Welcome to the Esther Block SAL!

Our sew-a-long will officially start in September 2023, but now is the time to start gathering supplies and materials. One of the harder parts for many in starting a project is picking out a color story or theme for your quilt. We thought it might be helpful to go over some approaches that we have used for choosing fabric.

Here are five ideas to consider:

Idea 1: Save what catches your eye

Perhaps you have a folder (physically or virtually) where you keep ideas for quilts. We also have a color folder. We save everything that catches our eye; from a beautiful picture of nature to a pile of towels in a catalogue. Then when we need some inspiration, we like to look through these folders and files for ideas and see what grabs us again.

Here are a few from Laura's virtual folder....

These sweet puppies are an illustration from Katherine Quinn

A gorgeous knit from Green Letter Day

Notice how well these two very different illustrations hang together! Oftentimes you realize you are attracted to the same color stories. Use that! It's always more fun to work with colors that really appeal to you.

A restful interior posted by Permanent Collection

A photo taken by Laura at the Chanticleer Gardens in Wayne, PA

Idea 2: Pick a color

While participating in the 2022 #focuscuttingsewalong hosted by @naomialicec, Laura decided to stick to a purple theme. All of a sudden, purple inspiration started popping up everywhere! By studying the pictures that caught her eye, Laura realized that grey/black and white served as a beautiful neutral against purple, and that colors that sit next to purple in the color wheel: red (pink) and blue, added a much needed pop. These color inspiration served as a guide while picking out fabric each week for her quilt.

This is an image Laura saw from a giveaway on Instagram

A photo from the National Park Service

Purple Pineapple quilt by Laura Hartrich - how gorgeous is that!

Laura's purple 2022 #FCSA quilt - notice the ombré effect of the joining purple fabric!

Idea 3: Choose a Focus Fabric

Sara chose a primary fabric she loved as the focus for her Esther blocks. It is from the Dreamy group, called Magic Carpet in Orange from Benartex Modern Quilt Studio that comes with a built in border. She cut every shape from the Esther block, from different places in this one piece of fabric, including the border. Each block will have this focus fabric appear in one position (shape) in the design.

Sara's focus fabric - Benartex Fabrics Modern Quilt Studio: Dreamy - Magic Carpet Orange

Some of Sara's stash inclusions

The surrounding colors she used are inspired by this original fabric- instant color theme!

A few of Sara's finished blocks

Idea 4: Pick a subject theme

Laura has a soft spot for the sea and salty sailors and has built up an extensive stash of themed fabric in this genre. These blocks will eventually become an ode to her love of the ocean. What do you love? Flowers, stripes, animals, music? Maybe if you think about it, you already have a collection you can use, or the starts of one that you can expand.

A selection of Laura's Salty Sailors

.... and sea creatures

Idea 5: No plan is also a plan!

Scrappy quilts are amazing and trust us, we have a folder for those too! Laura is especially fond of scrappy quilts with a single solid color that holds it all together.

Laura's scrappy #FCSA from 2019. Black is a no-brainer to hold scrappy quilts together

We love how the vibrant blue makes these blocks sing. - quilt by Red Pepper Quilts

We hope these different approaches give you inspiration as you shop your fabric collection and contemplate a direction for your Esther blocks!

Our next post will take a little deeper dive into fabric designs that help create dynamic focuscutting.

Until then, have fun with color!