My understanding of "low volume" was any fabric that had a low quantity of pigment in the color: white, off-white, cream, and pastel or pastel-ish. I used strips of white, cream, tan; light/pale greens, blues, yellows, reds (= pinks); and a few fabrics with white/off-white backgrounds printed with slightly stronger colors.
When I look at that quilt now I see a rainbow--maybe even a jumble--of light fabrics. It was fun to make but I don't love it. When my older daughter asked if she could have it, I jumped at the chance to give it a new home.
When I began working on the scrappy backgrounds for "Stars on Scrappy Backgrounds" ...
... I was more selective about the tints and tones of the fabrics I used for those blocks. Most were in the light natural/creamy range, but I chose a few fabrics that included pink/coral/rose and a few with tans and grays.
And when I cut the fabric from behind those appliqued stars ...
... and used the 4" scrappy pieces for another quilt, I was even more selective about the ranges of naturals and low-volume fabrics I used and how many "colors" I included.
I think both of the quilts below have a completely different feel even though both are low-volume.
Neither is right or wrong, better or worse, than the other but knowing that the light fabrics I choose for my quilts will influence the feel of the quilts gives me more control over the finished results. I also realized that paying attention to the tint-toward-color of light fabrics is important when combining light fabrics with darker or brighter ones. Some lights may not work well with some medium, bright, or dark fabrics. I've noticed it when a light fabric I thought was greyish was placed next to a darker fabric that made it look lavender. No matter whether I'm working with lights or medium, dark, or bright colors, I need to be aware of the interactions of the colors in all the fabrics.
Most quilters are probably aware of the differences and variations in tints and tones of natural/light/low-volume fabrics. I think I was too but it became more obvious as I was looking at photos of these two quilts. My preference is for the warmer, creamy tones but I know there will be times when the cooler greys, blues, and greens will work better for a quilt.
What are your observations when sewing with light fabrics?
--Nancy.
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All beautiful quilts. Aren't we lucky to have so many options in our fabrics?
ReplyDeleteYou did a wonderful job with all your colors.
Thank you, Dawn. Yes, it is so wonderful to have so may fabrics and colors available to us. (Though I sometimes wish I could find a store -- a brick and mortar store -- with every fabric available so I could see them in person!) We live at a great time even if we can only see some of them online. I actually can't imagine buying fabric from an early Montgomery Ward or Sears Roebuck catalog where there was only a description of color. Yes, lucky us!
DeleteI love color theory and every quilters should take a class about it. I know I include it when I teach Quilting 101. It make all the difference between liking or loving your quilts. The one on the right is so warm and inviting, like sand on the beach. I love it
ReplyDeleteHi, Yanicka. I read about color theory but the best way to learn (I think) is to actually play with colors, either fabric or paint or even paint chips, so we can see the interaction. I understand but I don't always "see" until after blocks are sewn together.
DeleteThanks for showing both quilts side by side. Very interesting..I think the narrow smashing giving a bit more color and contrast is the big difference. I Just love that quilt.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your observations, Miri. I agree, I think the sashing makes a difference. I guess it defines the space, creating blocks instead of just one overall light space.
DeleteI like those light colors. Beautiful work!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Michelle.
DeleteI love that Stars on Scrappy project!
ReplyDeleteThe light colors are restful and give a sort of dreamy / misty feeling.
It's nice to work on a variety of projects and each one has its own mood and personality :)
Thank you, Deb. I love the stars on scrappy backgrounds, too. It's sitting on my to-be-quilted pile, but I think I'm going to make a little adjustment to it before quilting it. (That's one bad thing about leaving a quilt sit too long at my house: I might decide to change it!)
DeleteI like having both handwork and machine sewing to work on but if I get too many quilts going at the same time I don't make much progress on any of them. But I do like a little variety.
I have never done a low volume quilt, but I like the effects of both of yours. I tend to lean toward the warm and creamy, as well, but the first one you made has a very fresh feel to it. Perfect for Spring or Summer bed making. : )
ReplyDeleteHi, Janet. After that first low-volume quilt I thought I would probably not make another, at least not one with that pattern. This second one just evolved as a result of the cast-offs from the backgrounds.
DeleteI really can't imagine you making a low-volume quilt because you make such wonderfully beautiful and colorful quilts. Just keep going with those!
I like both quilts very much. When people started using the term "low volume", I think it was very confusing. I still won't use it. =) I say neutrals when I mean that, or lights, or pastels, or whatever is more exact. Low volume has too much width of meaning, which makes it, essentially, completely meaningless. Each of your quilts has great beauty, so I'm not hung up on labeling them one thing or another. =)
ReplyDeleteHi, Susan. I'm with you about the term "low volume." I don't know how it originated or evolved but I don't usually use it and did in this post because the "Sunday Morning" pattern called for low volume fabrics and looking at her finished quilt it looked like a variety of light fabrics.
DeleteI think the terms "natural" and "neutral" can also be ambiguous, too, though. Natural, as in the colors of nature, can be very broad, from the color of muslin to the color of sand, slate, etc. In general I think most of us think of "natural" as a range of light cream/sand/wheat colors. And neutral can be almost as confusing -- grey, tan, cream, charcoal, black -- and I think I've read that red can be a neutral sometimes.
English is such a great language that can sometimes be very precise, but other times not quite so.
I've never made a quilt completely from low-volume fabrics, but I'm like your daughter... I would a scooped up your Sunday Morning quilt. It's SEW restful. LOVE it!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for your kind words about Sunday Morning, Joyful. I would have given it to you if you'd asked first!
DeleteA quilt from low volume scraps takes a lot of scraps so if you're thinking of making one, save, save, save!
I can see quite a difference between the warm tones you used for the quilt on the right compared to the cooler tones for the one on the left. The one on the left looks very pastel and well suited for anyone who likes pastels. I have not done any low volume projects.
ReplyDeleteThey do look different, don't they, Karen? My preference is to use lights/naturals with colors but this most recent quilt (with the coral sashing) just happened because of leftovers from another quilt. I think I'll go back to colors now.
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