Now Touring: A Modern Twist – Natalie Barnes

teri • March 03, 2015 • 108 Comments

Natalie Barnes book coverA Modern Twist Create Quilts with a Colorful spin by Natalie Barnes with Angela Walters, published by That Patchwork Place ($24.99) is that book we’ve all been waiting for incorporating piecing and quilting in one place. And incorporating both techniques into one book Natalie reminds us of the one concept in quilt making that defines us differently: Community.

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Photo Courtesy Martingale; Brent Kane, Photographer

Natalie dedicates the book to “the girls”, Grandma Stephanie, her aunt Laura Marie and her mom Normal Rose for helping her see beauty, to say yes and be kind. She carries forward this notion of community in the introduction where she shares the story of quilters who have been there for her, and helped her with the making of quilts for the book. She speaks of her friend Rose Hughes, quilting momma’s Nancy Crow and Gwen Marston who are still leaders in this quilting community, offering us the option of piecing and quilting quilts our way. It is this same sense of encouragement and community that is an eternal part of our lives as quilt makers.

The other day we posted Choosing Fabric a focus on one way to choose colors for fabric. Natalie, who worked in the field of corporate architecture and corporate interior design for 20 plus years, gives a good explanation of color using the color wheel and one further tip for choosing fabric: use the color dots or windows on the selvage of the fabric to help choose color for our quilts this simple and easy tip is often overlooked and it doesn’t get much easier.Finals_B1282_CC.indd

Photo Courtesy Martingale; Brent Kane, Photographer

The projects in the book, like the Studio Boxes above, are well presented and easy to make. Small projects like the boxes allow us to explore color and practice our quilting in one project. The boxes will look cute in our sewing studios and make great gifts for all of our quilty friends. Shown in two different colors here we can see how color can change. If you notice on the bottom of both boxes Natalie uses the same fabric: on the blue box it blends in, on the orange box it stands out more as it contrasts.

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Photo Courtesy Martingale; Brent Kane, Photographer

The Random Landscape place mats, add color and warmth to any table. Natalie encourages quilters to use “ugly” and “magic” fabrics/colors to add a bit of pop and zing. Often it’s that fabric that we hesitate to get or use that makes all the difference in our quilts.

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Photo Courtesy Martingale; Brent Kane, Photographer

These ugly and magic colors can draw our eye to the focal point of the quilt. Like the red confetti dot here on just off center in Natalie’s Circle Shuffle. The red draws our attention and leads our eye to the navy in the upper right hand corner. The navy then moves our eye to the green on the left side of the quilt. All of this color placement together gives us the opportunity to see the quilt as a whole. We can see how the color plays and rests allowing us to enjoy the parts and the sum.

Of course there’s an opportunity to win a copy of the book! Simply tell us your favorite color or colors to use in your quilts for piecing or for quilting or both. On March 15th we’ll hit that Random Number Generator and choose a winner.

UPDATE: Congratulations Tamie, commenter #19! You’ve won a signed copy of Natlie’s book!

 

March 1 Natalie Barnes beyond the reef
March 2 Latifah Saafir Latifah Saafir Studios
March 3 Generation Q Magazine
March 4 Julie Herman Jay Bird Quilts
March 5 Jenny Wilding Cardon Martingale
March 6 Rose Hughes
March 7 Amy Smart Diary of a Quilter
March 8 Carolyn Friedlander
March 9 Victoria Findlay Wolfe BumbleBeans
March 10 Amy Ellis Amy’s Creative Side
March 11 Angela Walters Quilting is my Therapy

 

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108 Comments

  • mary ellen peterson • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #1

    PINK and PINK! so glad my husband of many years is okay with it, sometimes out of respect i throw in aqua/turquoise. pink is my neutral…

  • Sarah J. • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #2

    I’m “newish” to quilting, but I love buttery yellow! It seems to be a tricky one to find though!

  • kmcneese • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #3

    purple and green are my current favorites
    thanks for the giveaway

  • Leandra Grigsby • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #4

    Hmmmm….. I love purple! You can win my heart with anything purple. I usually try to sneak it into most of my projects somehow. Im not sure why, but it just makes me smile every time I see it. 🙂

  • Susan • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #5

    I tend to use a lot of orange and pink but want to explore the zing! fabrics

  • kim schorer • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #6

    Currently I have been using a lot of turquoises and sour greens, I am making a more modern churn dash quilt!

  • Linda • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #7

    I have always favored green, as I feel it’s a neutral that goes with everything- in quilts and nature.

  • patty • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #8

    I can’t say I have a go to color. It just all depends on what inspires me that dictates the color pallet. I do have quite a big collection of black, gray, and black and white prints.

  • anna brown • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #9

    I love pink and blue for different quilts…

  • Deb • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #10

    I’m really loving a lot of purple in my quilt projects these days!

  • Beth T. • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #11

    Right now my favorites are red and blue together.

  • Nancy • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #12

    Just pick one seems impossible but on further thought I realize that an olivey, light mossy green is a color I have used in almost every quilt, several dozen at this count, that I have made. It must rank as a favorite.

  • vera schmidt • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #13

    Blue is my favorite color but I also like scrappy quilts with many colors. Generally I love all colors

  • Dian • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #14

    Red! Red with anything!

  • quiltingholliday • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #15

    Green seems to be my neutral when quilting but I really love to use yellow & pink together in my quilting projects!

  • Jackie Roisler • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #16

    I know, boring…..my fav is neutrals! But multiple neutrals, as in white or cream or light grey. I can’t have enough of these (never have what I need, must spend more 🙂 and then I splash in color.

  • elsabean • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #17

    I love to use lots of color but the one that is almost always in my quilts is orange or some form of it. Pink too!

  • Leanne • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #18

    I love working with blues and with polka dots! I am just now learning and would really enjoy the book! Thanks for the give away. Love your blog!

  • Tamie • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #19

    Some days I’m a blue and green kind of girl and other days I go for orange. Some days I just mix them all up like a rainbow.

  • ericositas • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #20

    I love red ! Always!!!

  • Charlotta Norby • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #21

    My favorites are orange, purple, and green. Together they sing for me, but separately, I really love them as well – especially orange and purple and chartreuse. I’m making a purple and green quilt now, and one of my favorite quilts ever, is all only orange.

  • Catherine Silling • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #22

    blues and violets are my favorites, although I have recently used some lemons, oranges and limes, and find it very pleasing with certains block patterns! thanks for a chance to win the book!

  • Beezus • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #23

    I love blues and aquas. And greens. Guess I’m a cool color kind of girl! 🙂

  • lou • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #24

    Red, pink, and yellow is one of my favourites.

  • Lisa Marie • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #25

    I use a lot of aqua and lime green in my piecing and my favorite quilting thread is Limestone King Tut. Lime green goes with more than you would think!

  • Katy • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #26

    my favourites are hot pink and turquoise 🙂

  • mlhummy • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #27

    Hi. I’m a fan of the darker blues and also of purples. It depends on what I’m creating.

  • Kathy Davis • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #28

    I love to use blues and whites.

  • allisonpogany • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #29

    I love grey- in all different shades!
    allisonpogany@gmail.com

  • Lynn • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #30

    Love teal and purple colors…then again I love fall colors too.

  • amy • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #31

    Blue for sure!
    Those studio boxes and placemats are really nice!

  • Judy S. • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #32

    Thank you for your giveaway! What a lovely selection of quilted items …so useful to make for gifts. My favorite colors to use in quilts are warm colors, pink hues being my favorite.

  • Deb • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #33

    Reds for sure pared with greys or whites.

  • Elizabeth Bolton • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #34

    This favorite color question always stumps me as it seems that I love them all, depending on how they are presented – so, Ive lately been saying “rainbow” in answer to it! I also love black and white prints… so… I think it’s fair to say I don’t have a favorite (and I sure want to make a color wheel piece like the one above!!)

    Thanks!
    Liz
    boltonia55@yahoo.com

  • Laura • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #35

    I love blues and greens

  • sisylyn53 • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #36

    My favorite colors are red, black, and white Nancy Hilderbrand
    gandn74@ymail.com

  • Jen Beatty • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #37

    Aqua is my favorite color, but I use all bright colors in my projects.

  • Carol • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #38

    My favourite colour is purple, but orange is a close second.

  • June @ QuiltQuest • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #39

    I’m always switching what my favorite colors are. I like yellow and blue, but always seem drawn to aqua/turquoise with yellow or orange or red! Thanks for the chance!

  • Karen • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #40

    Aqua, turquoise, teal—all those colors that remind me of the beach, the ocean, sea glass!

  • greta • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #41

    Right now I’m drawn to blues, browns, purple, and gold. Thanks for a chance to win.

  • debbierhodese • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #42

    I always say red. It my stash of blue is out of control
    Drhodes9@cox.net

  • Sue Hines • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #43

    My favorite is the family of blue. Book looks good.

  • Janet T • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #44

    Right now I am hooked on red. Blue is starting to edge it out though!

  • quilterpt • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #45

    I am a blue girl through and through!

  • carolyn • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #46

    Greens and blues with white

  • Janet Sabol • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #47

    I’ve liked using blues, greens and purples. Actually I like many bright colors. Would love to make a number of projects from Natalie’s book!

  • Sandy • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #48

    I am in love with aqua, teal, turquoise colors!

  • Chris • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #49

    I love to use blues. They have a nice calming influence on a quilt.

  • Laura West • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #50

    I love blues and purples mostly!

  • Sherril McGann • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #51

    I love the combination of pink and brown in a quilt

  • Christinabean • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #52

    I tend to gravitate towards bright purples, pinks, blues and reds. LOVE THEM!!

  • Karen in Breezy Point • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #53

    I love blues with a pop of cheddar!

  • Karen A • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #54

    My last few quilts have used gray as a neutral and I really like how it makes other colors pop.

  • Donna Joy • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #55

    Right now I am trying to put together aqua,greys, black and white, but need another color to pop.

  • Loris Mills • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #56

    I seem to love each and every color but probably find golden browns in more of my quilts. I love Natalie’s use of colors that stand out. Thank you so much for a chance to win a copy of her book. I would love to win 🙂

  • Marie Chat • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #57

    I enjoy using rose red, greens, and lovely beiges. Thanks!

  • Terry • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #58

    I don’t think I’ve ever met a color I didn’t like, but I am partial to any shade of pink or red. I also love aqua.

  • Joni • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #59

    I love a touch of Orange to make a spark in my quilts. Thanks for the chance to win!

  • Joan H. • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #60

    I love pastels of every kind but pinks are my favorites.

  • Cyndy Knapp • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #61

    I currently love pinks in my quilts! The book looks very inspirational. Thanks for sharing!

  • Shawna • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #62

    my favorite colors to use in quilts are teal, blue and purple

  • Rosalind Gutierrez • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #63

    I make a lot of children’s quilts so I favor colors like red and sometimes blue.

  • Sandy R. • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #64

    I don’t know about a single color but I tend to choose reproduction fabrics over any others.

  • Cindy Schultz • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #65

    My favorite color that I like to use in quilts is green. I just love anything with green.

  • Susan J • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #66

    Fall colors are my fav

  • Nancy Lanier • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #67

    Blues are my personal favorites, but I find that I love all the colors in the quilts I make, as they come together.

  • Kathie L • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #68

    I love navy blue and green.

  • Jeneta@PlumJam • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #69

    Any bright colour with grey.

  • Annette S • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #70

    I notice greens in most of my projects.

  • Alice • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #71

    I like to use bright colors, especially the “jewel tones”. Bright and cheery!

    akronne17 (at ) gmail (dot) com

  • Patricia Cash • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #72

    My favorite colors to use: blue, yellow, green and black.

  • Becca • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #73

    Right now, my favorite color is navy. I’ve been putting it in almost everything I’ve made recently.

  • Sarah • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #74

    My favorite color to use is red.

  • Ann • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #75

    Turquoise and periwinkle!

  • Lori Morton • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #76

    Loooove shades of blues…& greens…use them just about Always! lol

  • Linda Pawlak • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #77

    My favorite color is blue and I like to add it to as many quilts as I can! Thanks for the chance to win!

  • Teresa in Music City • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #78

    I love all the colors!!! Lately, my favorites seem to be pinks/oranges/yellows together. Thanks so much for the giveaway – I’d be thrilled to win a copy of this book!

  • Laura Tawney • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #79

    My favorite color is turquoise with a shot of hot pink or fushia! Thanks for the opportunity to win a fun book:-)
    LauraT

  • Camille • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #80

    Lately I’ve been playing with different colors as my contrast. Gray and navy have been fun. Next is black.

  • Karen • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #81

    I really love red in a quilt.

  • Julie in GA • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #82

    I love using all colors in different combinations, but if the answer is based on what color I have the most in my stash, I think it would be green.
    Thanks for the chance to win!

  • Lisa E • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #83

    I really like to use blues in my quilts. This books looks wonderful!

  • Ellee • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #84

    Blue — all shades of blue.

  • Judy F • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #85

    I love the latest trend – oranges, lime greens, aqua. Just last night I was noticing I have almost no purple in my stash. I think I need to “break out of my box” and get some purple going!

  • Marla • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #86

    I rarely make a quilt that doesn’t have some orange or yellow in it.

  • Beth T. • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #87

    These days it is plum. Works in moderns, works in civll war repros, works for me in so many styles and rooms and quilts.

  • kathy pfaltzgraff • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #88

    Thanks for helping me see how using her color dots help the eye move across the palette in her circle quilt, very helpful. I like all shades of green, but purples and oranges jump in there also, like in nature, Keep up the good work, Kathy in Colo

  • Jocelyn • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #89

    Picking one favorite color is tough. I have a big stash of pinks and blues, so they are predominate now. But I do love teal and browns too 🙂

  • Myrna Wiebe • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #90

    My favorite color has always been blue, but that doesn’t stop me from loving to throw orange in quilts!

  • Amanda Ashton • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #91

    Blue is My favourite, especially medium to dark

  • Sheila P • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #92

    Love the color combos of turquoise and lavender.

  • Karen Kijinski • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #93

    love how the color neon blue makes a quilt ‘pop’. i’m not even a blue person.

  • Sandra • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #94

    My favorite colors tend towards blues and greens. They feel so organic and natural to me. Calming.

  • Hilary Florence • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #95

    At the moment i am working with black quilting on gold fabric.

  • Sallee • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #96

    Red is the color that inspires me right now.

  • Fiber Babble • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #97

    I’m on a black and white kick right now. Just finished a small quilt and now I’m working on a sweatshirt jacket. Pops of colour, of course, but black and white all the things!!

  • Melissa • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #98

    My favorite color is blue, but I love quilting with black. I would rather have a black background than any other color

  • Melissa • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #99

    My favortie color is blue, but my favorite color to quilt with is black

  • mumbird3 • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #100

    I love Oranges and yellows!

  • Paula Coleman • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #101

    It seems to be whatever catches my eye at the time or what I have on hand. Majority of colors would be blues and purples.

  • QuiltSue • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #102

    Today my favourite colours are bright (almost shocking) pink with lilac and purples together with white. Tomorrow they’ll probably be completely different.

  • Shauna • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #103

    I love purple, in all shades, but really I love all colors, and go through stages, right now I seem to be in a pink/orange mode

  • Rachel D • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #104

    I really like mixing turquoise and lime green in my projects. Thanks for the giveaway!

  • Lori Smanski • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #105

    Recently I have loved putting blues and white together

  • Marianne • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #106

    I love the combo of yellow, green, and red.

  • cakegirl6251 • 9 years ago
    COMMENT #107

    I love a bit of orange in my quilts. Thanks for a great giveaway.

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