This contest is now closed. Thank you to everyone who participated. To find out if you won, click here: WINNERS
Welcome to the Connecting Threads stop of the Modern Mix Blog Tour! I was very excited when this book came through our office because I have been admiring all the quilts I've been seeing lately that incorporate solids, but I was feeling a bit intimidated on how to go about doing that in my own projects. You can read the entirety of my review of Jessica's book here. Since then, I've had the opportunity to ask Jessica a few questions about the book--so cool! Read on for our mini interview to learn more, and then don't miss the giveaway directions at the bottom. We always like to throw in a little extra giveaway on these book tours, so don't miss that!
CT: I absolutely love the way you pair solid colors with the prints in the book in sometimes unexpected ways. It's easy for me to pick solids out of a multi-colored focal fabric to pair with the design, but I find it challenging to pick contrasting solids that will have the "wow" factor you seem to achieve. I'm referring specifically to the Pebble Road, Twin String Quilts, Stripe of Strips Pillow, and Quilted Camera Case designs in the book. How do you go about choosing contrasting solids? Color theory? Inspiration from a photo? Some other genius method?
JL: Mostly it's basic color theory. I do discuss it some in the design section of the book. I start by determining how much contrast I want and that tells me where to look on the color wheel as well as how light/dark of a color I want. If I want maximum contrast I would look on the opposite side of the color wheel and go with the opposite value of a color. I tend to find that colors which aren't total opposites but still do have a lot of contrast (like a light turqouise and dark magenta) often appeal to my eye. The really great thing about using solids in this way is that you have a ton of choices for colors and values and you can easily "audition" choices. In the store or at home you can simply hold the solids up to the prints and go with one that you like the most.
CT: I find myself loving solids mixed in projects lately, but I don't seem to stash solids because they seem boring to buy. Do you have any tips for overcoming the impulse for only buying prints? What comes first in a project for you: The print fabrics or the solids?
JL: I totally understand that prints can be much more alluring. I initially shopped online and just decided one day to bite the bullet and buy a stash of only solids. I bought 1/2 yards of several dozen colors that appealed to me. This was a good base to start with, however I think until you know what specific colors you like, its a good idea to buy them in an actual shop because many were not as I had envisioned. Then, you can get a "color card" for several of the solid fabric manufacturers which is little swatches of the actual fabric and that can help you shop as you go forward. I do most often start with the print fabric first. It's much easier that way and of course most of us are passionate about our prints. The only exception is when I have a specific color or color combination in mind. I might know I want a predominantly grey quilt and start there and add contrasting prints (like the cover quilt). Or I might want to use purple and green together and after I choose the solids, sprinkle a few prints in.
CT: In the beautiful photos of your projects in the book, I couldn't help but notice some amazing quilting and how much it accentuated the design. Did you quilt your own projects, or do you have a long arm quilter hero who you trust to make them awesome? Any tips for choosing quilting designs with solids?
JL: I do have a quilting hero, Angela Walters. And considering the projects in this book were the first time I had ever sent out a quilt to anyone, that's saying a lot. Angela and I worked together to come up with the designs for this book. Obviously when you're working with solids (especially in large quantities) the quilting can show even more so it's doubly important. When choosing a design, you need to think of the quilt as a whole and make sure the design complements the overall feel. All of mine had a contemporary feel and, I hope, emphasized the design. For example the Frame Up quilt is very boxy and I wanted that echoed in the quilting so it's very linear with lots of right angles. The Diamond Strands quilt is all about showcasing the large prints so each print stripe got it's own unique quilting pattern. And for the Pebble Road quilt on the cover, the quilting actually came first and the bright print circles were inspired by it. Actually Angela has a book coming out with Stash Books in the spring that covers quilting on modern quilts. Keep your eye out!
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A modern quilting book--excellent! I'm sure we'll all be keeping our eyes out for Angela's book next spring. Thanks, Jessica, for all your great advice on working with solids!
Now on to the giveaways... If you would like to win a copy of the Modern Mix book by Jessica Levitt from C&T Publishing, simply leave a comment telling us where you use solids the most in your quilting projects (U.S. residents will win a hard copy of the book, International will win an e-book copy.) Here at Connecting Threads we like to have more than one winner, and I want to help someone build their solid stash, so we're throwing in 2 yards of our solid fabric as a prize, cut up in any configuration as small as FQs (so that could be 2 yards of one color, or 8 different fat quarters, or any other combination you like!) To enter the contest for the solid fabrics (U.S. addresses only), simply tell us what you would order if you win. (You can shop our solids here in a new window, and then come back to comment.) If you want to enter to win both prizes, just leave two separate comments--it increases your chance of winning one (but we won't pick the same person for both).
We will pick our two lucky winners on Monday, October 24. This is almost the end of the blog tour, but if you want one more chance to win, check out the last stop of the tour tomorrow on the Keepsake Quilting Blog.
Rules: No purchase necessary. Two different entries per person. Must provide a valid email address so
that we can contact you if you win.
246 responses to “Modern Mix Blog Tour & Giveaway” (Showing 50 Most Recent)
Comments now closed
Oct 23, 2011 at 8:14 PM Verdigris and Peridot are my favorites :) Hard to pick though! Great colors! Thank you for participating in the blog tour! It's been good fun!
Oct 23, 2011 at 8:09 PM I've been using solids more and more between "busy" blocks to give the peepers a break. Or I'll us them as the surrounding strips to the print center of a log cabin block. Confused? Yeah, me too...
Oct 23, 2011 at 1:58 PM Looks like a fun book. I use solids for backing and sashing as well as an easy contrast if I have a really busy pattern. I haven't used solids much but I have slowly been collecting them so I can hopefully do some projects with them.
Oct 23, 2011 at 11:12 AM I love bright vibrant colours whether they are pattern or solid. The pattern fabrics have to be balanced with solids or nears solids as possible to make them pop. Sometimes the solids are the sashing and bindings, and others they are the focal point of the project. It just depends on how they speak to me when planning. All my projects seem to have a mix of both.
Oct 23, 2011 at 8:08 AM It was very interesting to read about Modern Mix and how solids can add and make the prints pop. I love any color of solids and prints. Have a need for yellow or gold now. Will soon do some T- shirt quilts for the school and I use solids to tie it together. The pink fabric I got in the Quilter's Candy group I have used to make baby quilts. I love soft tone on tone colors/prints. If I could have a fat quarter of every solid color CT has i would for I find solids and playing with solids help me to play with the print I have fallen in love with. I would love to own Modern Mix and any group of fabric you would send my way. Ther is always a baby when you help make quilts for teen mom and Linus.
Oct 23, 2011 at 7:57 AM Modern Mix sounds like a interesting book. A year ago I purchased fat quarters of Quilter's Candy and group of solids. It was the candy I needed to make and have enough purple fabric to blend in with the two flower prints in the lone star quilt. The pink that was in the Candy group just helped me have what I needed for a quilt for a cause, Cancer.
Oct 22, 2011 at 11:54 PM I always use solids as sashing, so I need some inspiration to move on from this
Oct 22, 2011 at 11:35 PM Modern Mix is on my book wish list and I would love to win a copy! So many great ways to use my stash!! Thank you for the giveaway!!
Oct 22, 2011 at 11:34 PM I love using solids as accents with prints, and sometimes also use large areas of solids too. I also like to use solids in my purse/accessory making, sometimes as lining and sometimes as the main fabric. I would love to win a bunch of fat quarters of bright solids to build up my stash! Thank you for the giveaway!!
Oct 22, 2011 at 10:21 PM So many beautiful colors!! After going back and forth, I'm going with Red Violet, Marigold, Brown (or Fawn?) and Cerulean.
Thank you for the generous giveaway and a chance to win.
usairdoll(at)gmail(dot)com
Oct 22, 2011 at 10:18 PM I don't use solids much. After following this book/blog tour though, it has opened my eyes as to what can be done with only using solids. My eyes have been opened! I'd love to challenge myself to make one of Jessica's quilts and only use solids.
Thank you for the giveaway and a chance to win.
usairdoll(at)gmail(dot)com
Oct 22, 2011 at 5:37 PM I have just started using solids to complement the prints in my quilts. The solids give the eyes a place to rest. I use them for washing too. Thanks for the giveaway
Oct 22, 2011 at 5:34 PM I would love to win a copy of this book. Thanks for the chance to win a copy.
Oct 22, 2011 at 1:03 PM Like many who have commented I have not used a lot of solids in my quilting but feel inspired to try doing so with this book.
Oct 22, 2011 at 12:43 PM Oh gosh I love your solids! I would pick either Christmas-y ones (like White, Cherry, Kelly, Ivy, and Red) or a collection of FQs in bright colors because I love bright, cheery colors (Marigold, Aqua, Magenta, Cerulean, Persian Blue, Royal Purple, Sun, and Orangina). Thanks! :)
Oct 22, 2011 at 12:30 PM I usually use solids when I have a patterned fabric that I really like that I don't want it to get lost with the other fabrics. So I'll throw in solids or prints that read like a solid from a distance.
Oct 22, 2011 at 9:53 AM Ok, for solid I thought I'd go with Christmas colors - Meadow, Kelly, Ivy, and Red - a 1/2 yard of each. Thanks!
Oct 22, 2011 at 9:39 AM I actually don't use too many solid fabrics; generally they are background and even those are tonals. However, if I need something the perfect color or way back when, when I made an Amish quilt, I definitely use solids.
Thanks for the chance for the book, looks awesome!
Oct 22, 2011 at 9:28 AM I also tend not to stash solids; just purchase as needed. So this giveaway is a great opportunity. My color choices and amounts would be:
White(1 yard),Persian Blue(1/2 yard)and Expresso(1/2 yard)
Thanks again for a great opportunity and introducing us to another great book.
Oct 22, 2011 at 9:22 AM Intriguing book and good interview. My use of solids tends to be as an accent color to match the focal fabric, or for sashing. I think I would learn a lot from this book. Thanks for another great giveaway opportunity.
Oct 22, 2011 at 6:33 AM I use solids the most in sashing and binding.
Oct 21, 2011 at 10:12 PM One more wonderful blog. I'm not only enjoying this designer and her work but I'm getting introduced to all these great sites to visit again!
Oct 21, 2011 at 9:40 PM I use solids most between the blocks or between the strips! Thanks for a chance to win this awesome book! :)
Oct 21, 2011 at 7:26 PM I usually use solids to frame blocks or as the background fabric for embroidery.
Thanks very much for the great interview and this fabulous giveaway! :-)
Oct 21, 2011 at 7:24 PM Among these fabulous colors, I'd choose Indigo, Candy Pink, Royal Purple, Orangina, Grape, Peach, Bluebird, and Tomato, thanks! :-)
Oct 21, 2011 at 6:59 PM So far, I've mostly used solids in sashings, borders, and bindings, but the beautiful modern quilts are going to force me to think in another direction. Thanks for another fun giveaway offer.
Oct 21, 2011 at 6:28 PM love this!! thanks for another great giveaway!
Oct 21, 2011 at 6:24 PM I would love the win fabrics and a book to teach me new ways of using the fabrics to create something fantastic:) Thanks for offering the chance.
Oct 21, 2011 at 6:23 PM I like to use solids to break up the prints. I think a combination of both is essential for a balanced project. Lovely pattern form the book:)
Oct 21, 2011 at 6:17 PM Thanks for sharing!
Oct 21, 2011 at 6:16 PM I need to purchase some more of the latte, but it would be great to win some instead! Love your store.
Oct 21, 2011 at 6:13 PM I only use solids for corner blocks or sashing, so I should move outside my comfort zone.
Oct 21, 2011 at 4:30 PM should i win the solid fabric, i would love to have the whole two yards in the soft grey, Silver Lining! i use lots of that as background for applique quilts and one block quilts. thanx for the opportunity to win some.
Oct 21, 2011 at 4:26 PM i use solids for framing blox, inner borders, outer borders, backing, piecing backing, piecing blox, and applique; i?solids, and use lots of them!
Oct 21, 2011 at 2:39 PM I'd choose solid white. Love it with small prints. :)
Oct 21, 2011 at 2:39 PM I like to use solids to make certain colors pop in quilts. :)
Oct 21, 2011 at 2:27 PM Hello~
What a fun & neat giveaway!
I use my solids in mostly my "quilting" projects!
If I won...I would pick blue & yellow solids!
Thanks for the chance and for a GREAT giveaway!
Blessings~
Lori-Marie
Oct 21, 2011 at 12:47 PM If I won solid fabric, I'd pick 2 yards of one color - probably a beige-like color.
Oct 21, 2011 at 11:05 AM I'd choose 1/2 yard each of peach, apricot, persimmon and orangina. Thanks!
Oct 21, 2011 at 11:03 AM We need a new quilt for our bedroom - in greens and browns so I'd pick something like Evergreen, Fawn or Brown.
Oct 21, 2011 at 11:02 AM I use solids especially around the edges of a quilt.
Oct 21, 2011 at 11:02 AM I like solids for accent, background and inner borders. Thanks for the giveaway!
Oct 21, 2011 at 10:35 AM On pins and needles! Very excited to get my hands on this book.
Oct 21, 2011 at 10:32 AM My choice for solids would be a mix of fat quarters in blues and browns.
Oct 21, 2011 at 10:23 AM I use solids as an accent, especially black with bright colors. I also like to mix solids with 30's reproduction prints.
Oct 21, 2011 at 9:23 AM I like to use both solids and prints in almost same amounts :D
Thanks for the chance!
Oct 21, 2011 at 9:15 AM I would order all fat quarters of blues and grays and make my sister a quilt for Christmas. My favorite solid you carry is your ash. I LOVE IT! Thanks for the chance!
Oct 21, 2011 at 9:15 AM I use solids for everything, but lately I've been making a lot of aprons and mixing the solids with prints.
Oct 21, 2011 at 8:49 AM I would choose Lime, Marine, Teal and Red violet. I have used your solids and found them very nice and so soft. Thanks
Oct 21, 2011 at 8:47 AM Right now I am making FQ Stars for a quilt along using all solids with a white background. I am really liking it. Thanks for the give away.