I was at the local Farmer’s Market recently, and one of my favorite stands is a particular flower stand. Not only are the flower combinations lovely and unusual, but the colors are breathtaking! It’s always so hard to decide which ones are coming home with me—the seasonal shades in a monochromatic bouquet or a bright pop of color to lighten up my kitchen or family room—too many decisions.

Choosing colors for a quilt can be problematic as well. Most of the time I have a specific recipient or location for the quilt in mind, and that makes color selection a little easier. But there are times when I’m just not sure of the direction I want to go.

I’ll start by combing through my fabric stash looking for inspiration. It could be a multicolor print or particular color that fuels my creative process. Starting with a print makes the process a little easier—I’ll pull fabrics in colors found in the print and go from there. But when it’s just a color I want to work with, it’s not quite as easy.

Do I want to work with a monochromatic color palette? Use complementary or analogous colors? What about tints and shades? How about value? These are all important considerations. I’m not an expert when it comes to color and will often turn to a color wheel or color tool for help. Throughout the years I have become more confident in my color and fabric selections. For example, when working with a color, let’s say blue, in a scrap quilt particularly, adding blues that range from teal to almost purple and shades from light to dark will make my quilt more interesting and not look “flat.”

There is a lot of color inspiration in this issue—primary, secondary, monochromatic and complementary color palettes along with a lovely design using color gradations. Also, be sure to check out the article by Associate Editor Gigi Khalsa for her tips on choosing colors.

Carolyn Beam, Content Director

Table of Contents

Up Front

• Editor’s Letter: we can find color inspiration everywhere we look.
• McQ&A: What advice would you give another quilter on selecting colors for a quilt?
• Quilt Basics: The quiltmaking techniques you need to make the patterns in this issue.

Special Interest

• Go with the (Color) Flow!: Gigi Khalsa describes how she played with color and value to design the fabric placement in Hattie’s Dream.
• I Love This Quilt!: A treasured fat quarter bundle finds its perfect match

Free Extras at McCallsQuilting.com!

• Download the Silhouette Stars pattern from I Love This Quilt!

Patterns

• Chain of Hearts: Put a little love in your home with this large pieced throw quilt.
• Chain of Hearts Table Runner: Add some affection to your table decor.
• Snow Sparkles: Capture the shimmer of winter’s sunlight in this intermediate lap quilt.
• Parisian Holiday: C’est si bon with this sumptuous and sophisticated bed quilt.
• Sunburst Society: Easy piecing and applique techniques refract a prism of hues in this throw.
• Coral Gardens: Vibrant prints are surrounded by a blue sea of tranquility in this tropical pattern.
• Space Crystals: Supernovas of color explode against black in this fat quarter-friendly throw.
• Pinwheels on Parade: Put your love of vivacious fabrics in the spotlight with this bed quilt.
• Gold Fever: This glittering one-block quilt will make you want to shout, “Eureka!”
• Winter Winds: It may be chilly outside, but this twin bed quilt will keep you warm all season long.
• Primarily Geese: Clear, bright colors are the focus in this minimalist yet cheery throw.
• Daisy Girl: This easy-to-piece bed quilt showcases an inventive kaleidoscopic medallion.

Lessons

• Hattie’s Dream: A thoughtful arrangement of color and value transforms this one-block pattern. Includes how-to photos for pressing seams to reduce bulk.
• Golden Afternoon: While away the hours snuggled beneath this glowing throw quilt. Our instructions tell you how to join the wide floral-stripe border.
• Schoolhouse Steps: Triangle-Squares: 8 at a Time
• Schoolhouse Steps: Fast Flying Geese

Pattern Pull-Out Section

• This section contains the foundations, piecing templates, applique templates and bonus coloring diagrams for the quilts in this issue. Cick here to download.