I have FULLY embraced the Fabric Cafe 3 Yard Quilt craze! They are quick, to the point and really non-stress to put together. Well, for me (an over-thinker) not totally non-stress. The stress occurs when I start choosing the fabrics!
Fabric Cafe's standard rule is basically to use (1) a focus fabric, (2) a lighter fabric and (3) a darker fabric. Their multiple videos help decide how to do this very effectively. Their formula works for a bare bones beginner and an experience/seasoned quilter. But, not always for me. I tend to choose fabrics that on the surface appear lighter/darker, but when viewed through a "different lens" actually show as the same value!
The different lens that helps me see the values is actually one that almost all people have--the lens of my phone camera! But first....a little background.
I had read about a Patriotic 3 Yard Quilt challenge and I was ready to do it! So, in true 3 Yard style I took my focus fabric to the store to start pairing numbers 1 and 2.
Meet my focus fabric. Hubby was in the Air Force, so this one made perfect sense! Hmmm.....red, white or blue no doubt. Oh! And stars!!! I pulled several choices and stacked them up to compare. Now, you are gonna have to take my word on this.....
With the fabrics stacked, I took a photo of the different choices I had made. (Lesson: duplicate the photo before the next steps.) I then used the edit features of the phone's camera. (I have an iPhone so your toggles may be slightly different!) I selected the duplicated photo, tapped EDIT, then FILTER, and slid the bar to MONOTONE.
Referring to the black and white photo: on the shelf the top fabric is seen as a darker blue ombre with large stars, the middle is a distress red and the bottom with the small stars is a medium blue. I stacked them as I saw them with darkest at the top, lightest in the middle and the bottom as the medium color. Was I surprised when, through the lens of my camera the two bottom fabrics appeared very similar in their hues are!
Back to the racks of fabric to pull more fabric. Again, I stacked it on the cutting table (love my little LQS--he is so laid back!) No stars, but okay! The colors light and medium picked up the focus, My vision was to use the red In the middle spot, shall see! Original photo taken.....
Remembered to duplicate. Same photo edited to monotone:
Yes!!!! The red makes the #3 spot and this is my stack for the win! I think this order will be amazing even if there are no stars in #2. But hey, there is movement, like the clouds in the sky for my fly guy! Fabric "in order". Now to choose one of the Fabric Cafe's patterns! Here we go again....this pattern or that pattern, oh my!
Until next time,
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