Exploring Creativity: Color Combinations

This post is a part of the Exploring Creativity series. You can read all about it HERE. And HERE is the post sharing the pattern for this month, My First Alphabet.

 Last week I thought a lot about what phrases I wanted to make most with the My First Alphabet pattern. I shared some ideas on Instagram and in the Facebook group. Thanks for sharing your ideas too! I love them!<3 p="">

Today I want to share my fabric pull, and chat about what works and what doesn't so much in regards to fabric choices and this pattern. Because no one wants a ho-hum finished project, and trust me, I've had those before.

First I want to direct you to THIS POST. I wrote this as part of the Celestial Star Quilt Along I hosted back in 2014. The post is pretty detailed in the discussion of Color & Design, so I'm not going to cover all of that again here. If you want to see how I applied that information in designing my Celstial Star blocks, you can read about that HERE.  The posts are geared toward the Celestial Star pattern, but the information can be applied to any pattern or design concept.

If you don't want to read those, here's a quick summary:

• Hue is color. Value is the light or dark of that color. Contrast in hue and/or value helps to make your design POP! The higher the contrast, the more the design will stand out. The less contrast, the more the design will blend in with the background or surrounding elements.
• The easiest way to see the contrast between fabrics is to take a picture of them next to each other in black and white. If they look the same in the picture, then there isn't a lot of contrast, and when you use them next to each other in a design with high detail, or smaller pieces (like the My First Alphabet pattern) then it will be harder for your eye to read the words, or distinguish between the two prints in the final project.
• Whatever you decide to do, do it on purpose! There are no right or wrong answers! If you want a soft design, do it on purpose! If you want a design that POPs! do it on purpose! Both are correct if that's what you want! :)

These things are especially important if you want your word or message to be easily legible. You can see some fantastic examples of how people have done this in the Instagram hashtag #fbpMyFirstAlphabet, and there are even more examples if you scroll through #fbpPatterns!

Here are my two projects that I have decided to make:

The first one is one I saw an image of a few years ago. I wish I had the source so I could share it. If you know where it came from, will you share with me so I can share it with everyone? thanks!

Not the best mockup. But this way you'll be super impressed with the finished result. ;)

First line:     BELIEVE IN
Second line: YOURSELF

 But the BE and YOU are a different color, so it also says BE YOU. I love that! I love that in order to believe in yourself, you must be you! and only in being you can you truly believe in yourself!

I've been wanting to make this mini for quite a while now! But I just can't decide on which fabric to use for the rest of the words. I want to use this orange for the background and white for BE YOU. But I don't know about the rest. I was thinking this blue print, but I don't know that I want that on my wall.... I'm just not excited about it.

(The orange and blue prints are by Carolyn Friedlander.)

So then I pulled these prints, the blue for the background with a yellow for the rest of the phrase, still using white for BE YOU.

I wasn't sure which yellow to use, what do you think? My hubby gave me his input already, and I think he's right. But I'd still like to see what you think? ;)

I'm actually not sure I'm sold on the blue either... so, maybe I'll change directions entirely and use a low volume (value) print for the background and something bold for the letters. What would you do? I'm struggling! lol.

My second project is this quote by Thomas S Monson. (You can find his address here.)

I decided that I want to make this one really pretty! :) I am going to use the print on the bottom for the words, with white as the background. Then I'm going to border it with a bunch of appliqued flowers, and use the yellows as kind of a shadow border to separate the flowers from the letters since they are similar prints/colors. The top teal print will be the binding. I really love these colors and prints and think this will be gorgeous!! :)

All prints are Anna Maria Horner.

So now that I have my plan in place, next up is printing out the pattern pieces and cutting fabric!! and of course making it. 

I'll share some more tips next week! Until then, be sure to link up your finished projects below! They can be new or old projects!! You can link up blog posts, instagram posts, whatever! I'll pick a winner for the giveaway in my newsletter on September 30th. (You can find out all the details here.)

   

    An InLinkz Link-up

   

Would you like to join in, but don't yet own the pattern? You can find it by clicking the button below.

Happy Quilting & Happy Creating!