Winter Bird Color & Construction Tips

By Maria Peagler

Author, Color Mastery: 10 Principles for Creating Stunning Quilts

Black & Cream Color Palette

• Black & cream have high contrast, giving high definition to Square-in-Square block

• Cream, or winter white, is a softer version of white. Not as bright.• Green birds add a warm color to the palette while maintaining sophistication.• I auditioned pink for the birds; too bright, overwhelming, and juvenile.

Square-in-Square Block Tips

• Fold square both ways to crease mid-points

• Press triangle to crease mid-point

• Match mid-points and pin well. Triangle ends will extend over square.

Don’t Cut Off Those Points!

• Trim dog ears. Keeps block flat and tidy.

• Sew remaining triangles with block wrong side up so you don’t cut off the block points.

• Don’t trim your block, even if it’s off. You need every bit of fabric at your square points.

Making Curved Bias Stems

• Fold bias strips in half, wrong sides together, overlapping ends

• Baste using long straight-stitch on your sewing machine

• Pin bias stems in place, curving as you go. Steam curve, then press. Machine applique using your straight stitch.

Learn More About Color

• To learn more about color, refer to my book: Color Mastery

• Quilts & Creativity blog will feature a new color each month with an accompanying pattern

http://www.colormastery.com

http://quiltsandcreativity.com

http://www.twitter.com/colormaster

http://www.facebook.com/mariapeagler

http://www.youtube.com/colorfulquilter