Monday 1 July 2013

Love Entwined: 4 Colour Ways

With an undertaking like Love Entwined, deciding on a final colour scheme can be fraught with indecision - just ask me; I'm still undecided on my final colour scheme and here's four reasons why.
 
 
1.Dark background, full colour applique
This was one of my first colour schemes and one I am having trouble letting go of it as a possibility. I love it and the dark background means the applique shines and really comes into its own. My only apprehension is that it doesn't ring true (in my opinion) to the original. Or does it? Who knows. I've spent alot of time thinking about the original and have created something of a set idea about it which has come from studying the design so closely. Of course, I really don't know anything for certain because I've never seen the quilt.
 
A lot of discussion has taken place over in my BOM Group regarding colour choices for this quilt and I've been giving out the same advice each time: do what speaks to you, make it authentic to your own style ...in that way you will do the quilt justice.
Only problem is, I cant take my own advice because I love all the possible colour options!
 
2. Pale green background
There's no denying a pale green background just works; it's subtle and it lets the applique take centre stage whilst setting a sophisticated tone. And tone here is the issue for me; because it asks for the applique fabrics to be in complimentary hues and colour families which means purchasing a lot more applique fabric than ordinary, but I do love it...
 
 
3. Classic scrappy
It's become my opinion that the original is something of a scrappy. Like before, I can't determine this with any authority given that the quilt hasn't been seen in public since 1956. Whatever the original is, a scrappy quilt can not only seriously stash bust your fabric but put it to seriously good use too, what a stunning heirloom this would be.


4. Light French Blue with pinks and yellows
This is the colour way I finally decided on. The light french blue really speaks to me and I have been wanted to make a significant quilt with this blue/light aqua tone for a few years. The added bonus here is that it is such a Georgian colour too. I'm actually waiting for my fabrics to arrive so my final choice is not definite, it will all decide on seeing the fabric in the flesh and making the final call then.

 
These images are only coloured in sketches, not real quilts and this means the colours used are guides only. The fact is, the yellow is appearing out of tone in these pics and not showing up as true - this is especially the case with the light french blue and pale green background. So the colours above that look out of place - they are out of place, they've been distorted via imaging.
 
I think though, that these colour ways give you a good idea of the real possibility your own Love Entwined can take in feel and colour theme.
 
The top 3 colour ways take over 158 separate applique colours each, with a set background. My final colour choice is this last one and it's the one used in the pattern; it contains significantly less fabrics.
 
Determining fabric usage in a quilt such as Love Entwined is difficult. I have done so in the pattern but what I really want to say is; set your background fabric and after that, it's anything goes. How many colours you use, how many prints, how complex, how diverse, it all depends on what you want to create. Some quilters are talking about making a 2 tone quilt and this could certainly work too.
 
When my fabric arrives I will share my 'final' selections; whilst I wait, I am really enjoying looking through everyone elses colour palette and am so pleased that you're sharing your own progress in the Group- it's really interesting for the rest of us to see what you're up to and how you're interpreting the design.  
 
What do you think?
Which colours would you choose? 

‘Love Entwined 1790 Marriage Coverlet’ is a Free 18 Month Historic BOM.
Each ‘block’ of the month is released monthly, on the 15thof each month. All ‘blocks’ are available for free during the month of their release. Any missed ‘blocks’ may be purchased.
All ‘blocks’ are available for download via my Yahoo BOM Group only.

28 comments:

  1. What can I say --WOW -- says it all, I love all the color selections - have fun picking out your colors :)

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  2. Hi Esther, I still love 4 and the next one I like is 1 but 4 is the own I just Love.
    Good luck with your choices, your quilt will be just amazing.
    Hugs Bunny.

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  3. They all look amazing. Too many choices.This is making it even harder to decide. Thankyou

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  4. Just tonight I thought I'd decided on my colors and fabrics. Now I'm not so sure. My favorite is #1 but I'd have to buy a lot of new fabric to be able to make LE in that colorway. Sigh, back to indecision!

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  5. Hi Esther
    It is very difficult trying to decide on a colour scheme. Yesterday I was thinking a pale green background with pinks and blues then this morning I was thinking cream background with browns, tans, plum and reds, then I saw your pale green background and it looks great...hmmm decisions! Thanks for sharing these different options and the LE quilt!!

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  6. I just love that black background! Brights on black really speak to me.
    I'm not much of an applique-er but I might give some of it a try.

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  7. Good luck deciding, Esther! All your combinations here are very attractive. I'm partial to the third one. It's the brightest.

    I was wondering if you could make available to the group a line drawing of the quilt, so that we could color it in ourselves. Would that be possible? Or, is it someplace already and I haven't noticed it? The black and white version in the PDF doesn't work because of the black that's filled in.

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  8. I really like the Classic scrappy...for me it fits this quilt style perfectly. Thanks for the color options they are all delicious.

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  9. Esther, I can see why it has been so difficult for you to choose fabrics - they are all stunning. When I saw the one with the pale green background it just shouted out to me this is the one, but I've already bought my background and I do want to use my stash, so I'm going with the scrappy. I love them all!

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  10. Oh Esther I can understand it is realy difficult to choose
    1 and 3 are my favorites but 2 and 4 are also amazing
    Good luck with your choise
    groet Ineke from holland

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  11. Wow, thank you so much for providing us with the opportunity to see 4 different interpretations. Somehow seeing how different and beautiful they all are I feel more free to just go with my gut knowing that whatever feels right will turn out wonderful.

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  12. Whichever one you make it would be stunning! I am so looking forward to seeing it unfold over the next months!

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  13. Hmm, very many choices, but if you are planning to exactly copy the coverlet, or near to, I think the clues are in Colby's book with the picture title and the drawings within the text. Also comparing the coverlet with others of the same period e.g the Sundial and the much mis-dated Jane Pizar coverlets I would suggest it was scrappy, very scrappy with lots of fabrics with dark backgrounds. Remember that cotton was very expensive back in the 18th century and could only be afforded by the gentry - the country yokels like my ancestors wore wool, even in the height of summer!

    Fiona in England

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  14. The first one is to dark for me, looks to busy, to much of it all.
    But what a choice of colors can do. . .
    The last one with the light background will be my choice.
    I am going for my first impression that the color blue wil take a nice part in the quilt. I have to go to pick the fabric/material this week and then I can start working on it.
    I won't go that fast but easy going wil do it for me.
    Thanks Esther for the nice impressions,
    Happy quilting everyone.

    Wilma
    Ede, Nederland.

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  15. A difficult decision to make. I love them all, but I kept looking at number 2 and 3. So for me those two are favorit. I planning on the scrappy look myself, because I have to much fabrics in my stash... But I need some more backgrounds and borders. So I wiil give the compass a start today. Had to finish another project first last weekend...
    What ever color you choose, it will beautiful!
    And thanks again for starting this project we can all join Esther! It's going to be one of my biggest challanges I ever took on!

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  16. Those are four really stunning fabric choices! And they would all be gorgeous!!
    The first one, with the black background, and the one with the pale green background are the ones most applealing to me.
    I had a great time finding my background. I want to make mine scrappy; but the background had to be one....
    So, I took your compass-colour-scheme with me to the quiltshop and sorted out my basic colours and layed them on different backgrounds...
    So much FUN!!!!!
    I decided on a pale green fabric by Windham. It really brought the colours to life!
    Just starting now in a few moments... :)
    Soooooooooo excited!!! And thanks so very much for all your work for us, Esther!! <3
    Love from the Netherlands, Ria.

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  17. I really love you top color scheme!!and the bottom one today I start on my material all the way I decided to applique all the way!!Have fun when your material comes i n!

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  18. They all look so beautiful, but my choice is the last one. I'm going to use sort of those colors also.... except for those yellow borders... I have a antique red fabric for those, the rest is a mixe of antique red, antique pinks, all kind of greens and 2 antique blues fabrics, oooo I forget the ochre color that I will be using.

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  19. Dear Esther, When do you sleep? It is incredible to see what work you have done and still do regarding the wonderful LE you created. And as a side effect, the whole quilting world is up side down in such a nice way! Your Yahoo group is a smashing success and I feel very happy to take part in this whole happening. Thank you so much for this. Wonderful!
    As for your colour schemes, I love them all!
    Kind regards, Auckje van der Leij, The Netherlands

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  20. Fabulous color choices, all! Thank you for sharing your dreams and talent for pattern making with us, Esther! I know that you will make a masterpiece and I look forward to this journey we are all taking! Lol...18 months is a really long trip...lol!

    hugz
    Pam

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  21. Wow! I have to say, the first one really, really, REALLY jumps out at me and says, "THIS IS YOU!!!" LOL! They are all beautiful -- I can see where you'd still be undecided!! :)

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  22. All four color ways could become beautiful quilts. Is thee any possibility of making a coloring sheet available to the yahoo group, so that those of us still deciding on colors/fabrics could play/test our ideas?

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  23. Your color options here are just gorgeous! I am going to use a black background with Kaffe fabrics for my Love Entwined....so your first color pallet really spoke to me and allows me to see how mine might look when finished...now I am really excited about this quilt to come together. Thank you for sharing with us.

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  24. All four look beautiful but I'm leaning towards number 1 or 2. I think the black background is stunning but I love the pale green background as well. Whatever you choose will be perfect I'm sure.

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  25. Wow! No bad choices here! I prefer 1 or 2.

    This quilt reminds me of a reluctant virgin, who promises she'll set the wedding date, just as soon as she finishes the wedding coverlet!

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  26. I like them ALL - I'm still torn between 2 and 3. To me I imagine the real quilt in that color scheme:-)

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  27. Nice to see that you have tried a few backgrounds.
    I could make a choise and then... I had a oil painting in my hand from my grandfather... Hij made such lovely flower paintings and I tought... why should I not try to make a painting with fabric in his colours... So my background is dark braun.
    Groetjes van Marijke

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  28. Whatever colour scheme you choose will be wonderful, I can see you doing No 1. Though I do like No 4. I was wondering how it would look in Civil War/Reproduction fabrics. I have so many left over from my last 2 quilts.

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