Do you want to have fun playing with color this year? I sure hope so because I have some monthly color challenges planned just for fun, starting with the January color challenge. So let’s go!
January Color Challenge
Each month I’ll give you a prompt or theme you can use to develop a mini color palette. Then you take that palette to your stash and sew up a 12-inch quilt block with it. January’s theme is COLD.
This month’s prompt had me thinking about how stark winter’s values are. Everything in the neutral palette, goes almost to black in the winter. I think this is especially true for tree bark and dirt trails. I’m sure scientists have an explanation for that – moisture? – but it’s really interesting to me. Everything in the warm and cool palettes tend to lose their value, almost going to white. The sky is still blue, but it’s the whitest of blues. So that’s how I came up with my color palette for this challenge.
Here’s the quilt block inspired by my color palette. My thinking was how dark the paths around flora and fauna can be, how pale flowers are when they finally start to sprout at the end of the season, how a pale blue sky can make everything else so dark in contrast, and stars in the sky.
Color Challenge Guidelines
I’m not a huge fan of rules, so here are some guidelines for the monthly color challenges.
- Look for my prompt photo near the first of every month. You’ll find it on Instagram, here on the blog, and in my email newsletter. (If you’re not already a subscriber, you’ll get a free scrappy memories quilt pattern when you sign up! Just click the link.)
- Play with your stash or color chips to pick a palette that goes with the theme. If you ever get stuck, feel free to use mine!
- Make a 12-inch quilt block showing off your palette.
- Share your quilt block on Instagram using #loveofthreadcolorchallenge.
That’s it! As we get close to the end of the year, I’ll provide you with at least two setting options for putting your blocks together into a quilt top. I hope you’ll play along with me as we play with and learn more about color in 2023. I can’t wait to see what you do!