Inspiration for a Color Palette

Ever find yourself in a color rut?

You find yourself going back to the same type of fabric palette again and again. 

One of my favorite ways to get out of a color rut and pull together a palette that is interesting, different, and fun is to use an Inspiration Print!

How this works: start with a colorful fabric that you love, then pull in some other fabrics that include colors found in that Inspiration Print.

This is like having your favorite fabric designer pull together a color palette for you: it is already there in the print! 

Take a look at this example:

I started with this lovely print on the left. It is large in scale and contains several different colors. So, with it in hand, I dug around in my stash looking for fabrics that match the colors in this print, which are gold, aqua, and green.

I pulled my aqua lined print, it's a nice small-scale "blender" print that will help the Inspiration Print to stand out.

Next I found the green batik which will add a nice organic texture to the quilt and also acts as a "blender".

Finally, I grabbed 2 golds: the gold print as well as the solid.

I love the resulting palette-- everything goes nicely together and the Inspiration Print really connects everything cohesively. 

It can also be helpful to use the registration marks in the selvage to create your palette:

Your turn! Go grab a fun, colorful print, and pull together a fabric palette using the colors in that print! 

If you'd like to dive deeper into color, we have a full Color Curriculum inside Meander. It will take you from unsure or insecure with color to a master! Click here to learn more!

We'd love to hear from you! Did you do the exercise above? How did it turn out? What is your favorite way to pull together a fabric palette? Leave a comment below and let us know!