use neutrals most frequently and buy some of them by the bolt. Other colors I buy by the yard. I’m lucky enough that my local fabric store carries the whole line! Before that it was either online or I made a trip to Shipshewana.
I like ice frappe and charcoal. I never use white. I know that a lot of modern quilters do but it is just too much for me. I have a color card, but not with the new colors. It would be nice to have color cards for other manufacturers though–kona doesn’t always have the shade I am looking for. I am excited to see that they added some new shades of brown and orange. I felt they were really lacking there for a long time. Can’t wait to see the book!
Probably more of what would be considered neutrals. It really depends though on what I’m working with “print-wise” and what I need to coordinate. I’ve only ever bought solids in yardage, not precuts. I buy both online and in-store. Thanks for chance to win this great book!
I love bright, bold colors. Rainbows are GOOD. My local quilt shops don’t carry a very good selection, so I buy online. Recently I just purchased a Bright Kona Cotton Roll Up. I don’t like muted colors, so I never use them. This book sounds so interesting!
I am new to using solids. For my whole life I’ve been a muted blue/green girl. Now all of a sudden I’m attracted to reds and yellow/oranges! I haven’t yet put the reds and oranges in a quilt, but I see it coming some time soon.
I tend to like softer, more neutral colors. Grey is a color I would not have considered earlier in my quilting history, but am finding myself drawn to a palette that works with it now. Our local shops are just starting to include some solids.
I’ve always always been a big print person and have only recently started buying solids. Love all colors both bright and more subtle but greens are definitely my favorite. I wish some local shop would carry a full line of Kona. Buy solids mostly online after finally investing in a color card.
So far, I have bought only purchased white (for miscellaneous projects, and an off white (for Big Dots in Quilts Made Modern). I really want to get a color card or two and start designing my own modern quilts!
I like to use Autumn colors in my quilts; maroons, golds, tans, beige, green, etc. I find myself stocking up on these colors when a sale is on. I also like to have plenty of black and white on hand but will rarely choose yellow. I prefer to shop and support the local fabric shops.
I love the brights and use them all the time, mixing them with prints. My LQS has a fair selection and I will buy a yard or two on occasion, but when I want to restock my neutrals will buy online in 6-10 yard cuts. If I find a sale online, use my color card to order. Haven’t found a color I don’t like.
My creative life was greatly disrupted by an out-of-state move 5 years ago and honestly, I still haven’t recovered. Add to that a long-arm purchase in 2009, my creativity output is depressingly low. But it sure hasn’t stopped me from buying fabric. The solids I buy in yardage are (sadly) mostly white and black. But I’ve been collecting Kona solids charm squares and layer cakes along with a collection or two of other solids I’ve read about. When I finally get around to making quilts again, I’ll be using the photograph method for choosing colors — if it goes together in nature, then it should look great in my quilt.
I always have a stock of Michael Miller Jet Black, purchased from Hancock’s of Paducah. I have the Kona color card, which I use to purchase specific colors when I need them, again from Hancock’s. My local JoAnn’s is now carrying a limited range of Kona solids, so if they have what I’m looking for, I’ll buy there, and will sometimes go with one of their other solids if the quality of the fabric is not essential for the particular project at hand. I have also turned to dyeing my own solids, which is a more direct way of getting the colors I want.
I love brights – and any shade in the purple family is my favorite
I use a ton of Kona white and medium gray. I’m working in some Kona ash and stone. What I can’t get at Hobby Lobby I order on Etsy. Thanks for the giveaway!
My LQS has an extremely limited number of solids so I order all mine online. I don’t yet have a color card but I know I should get one.
I find that I’m always needing grey because it’s most often my background color. Outside of that I stick to a lot of greens and blues because those are my favorite colors to work with.
First I have to ask; can you sell a kit of your Sanibel quilt? Right now my favorite solid is vintage Irish linen. I was lucky enough to buy 16 yards on Ebay. It’s a medium weight, tight, plain weave. It so nice to cut, sew, and Iron. It’s super stable. I’m now using it for sashing on a 3rd quilt. I’m going to be so sad when it used up :)!
What a great way to choose your colors in the quilt you’ve created for the book. I bet your quilt looks beautiful. The really bright colors are fun but, I also really do like the more subtle colors too.
I really haven’t done enough quilts yet to have any specific colors I use more than others or which ones I don’t tend to use. I love purple but for some reason rarely buy them because I’ve found that can be a tricky color to match unless you’re buying those in person.
As far as solids though, I find myself buying black and white mostly for backgrounds.
Well of course I buy the most in neutral, for sashing and binding, Kona Snow is my go-to for that, though I should switch to plain old white since they stock it at my local Joann’s. I also like using Kona Ash and Slate for neutrals.
Other than that I love bright colors, and like to try new ones. Just got a kona color card so my online orders will be more accurate as to the colors I need though – I’d love to own them all if I could :)
BEWARE of KONA at Jo-Ann’s it does not seem to be the same weight as QS quality … I can see my hand through it where I can not see my hand through QS fabric. The griege goods/ base is the same.. thinner thread, poorer weave. Looks terrible after you wash it.
Nonnie
The griege goods/ base is the same.. thinner thread, poorer weave.
Should read: The griege goods/ base is NOT the same.. thinner thread, poorer weave.
I use purples a lot along with white and some of the neutrals.
I usually pick up saturated colors of Kona online. My local shops don’t carry enough of the Kona, so I have a color card I refer to and find a shop with a good deal going. It only takes a couple of days to arrive and by then I’m done with my design!
I use the mostly grays as a neutrals, but I always have a selection of colors I like! I order online pretty exclusively & use a color card, but I guess I’m going to need a new one. I never buy much in the brown colors
I love using bright colors, black, and white. My local shop carries a great selection of Kona colors and I usually pick them up as I need them. Thanks for the great give away!
Today I am using Kona solids Orange and Royal Blue. I also like Red as I think of it as a neutral.
I enjoy your work.
The Kona solids I use most often are Snow, Ash, Coal, and Medium Gray. Generally, I order my solids online with a color card. The quilt shops near me have a very limited selection of solids. I wish they’d carry more, because I like to support local shops. Maybe this book will help get the word out that solids are as important as prints!
As a native Floridian, I can close my eyes and visualize the beach/waters edge with all those subtle colors just as you described them. The solids I use most frequently are ash, turquoise, white, and black. I buy Kona solids from Joann’s and from online (use an old color card and charm packs for color matching.) The LQS started carrying some Kona solids yet they are expensive. I like solids that play as a neutral for the quilt I’m making at the time. e.g. a light yellow and ash to coordinate with Origins prints (grunge is a print in the quilt I made). I’ve made one quilt that is all solids except for a stripe binding/border. It has mix of colors that are bright, neutral, and muted. Any colors you never buy? Pink
I think that answers all the questions you asked. Thanks for the giveaway! alternate email mlwright29(at)hotmail(dot)com
Solids you use most frequently and how I buy them: I use a lot of white, black, pink and red. Are you all over brights or do you stick to neutrals? I love brights but buy a lot of neutrals. Any colors you never buy? No, I buy all colors because I make so many gifts for friends and family.:) Does your local quilt shop carry a good selection of solids or do you buy online from a color card? I buy my Kona at my local fabric store. Thanks for the fun giveaway!
Lately, my neutrals are mostly grays–light grays for backgrounds in place of Snow or Cream. I also like the more striking grays such as Coal or Charcoal. I’ve strayed to browns, tans, and a navy blue or two. It’s new and it’s fun!
I am a HUGE fan of Kona cotton solids! I’ve made two quilts in the last few months with only Kona solids. There is not a color that I don’t like – my dream would be to have a bolt of every Kona color in my studio! I order on-line using a color card. I need to get the new updated color card with the new colors!
I never thought I’d use solids but that is changing. Until recently, black was the only solid I’d used. I’m using a butterscotch solid with my civil war repro scraps in a new project.
I seem to like them all. 18 years ago I took my daughter to a quilt shop in Texas to pick out fabric for her quilt…she picked only solids much to the astonishment of all there.
Perhaps she was on to something.
Greys are my new black..I love to have so many choices in every possible color.
I naturally gravitate to the brights but your selection inspired by the beach on the East coast makes me rethink favorites. The best news is that Kona comes is such a wide variety, one could have it ALL!
Lately I’ve ordered Kona by the bolt, simply because I’m using it for the borders, etc. I get most of my Kona from JoAnn’s but the best place to see all the colors and purchase them (for me, at least) is the store in WI, Patched Works. I would love the opportunity to win this book. Thank you!
Brights, definitely! Along the way I’ve collected a few neutrals but have not felt the bravery to explore with them…. yet!
What a beautiful palette. I’m looking forward to seeing your quilt. I’m using a lot of solids, generally on their own, as when I add in prints, I get too ‘matchy matchy.’ There is very little selection in our local stores (although we are encouraging the shop owners to carry more!) so I tend to buy online with the use of a colour card. I’d love, love, love to win the book and a sampling of the new kona colors – because it will be a while before I can see them in person!
thanks Weeks,
Pamela L.
Ontario, Canada
I LOVE the color Pistachio. I don’t know why, but I use it so much and it just makes me happy. Also love all your work.
The solid color I have used the most has to be royal blue, I bought yards of it and used it for the back of a quilt and blocks, too. It is all but gone now. I haven’t bought many solids, though I did receive a nice selection as a gift. I don’t think I have ever bought orange fabric; I have acquired some from other people in the fabric I have been given.
Aqua-blue – skies and oceans and color exercises exploring Olle Baertling’s admonishment to never do an abstract composition in green and blue because people will inevitably read them as land and sky or water.
I just treated myself to an Oakshott Colorbox. 100 luscious shot cottons. Yum.
The last solids I bought were some yellows, oranges, and greens. I have an amish style quilt I made a long time ago hanging on my wall right now for inspiration. I love solids.
I actually only have 3 solids but I’m going to buy more now that I see how wonderful they can be. I was always more of a pattern person, but it’s nice to have some solids mixed in. The 3 I have now are orange, purple and green. I wanted them for a Halloween quilt.
I’m trying to add to my solid stash but it is rather difficult. No LQS carries them and every one has to be ordered online. I find myself getting neutrals and colors. I’m so looking forward to this book.also headed out to see Aloe.
I started buying solids about a year ago and have gone CRAZY with them. I’m kind of all over the board palette wise but I always have large stocks of blues and greys. And a frightening amount of Kona Snow…
I started buying Kona solids about a year ago and now have about 60 in my stash. I have a fairly good variety. Currently I am working with the medium grey.
I buy a lot of neutrals quantity-wise, but I also buy smaller amounts of just about any solid that comes my way (in person). I will have to resort to buying online because my local quilt shop just closed.
i use kona solids! [sometimes i do get other solids if there is a really good sale] whites and neutrals and very soft, extra light colors for applique backgrounds and pieced backgrounds. brights for inner borders, all colors for accents, you name it, i use kona solids for it. i buy yardage and precuts and lots of it!
I am new to quilting, but I like a lot of white in quilts so I will be buying a lot of white as well as blues, my favorite.
i am swimming in kona purples. i bought a stack of purple fat quarters for my very first quilt and just fell in love with the lightest shades, and they now seem to turn up in almost everything i do.
I use brights and solids but really dont mix too much. Get them from the local shop! thanks!
I use Kona Cotton solids, mostly bright colors, yellows, oranges and reds, but I have used some neutrals too (it just depends on the project). I get them from a local Hancock Fabrics in Springfield Illinois.
In thinking about this, I’ve realized that I buy the solid neutrals to use along with small prints of similar colors. They keep the work from becoming ‘a little too busy’.
My choice is ALWAYS Kona solids … I love them, and that’s what I buy when I want a good quality solid. I’ve never had any problem with them, and because I’m the kind that “needs” to have supplies, I have a nice assortment :) I buy them when I can find a new color, or they are on sale that I CAN’T pass them up :) But I NEVER buy orange … orange fabric is a no-no, unless it’s the deep autumn orange :)
Thanks for the chance to win NEW Kona !!
I love using lots of black solid as I find it really pops all kinds of Oriental prints – which I love – but I am also a real fan of dark brown – it is wonderfull with oranges and turquoises. Thanks for the contest! If I don’t win, I will still look for the book!
Im a newcomer to the solid gang… :0) just started to add those lovely solids to my stash…well except for the whites…:0)
Living in Sweden makes the buying more difficult and depend on online buying…but I do that often..lol… So there will b some solids quilts in the making here in the future…so I long for this book as an inspiration and fun fun evening reading..:0)))
This is what the palette puts me in mind ofhttp://forestsandclimate.net/gallery
A mountain ash, a large eucalyptus .
All the blues and grays and of course snow and white! I love the palette you choose for you quilt Weeks. We have lts of green in our house too and I love the color it’s added in our living room instead of some shade of beige.
I love solids white. I think it goes well with any other colors. I bought online and from our local craft store.
Eggshell is the solid I use the most. Both for quilts, but also as background for redwork and embroidery. I usually buy it at a local fabric store, but I also shop a lot online. I live in Norway and even when adding postage, the prize is about half of what I pay here. As a bonus, the selection of fabric is so much better.
On a vacation trip to Cairo, I bought some great fabric in blue tones, which are my favourites these days.
Thanks for the giveaway!
I’m looking forward to seeing this book. Right now I don’t have any go-to solids, I’m just buying them as they fit with a particular project’s palatte, just as needed. I did enjoy working with a Kona brights charm pack. But I am slowly creating my own color cards by stappling a swatch to an index card with the Manufacturer/Line/Color Name & Number for future reference.
I’m just beginning to build my stash, so I buy lots of remnants, and lots of clearance. I do have a lot of purple, blue and green though.
I use a lot of natural colors, with soft to medium shades of funky greens. While I love color as well the look of bright colors,I tend to like choose for myself, the more earthy shades.
Thanks for a fun giveaway!
While I am drawn to turquoises I find myself using a lot of oranges and reds lately. Subtle printing on the solid makes it for me although with all the ‘modern’ quilts taking over blogland, I find myself using straight solids more too.
I buy bright colors like peacock blue and chartreuse. I buy neutrals from my local quilt stores but all other colors online. And, yes I find using a color card very handy.
I like tonal batches of colour. I love bright jewel colours but I’m increasingly drawn to muddier pastels …
My most frequent pairing is dark charcoal or black pepper with citrusy brights … thank you for the chance to win!
I could quite happily quilt with solids only for the rest of my sewing life!
I like neutrals with subtle colour accents, great to have a range to choose from. I buy Kona online, my LQS doesn’t really stock solids. Funny how the colour I want always seems to lie exactly between two available shades!
In the past, I have tended to be drawn to brights, but have learned that subtle color changes can have more of an impact than a riot of color. So, I’ve been reining in my high voltage solid purchases with calmer selections when I buy either online or in store. I haven’t seen the book yet, but your color palete for your quilt has me wanting to run out and buy it!
I love orange in combination with grey or beige/ brown. Mostly I work with pattern fabric, but now I’m really interested in solid colors. The pictures in the book look fantastic!
I’m trying to expand past my usual blues and greens. I use a lot of neutrals such as khaki and ash that I either get at Joann’s or online. My LQS mostly carries Moda solids and not a lot of those.
My favorite solids to use are what I call “beach glass or sea glass” colors. Soft whites, aquas, blues and greens that mimic the tumbled beach glass you can sometimes find by the water. It isn’t too hard to find similar colors in our local stores, if you go to enough. Thanks for the chance to win!
I buy most of my Konas’ locally from a mom and pop quilt shop. I plan what I need, ahead of time, using the color card. What do I use most? All of them! Bright, neutrals and everything in between. I can’t say there is a color I’ll never buy because probably I just haven’t gotten there, yet!
Solids is what I’m all about in recent years! That’s for the opportunity to win!
loritfrench at comcast dot net
I started collecting solids mostly Kona after I saw your quilt Plain Spoken. I have not made a solid quilt yet but I am inspired. Most of my Kona solids are purchased online or at my local fabric store. Hope I win…thanks for the giveaway!!
I buy all sorts of colours! The last order I received contained 4 different greens! I don’t have a local fabric shop so I buy all my Kona online!
I have yet to make a quilt of entirely solids. I have started incorporating them into quilts and have loved the results. I think this summer I will try a “solids” quilt- tho book would be the perfect inspiration.
I mostly like neutral solids, but I’ve been toying with the idea of doing a bright solids quilt from yellow/orange/pink! I think it would look great :)
Brights. Are you all over brights or do you stick to neutrals? Both Perhaps a mix of the two? I use two. Any colors you never buy? I do not have a color I do not buy at this time. Does your local quilt shop carry a good selection of solids or do you buy online from a color card? I buy from connectingthreads.com because of the price is so much better.
I buy mostly brights and neutrals. I’m lucky enough to have a local shop that stocks the entire line of Kona solids, A Spool of Thread in Vancouver, BC, so I usually stick to those … Thank you for the giveaway!
I use a fair amount of white and tomato red, sometimes together, but most often not.
I use huge amounts of white to give restful space between patterned bits. I love soft calm tones rather than bright shades. I seem to use a lot of soft corals, mauves and golden shades
Thanks for the chance to win.
ClaireBear
I love the range of reds and blues in the Kona solids line. However the color I use the most and always keep on hand is “Snow”. I have begun stamping some fabric for quilt squares and Snow is a favorite for the background.
I love solids, but mostly choose neutrals, since my patterned fabrics are so colorful and bright. There is a pretty decent selection at my local fabric store, and I’m very much into shades of grey. I’m hoping at some point to use more blue and berry solids, just looking of the right project!
i always buy grey and white-ish for neutrals, but i love colors and have really been into solids lately for the look of the composition. I have no color i never buy- i have even done browns!
I seem to gravitate towards brights in the red or orange family, although I’ve found myself drawn to some lovely blues recently;-) My favorite neutral is Kona Snow or if I want a dark background, Kona Charcoal. I generally buy my solids online.
I have used brights and black, and I loved the happy result I got. That said, I love the beach colors you selected. Very calming and I can almost smell the saltwater. I’d like to use the softer colors for my next project. I have trouble finding a good selection of solids at my local stores and often use tone on tone instead of solids for that reason. I keep asking and hope that one will begin to carry more solid soon!
I have only been modern quilting for the past year and a bit. I started out with lots of bright cheery colors which was what I was using making quilts for grandkids. But I’ve noticed lately that I am migrating away from the brights, and more into the greys, browns, cream and off white plus muted yellows. Since my stash still has a lot of bright colors I’ve had a bit of a challenge incorporating it all, and trying to find any nice solid fabrics locally is also a huge challenge. I’ve started doing a lot of on line shopping which can be pleasantly surprising and sometimes very disappointing as I choose colors that I think I want. I’m really looking forward to seeing what you come up with for your quilt, sounds right up my alley!Happy quilting!
I bought a box of Kona solid fat quarters in pastels a few years ago and I dig in it all the time for inspirations. I like bold, solid colors like chartreuse and oranges for accents and ivory and grey for backgrounds. Thank you for the giveaway.
I use blues, browns, and white often. The fabric stores is where I end up, sometimes independent (but a drive), sometimes chain (but local). I should try to get out of my routines and try more colors!
I always have Kona Snow on hand, and try to buy my solids in small fat qtr. bundles to keep it cost efficient. I do like having all the shades of different colors to choose from. I have the old color card and like to view what I might use. I don’t have a preference for any particular color or shade, I love them all. Solids have so much depth. Love your beach idea, perfect colors.
My local quilt store does have a good sized selection of solids but they tend to focus on traditional colors. You won’t find any pomegranate or school bus orange.
Neutrals. Thanks for the giveaway! :)
I love Kona Solids. The colors I like to use the most nowadays are the grays and oranges. (I am excited about the new 28 colors that are coming out later this month) I also use a lot of Kona White or Snow as I do hand dye alot of my own fabric. I get most of my Kona’s from mail order with Hancock’s of Paducah.
I use anything and everything I guess. But in the last couple months I am so into modern quilting, so using more solids. Yes our local quilt shop just stocked up on pretty solids!
Wow I would love to win the book and bundle of solids!!
I asked my friend who owns a quilt shop, why she only carried a limited number of Kona… she only carries the basic neutrals / White / Snow and Black. Colors that blend well with the muted, greyed style of fabrics she carries. ( CW, repro, Thimbleberries, very traditional fabrics. Her answer boiled down to lack of space and the fabric price point is low in that she charges between $7 to $9 / yard but the rest of her focal fabrics run between $10 to $14 /yard. I think this is why more quilters buy Kona on line.
N
Nonnie – I think it’s 100% the price and I also think that’s really short-sighted and a shame. What shop owners forget is that a solid goes with everything else in the store. I bet that if shops replaced 10% of the space they devoted to baby/novelty fabrics to solids that they’d have higher total volume and profits, even with the lower price point.
Weeks,
I agree with you totally, I think this is why more quilters buy the sample cards and buy on line. I buy bolts of the colors I need most Bright White, Snow and Black… so far no grey as I think that is a fad color and it just does not float my boat. Mainly I use solids for background … have too big a stash to go the all solid route … YET!
Mainly I use solids in DONATION QUILTS that need something to unify mixtures of fabrics.
Nonniw
Brights — so many brights. If I didn’t use major restraint, I’d have a whole collection of beautiful eye-poppingly bright solids. Especially pinks and corals, for some reason. When sewing, I love setting them in a nice neutral, like dark grey or taupe.
Lately, I’ve tended to buy them online, either with a color card or from a collection where I’m familiar with the shades used in the prints. As for colors that I never buy…I don’t think there are any. Well, aside from ones which are really unique shades when I don’t have a specific project in mind. Seeing a great fabric gathering dust on the shelf is too frustrating!
I buy neutals (white, grey, sometimes black) in bulk, as much as 10 yards at a time. Then I sprinkle in the brights, maybe a 1/2 yard to yard at a time. My lqs has limited solids, and so I’ll often buy online.
Solids are hard to find. I asked our local store to carry more and they did. I like to incorporate them into my bold fabric designs.
I have to admit that I love juxtaposing patterned fabrics. I’m loving solids mostly from afar at the moment. When I have used them, it has been as a neutral background. I’m ready and inspired to go all solids for a quilt though. I just need to find the time!
I’m a little ADD and 123 so I’m all over the color spectrum with regards to my quilting. I’m finishing up a 1930’s quilt that has peach and green in the background. I’m also making a quilt with shirt flannel in brown and black tones for my 90 year old uncle. I added a twist to the basic jelly roll quilt and am working on perfecting my pattern. I’ve made 2 with batiks and 1 with Riley Blake fabric. Right now I’m obsessed with purple and teal. I’m loving the idea of using lime green as the background for my next quilt. I get 90% of all my fabrics online.
The colors I am most drawn to are yellows, blues, ands greens. In the last few months I have been drawn to the modern quilting movement because of the brighter colors. I love the clean and fresh look of these quilts.
I tend stock up on grays, blacks, tan. I avoid light colors, especially white because it will inevitably get dirty at my house. I shop at my local quilt store and grab 3-5yrds at a time usually.
I’m pretty adventurous in my solid color choices. I’ve been making a quilt this year using cerise as my main background fabric paired with some equally bright printed fabrics. I do like using neutrals when they help to highlight color (especially warm grays) but I also have a weakness for the really bright, saturated colors. I buy almost all of my fabric online using my color card since my LQS doesn’t always have the colors I am looking for (like candy green for instance). :)
I’m fascinated by what other quilters are using. I usually use a tone on tone cream color as a nautral or whatever solid goes with the print I’m using. I see I will have to branch out and try something new. Am interested in knowing how to get a color card. That would be so helpful.
To get a color card, Google the manufacturer whose line you like and call them to see if they will sell you a color card. We used to sell RJR cards but they’ve since changed them. Many will sell to you directly or direct you to someone who will.
I’ve just begun collecting my solids and seem to be gravitating towards chocolate and turquoise.
The solids I use most frequently are clear and bright colors although I been experimenting with a more subdued palette. I like all colors and it depends on what I’m creating what colors I buy or shy away from. COlors that looks dated to me i try to avoid. I mostly buy online using my color card but my semi-local quilt shop does carry a good selection of solids. I can’t wait to see inside this book!
I never have enough neutrals! I love pairing them with brights! Thanks for the giveaway!
I’m becoming increasingly fond of neutrals… browns, greys and grey-greens. I like solid colors a lot and am intrigued by their interplay in traditional Amish quilts as well as modern ones.
I love solids, but I don’t have nearly enough in my stash. I mainly work with Kona Snow as a neutral, but plan to branch out to include a lot more colored solids in upcoming projects. I do not have a LQS, so I buy all my fabric online. Thanks for the chance to win!
I love bright and saturated colors… but I really love most colors when used in the right setting.
I use white and gray the most, but also bright colors.
So far bright solids are the ones I have used when making a couple of children’s quilts, generally to frame novelty fabrics. However, I do want to extend my use of solids but in a quieter palette. I love the colors you have shown above. In particular the pinks remind me of pink shells I often pick up while walking on one of my favorite local beaches.
I use a mix of neutrals and brights. I try to buy local, but if I want a specific shade and can’t find it local I buy online.
Thanks for the giveaway. I use Robert Kaufman organic solid fabrics. Orange is my favorite but I like other saturated colors as well as neutrals. My local fabric store doesn’t carry many solids so I go online, however I wish I could buy them from a store.
I love the mix of greens to pinks in your photo. Beautiful. So far I buy my solids at the store, but ….
didi
I adore solids and only use kona. I am all about bright and bold, but I have been intrigued by so many fantastic neutral quilts lately, that I just bought six FQs of neutrals yesterday!
I use mostly Kona cottons. I buy lots of neutrals for appliqué backgrounds and of course cheddar.
I’m obsessed by any color that reminds me of sea glass. Kona’s Poseiden bundle is a fabulous set of colors!!
I love Kona solids. I am starting to crave them more and more to use in quilts. Especially fond of the yellows…
I’ve been using the grey solids lately. I think the purples might be next.
Kona Black by the bolt is a must.
What a great giveaway! Thanks for the chance!
I use Kona Snow more than anything else. It is the best white ever! Soft not harsh.
I use a lot of Kona Solids in my quilts but it’s generally white & some of the greys (ash, medium grey, coal & charcoal). I should try to break out of my comfort zone by using some brights! Thanks for the chance to win.
Mostly Grays, Whites, then blacks. It depends on the project. Thanks for the chance to win!!
Ive only just started using more solids and right now mainly neutrals, ash is a favorite along with snow and coal & espresso. I’m itching to use some, bright, in your face color like maybe sour apple.
Well-even though I just purchased 12 yards of Kona white….I adore jewel tones. Crisp splashes of vibrant saturated color! The white really makes my colors pop! And that is what it is all about, Right?
I have that big box which includes 100 or so fat quarters in the darker shades. It was a present from my husband. Isn’t he the best husband? i have been using them a lot lately! I would like to get other colors when the budget allows!
A few years ago I got a sampler color card of all these Kona solids. And now I’m hoping to achive the whole bundle with all colors. They are great together!
Reds – must see in person!
I love solids in every shape – especially loved the Pink Chalk solids club for getting new colors. Thanks!
I lately have being using bright colors. I probably use all shades of Kona reds the most most often. I have a quilt store which carries ever single color which is awesome, but they are pretty far away and with 2 kids it’s sometimes hard to make the trip do I usually order online. Thanks!!
I love all bright solids, but my favorite solid to use in quilts is white! Thanks for the chance!
I seem to buy a lot of black, gray, and brown solids, and since they come in so many wonderful shades, that is a lot of fabric. In the past month, though I have been adding a wide variety of other solids. . . It’s all these great bloggers. . . They are corrupting me. Now I have a rainbow to go with my neutrals.
I’m new at this, and haven’t used solids, other than white, very much. I’d love to make one of those HST quilts, though, using lots of color. Thanks for the chance.
Lately, I have been drawn to white as the background…but love working with lots of color!
I love your choice for colour. I can feel it.
Blue seems to be the solid I most frequently use, from light to dark. I buy online and at the local shop. Our local shop does have a good selection. I have always been partial to neutrals but have been moving more towards fun bright colors lately. Any colors I never buy? Nope.
I am all about brights – reds, blues, yellows. I love bubble gum pink too. Your beach colors are beautiful. I buy solids at our local quilt shops and fabric store – they have a nice selection.
I haven’t used many solids in my sewing so far, but after looking at some of the pictures in this book, I think it’s time to try. I’m partial to the cool colors, but also love bright pink and red and yellow and…well, almost all of them!
I love solids and never have enough. Whenever I purchase fabric–locally or online–I add one or two fat quarters in colours I don’t have. And I’m always surprised at the impact the different shades of white have. The only colour that I’ve made a conscious choice never to use as sashing again is black. My eyes aren’t what they used to be.
I buy kona snow by the yard and always have several yards on hand for projects. I’ve also got quite a stash of the grey’s and am happy to see a few new ones coming out. I’ll buy any color if it works for my project and while I love to buy them in person in a shop, when I can’t find what I need locally I’ll buy online.
I love using just the kona white with blues but my favorite color is sour apple
Aloe is a great color! I buy Kona snow by the bolt! I use solids ranging from neutrals to the brightes and wildest colors, it just depends on what I am going for. I don’t use much purple.
I always seem to buy coal
I need to widen my color choices and i probably need a kona color card!
I definately stick with neutrals and almost never buy purple. Looking forward to the new color to release. Thanks for the chance! Smiles~Beth
I’ve always loved white and various off white solids to juxtapose my love of bright colors. However, I’m trying to expand and go into grays and other various colors for juxtaposition. Sadly, my store doesn’t have a huge selection, so white is a great go-to. Thanks for a chance to win more!
I have only used Kona solids. Love all the new colours!
Goodness, I just squeaked in since I read this post today!
To answer your question, sadly, the only solids I have ever used so far have been black and white, and they were always paired with busy patterned fabrics or batiks. I am hoping to be inspired by your use of solids and that of the others featured in the book. I am still really new (learning to crawl, then walk!) when it comes to color theory, but I’m learning. Some people seem to have an innate gift for color (like Weeks and Bill!), and others (like me!) struggle with it, making mistakes and discovering happy accidents along the way. So I’m thankful for people like Weeks, Bill, and the other gifted contributors to the book who are willing to share with the rest of us!! THANK YOU!!
@QuiltyKate – Thank for your kind words. I do want to comment on one thing you said that is a misconception I like to correct whenever I have the chance. It’s about that “innate gift for color” thing.
I can’t speak for Bill but just so you know I was an investment banker until the age of 29 who had had only 1 month-long art class in my entire life. I didn’t know how to draw and knew nothing about color theory.
I studied Japanese flower arranging for 7 yrs in Tokyo and decided I wanted to become a designer. My thoroughly unusual portfolio of modern Japanese flower arranging (I can confidently say that no other applicants had a similar portfolio) was what got me into graduate school where I learned to draw, paint, design and where I began to explore color. No one who knew me prior to that thought I was a creative person or had any color sense. There were no art supplies in our house growing up. I didn’t know how to draw until I was 29. I learned it through hard work. Also, we still make a lot of mistakes. We just catch them before you see them. So don’t believe that “you’re born with it” business. You can learn it and the sooner you make your first 10,000 mistakes the better.
http://quiltingfortherestofus.blogspot.com/
Sandy at QUILTING FOR THE REST OF US BLOG & PODCAST is hosting a Linky about color exploration every Tuesday. We are working through several books on color theory and discussing the principles, but more important our own thoughts on color. If you get a chance come and play with us… various bloggers are posting pictures and their thoughts on the color lesson.
Nonnie
Mostly neutrals…I really need to step it up!
I use a lot of greys and the more dusty colors, although most of my quilts are only solids, so it can be quite the range! I have the wonderful luck of my local quilt store stocking every color of Kona, plus many other solids and near-solids (cross-weaves and linen blends, etc)!
I love creams and solid black. I used solid black in a t-shirt quilt I sewed for my Dad out of his old Harley-Davidson t-shirts. Loved the way it turned out!
I love brights and jeweltones, usually mixwd with black, ash, or white. We don’t have a quuilt shop nearby, so I usually buy mine online. I found out (the hard way!), that when ordering online, you relly do need a colour card!
I use alot of different Robert Kaufman Solids. I like to buy a range of colors to have on hand for quilts. Sometimes I purchase fat quarters, but for staple colors like whites, tans and greys I like to have yardage for larger piecing in projects. I have been trying to gather a range of light light colors to do a solid wash modern quilt. The book sounds amazing! Thank you for a chance to win!
I love so many colors it is difficult to choose. Yellows, blues, pinks, oranges, greens and creams to name a few. My quilt shop has a nice selection, though I have a couple of online shops that also make it easy to find the shades I need.
Have a great liking for the Amish colors and graphic quilt patterns. This has led to the Modern Quilt Movement – not a great leap! Have been enjoying your blog, multiple publications, and the OBSESSION of Modern Quilting!
I love using the softer solids in my baby quilts. And these colors are lovely.
For solids, I tend to go toward the season that I’m quilting in. Right now it’s late spring, so the soft and mossy greens are my base with earthy browns.
I usually buy solids as I need them, but a few weeks ago I bought a bolt of Snow from my local fabric store! I’ve used it for a few quilts since then and am wasting a lot less fabric buying it that way! :)
I tend to follow the seasons in which I am quilting in. Right now it’s late spring which inspires soft, mossy greens and earthy browns.
I have been using bright solids since joining the KC Modern Quilt Guild. Before joining the guild, I rarely used solids, and am so happy to incorporate them into my quilts now. I like to shop locally as well as online. Thanks for the giveaway opportunity, and thanks for the inspiring presentation at our guild last month!
http://quiltingfortherestofus.blogspot.com/
My first post disappeared so pardon me if this is a repeat.
Over on QUILTING FOR THE REST OF US BLOG AND PODCAST we are having a LINKY PARTY discussing color theory. Every Tuesday Sandy posts a lesson/ discussion about a principle in color theory. Other bloggers join in by posting their thoughts about colors in their stash or quilts. We all leave links on Sandy’s page so that we can converse… come and moin the party.
NOnnie
I buy my fabrics at local shops. I have yet to see a color I would not want. I love reading your books. They are so helpful and inspiring.
Thanks for the give away.
I mainly use white and I recently bought some aqua for a planned quilt back. I buy mine online since most of the quilt store around here don’t carry many solids, and the one that does has a very limited selection. I don’t have a color card either. I just buy it and hope for the best, which is pretty easy to do when we’re just talking about white! (Perhaps that’s why I haven’t used more solids….)
I absolutely love colour so it really depends on what I am working on! Mao excited for the new colours!
Sew modern has allllll the kona solids and a few other solid lines. It’s nice to swing by and figure something out and walk away with what I need!
I tend to buy just neutrals — grays and whites. I’d love to branch out. I actually just signed up for a solids charm swap–should be fun to see what colors I get! My LQS has a great selection of solids–Kona and others.
I have been using a lot of solids lately- since I discovered all the great Modern quilting patterns!! I love all the Kona Colors, and can’t wait to see the new colors. My Very Favorite is Hibiscus, so far!!
I love any color, but I tend toward bright and bold. I buy when I find them on sale when I’m shop hoping. I’m building quite a stash…oh the possibilities!
Using solids is a fairly recent discovery. Love the brighter colors that seem to offer subtle brightness to the quilt.
I have been moving into neutral solids for backgrounds in the past year or so: gray, taupe, sage, white. I used some bright solids in a small improv piece 2 years ago. I just received the modern solids for QuiltCon and plan to make at least one block to send in. I love your patterns, btw!!!
I’ve used a lot of different shades of turquoise mixed with bright prints and white recently. My only all solids quilt was a disappearing 9 patch in shades of teals, a mid grey and pop of a deep yellow, I loved using all solids and am looking forward to making some more quilts in all solids. Hard to find enough variety in the LQS, next step ordering online and getting my own colour card. The LQS has been helpful choosing and ordering a specific Kona solid I needed to finish a log cabin pieced and lap quilted by my mother and I 22 years ago, but never put together. Chosen binding long ago used, so, had to choose a new solid. Turned out beautifully and wouldn’t have been able to choose the right solid without looking at the sample card.
I have only consistently used neutrals, but I am hoping to break into using more solid fabrics as the featured part of the quilt rather than just the background!