Color is the big idea in your work. It emphasizes feelings. I am sure you have heard someone refer to moody blues, say red is a passionate color, or that green is associated with relaxation and growth. Violet is dignity and royalty, orange is confidence and enthusiasm, white is innocence and beauty, and yellow is sunshine and happiness are other color associations. What associations do you have with each of these colors? How do they make you feel? Get out your journal, or a piece of paper, and write down the color names above and then think of a word that you associate with each color. You mi ..read more

Looking Up - Looking Down - Looking All Around Our environment is full of eye candy this time of year with all of the fall colors and textures. I really feel like an explorer trying to get last minute hikes and drives in before the snowfall. Lately, when I'm outdoors the intense blue of the sky catches my attention. I've realized that it is like a “neutral” in my photographs, because it seems to go with all the other hues. Going forward, I will certainly think of this sky blue more when I am planning a palette. The vibrant colors of fall mostly fit into the warm category when you consider th ..read more

It’s August already! Where did the time go? Many of you attended my “Dreaming in Color” Lecture series late this spring. After experiencing the stay at home order, I was really excited when Valori asked me to do the color lecture series. I finally felt like I had a purpose, and I could once again connect with many of you, which is what I love most about teaching. Not being able to travel and teach, I spend more time than ever in the garden and I think I have my best garden yet. Gardens are great teachers for all of us and keep us humble. Best-laid plans do not always work with temperature cha ..read more

Who would have thought we would be living through a pandemic and all it's changes? I am sure most of you are in “shelter in place” mode and that everyone is being extremely careful about being safe. Stitching and dreaming about color have saved the day for me during these difficult times, as well as other times in my life. I hope they do for you as well.  Before we jump into the post, I want to give a “shout out” to Valori and her team. Since this all started, they have stayed in touch with all of you through the Stitchin’ Post newsletter, filled many desperate orders, hand delivered som ..read more

Jean is a home, staying safe and busy in her studio. She wanted to share a technique she's been having fun with: piecing free form triangles.  Here are her instructions: I stitched together several free form triangle blocks in a palette of fabrics from Cotton and Steel, In The Woods collection, that just called out to me to play with. Notice in the sample above, none of the triangle shapes are exactly alike. The differences give it more of a playful feeling. Also notice that the triangle shapes do not reach the top of the blocks. To create your own triangles... Cut free form triang ..read more

The past two months have been filled with the bright colors of summer even though it is winter in Sisters. This is the time of year that I work on quilts that will be donated to fundraisers for Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show. Our theme for our 45th anniversary show this year is “My Kind of Town.” As always, I began my project by pulling as many fabrics as possible in the colors I choose to work with. Once that's done, I turn to balancing colors in my composition. “Summertime” is my 22” x 34” quilt for the Storybook that Dan Rickards of the Clearwater Gallery creates for display during Quilter's Af ..read more

It is January, and as I write this blog it is trying to snow outside. To so many people, the winter colors in the landscape are dull and uninviting. When I take time to sit and really look outside, I see some very interesting combinations of colors. Seeing our Central Oregon sagebrush with snow opened my eyes to the subtle elegance of neutrals. That imagery stayed with me and I started noticing other combinations, some even with high contrast. On a drive to the bay area a few years ago in early March, we came upon Grass Lake. I asked John to stop the car, so I could photograph th ..read more

In my monthly Adventures in Art Quilting class we were discussing how to build a palette of fabrics for future projects. One of my students is very new to quilting and was a bit overwhelmed because she does not have a “stash”. She suggested that I talk about how to build a “library of fabric”, her name for a collection of fabric. With the cost of fabric rising, many people are more selective and do not buy for their stash as much as they used to. My advice is to really think about the type of work that you are interested in doing, and the colors that appeal to you, as a starting point. When I ..read more

Back to school for me is more time for creative pursuits. I am putting the garden to bed, and this weekend I cleaned the studio. I found so many lost treasures, and color stories started presenting themselves right before my eyes. “Palette Play” is one of my favorite pastimes. Usually a printed piece of fabric, a snapshot, or a memory will spark an idea. At this point in the creative process, I just play and have the question, "What if?", in the back of my mind. I pull any color that seems to want to play with the rest of them. This floral print from my stash caught my eye. I kind of like the ..read more

Dull vs Bright --- A Form of Contrast When I say the word “dull,” I find students kind of sit back, take a breath, and relax. The word itself is not very exciting and when you put a dull fabric next to a bright one, the bright one always says “Hey, look at me!” Use this to your advantage when you are choosing fabrics for a quilt, especially in scrap quilts. Dull fabrics create a foundation for the rest of the activity that goes on in the design. Amafu is a New York Beauty style quilt that I created over fifteen years ago and is still one of my favorites.   I would call this a scrap q ..read more