I’m so excited to be curating the QuiltCon Block Challenge! If you haven’t already heard about the challenge, you can read about it on the QuiltCon website, here.
Today, I thought it might be helpful to talk a little more about the colors and types of fabrics I’m looking for in the challenge blocks. My goal isn’t to tell you exactly which fabric to use but, rather, to elaborate on how I interpret “use the colors of the QuiltCon logo.”
When I look at the QuiltCon logo, I see four distinct color groups. I pulled fabric from my scrap bins to illustrate them, as follows:
Group One = HOT ORANGE fabrics ranging from cheddar to tangerine.
When selecting fabrics for this group, I looked for oranges that were bright and warm. I avoided pastel peaches and dull terra cotta colors.
Group Two – LEMON-LIME fabrics including yellow, citrine, and chartreuse.
When selecting fabrics from this group, I looked for crisp, bright, citrusy colors. I avoided orangey yellows and olive-y greens.
Group Three – SEA & SKY colored fabrics including seafoam, aqua, and turquoise.
When selecting fabrics for this group, I looked for pure, bright colors. I avoided dull or purple-y blues.
Group Four – COOL NEUTRALS including pure white and gray
When selecting fabrics for this group, I included a variety of gray fabrics, but avoided warmer neutrals like beige, stone, or khaki. While I chose several dark gray prints, I avoided prints with a lot of black.
One thing you may have noticed about the fabrics in all of my groups is that they’re more or less monochromatic. Most of the prints include white, and a few include specks of cool neutrals like gray or black, but none of them included secondary colors like red, or purple.
As you select fabrics for your challenge block, I encourage you to seek out solids and monochromatic prints like the ones in my examples. That doesn’t mean that you have to avoid multicolored prints altogether. I just encourage you to be thoughtful about your selections and avoid multicolored prints that include secondary colors like brown, purple or pink that aren’t are a part of the QuiltCon logo.
If you plan to use Robert Kaufman’s Kona Solids, I recommend: (from top to bottom) Cyan, Azure, Candy Green, Lime, Chartreuse, Buttercup, School Bus, Tangerine, White, Medium Grey, and Coal.
If you plan to use Michael Miller’s Cotton Couture Solids, I recommend (from top to bottom): Turquoise, Aqua, Luna, Apple, Limeade, Starfruit, Orange, Clementine, Bright White, Fog, and Gray.
Note: These solid fabric colors are being provided for your reference only. You are welcome to make your challenge block from any print or solid fabrics that you feel are consistent with the colors of the QuiltCon logo.
I hope this post has gotten you thinking about what colors and fabrics you want to use in your challenge block. Remember that you’re free to use any or all of the logo colors in your block. You might choose to use them all, and you might choose to focus on a specific color. The choice is yours.
I can’t wait to see what you make!
You can find the official rules and entry form for the Block Challenge on the QuiltCon website. I’ll be back next Monday with tips on planning your block.
