Seeking Color Inspiration Ideas? Try a Treasury Board

I have found an interesting source for color inspiration and I thought I'd share it with you.

You may or may not be familiar with Etsy. Etsy is a crafter's online community where you can sell or purchase homemade and vintage items. They have something they call Treasury Lists. Here is a link to some of my treasuries.  Below is an example of one of my Treasury Boards. Many of the boards you find on Etsy are based on colors and trust me there are some beautiful ones out there.

 

As I mentioned in previous posts - you can pull colors from the imagery to create a color palette that is pleasing to you.

Below is a board that I put together to see how the color palette I choose has been used in products on the market.

Yes, the bag above is the Braided Bucket Bag. Sewn by Debra Rajek. I think she did a fabulous job on it. Debra your color/fabric choices are right on trend! Close ups of Debra's fabrics are below.

"Let my patterns be the canvas for your creativity!" "Create something unexpected . . ." Jamie Kalvestran

Finding Color Inspiration . . .

Looking for color inspiration for your next quilt or other craft project? Start with a concept board. You can collect images from magazines, or pull things together online using an electronic pin board like pinterest. Here are my Pinterest boards. Just make sure you LOVE the image. The images can have a theme or no theme. If you love the image even if you don't know why, it's probably the color.

My inspiration board - using flowers as a subject matter.  Jamie Kalvestran

Next pull colors from the board randomly and put them together into different color palettes. 

Print your favorite color palette and take it shopping with you. It doesn't matter if you are shopping for your home, wardrobe, or next quilt project. If you love the colors you are sure to love the final results!

 

It's great fun. Give it a go . . .

"Let my patterns be the canvas for your creativity!" "Create something unexpected . . ." Jamie Kalvestran

Colors for Quilts - Everyone Has There Own Personal Color Palette

This has happened to me before. Last time I was carrying around a piece of paper with paint chips taped on it. I was contemplating painting my walls with the chip colors. I threw it on the counter one day when I was digging through my purse looking for something else. The chips landed near a kitchen pot holder. Low and behold all of the seven colors of the paint chips were in that pot holder! I guess I really liked those colors then.

Now, it looks like my personal palette are these colors.

The first photo (below) is of a table runner I made from my Forget Me Not quilt pattern. I chose the fabrics from a local quilt shop (The Noble Quilter in Elk River, MN). She featured the pattern and runner in her shop for over a year.  I recently received it back. When I opened the box I put the runner on the dining room table and . . . Viola - It matched the french table cloth I had purchased (because I loved it so much), almost perfectly! I was stunned, even the odd blue/green color was in both pieces.

Do you know what your personal color palette is? Now that you are aware that you probably do have one, what is it? See you you can figure it out . . . we'd all love to know.  Personally I am wondering when mine changed, my last one had no blue or orange. Instead, greens, red, and neutrals.   Hmmmm.  Interesting, perhaps a color psychologist would know . . .  is there such a person?


PS. The  Forget Me Not quilt pattern is available from your local quilt or fabric shop. If you can't find it there you can order it online in both a printed-mail it or downloadable format.

Color Palette Generation For Your Next Quilt or Project

Are you looking for a way to generate a color palette for a new quilt or other project? Well, I have been playing with an online color generator called kuler. It's fun and easy and below you will see some of my results. You upload an image and it generates the colors automatically. You can also move the little circles around and pick your own palette from the photo. You can save the palette (privately or share it with the kuler community). It's fun and you'll be surprised at the fun results.

My back yard tool shed.

The bread pudding I baked today!

One of my handmade buttons.

Another button - I think I'll print this and take it to the yarn store.

Here's my kitchen. I was surprise and pleased with this palette.

Outside my studio window. This would make a lovely quilt, don't you agree?

Of course I had to upload a few of my surface design prints from the other day and here's what kuler gave me back!  I love this!

Surface Design 1

I think I will print some of these palettes and take them to the fabric shop. The palette should be helpful in choosing fabrics to make a bag. I think the surface design prints will make a great focal point pocket on one of my tote bag patterns.

Surface Design 2

Surface Design 3

I have to say this has gotten my creative juices flowing.