Effervescence Quilt Along {Fabric F Discussion}

I received a great question about Fabric F for the Effervescence Quilt Along that I wanted to discuss in greater length (and with accompanying photos).

I am wondering about the bold choice for the “middle” fabric, is it to break the color progression?

My quick reply is that it is meant to be a design element to draw in the viewer. The less contrast used there, the more flat I think the design reads.

The longer answer is that in my original improv quilt (that inspired the Effervescence Quilt Along design), I challenged myself to use brown in the composition. It just so happened to be a contrasting fabric where I used it. As I was working on the Effervescence Quilt Along design and the Effervescence colorway mockups that I shared on Sunday, I realized that the design works with even lightly contrasting fabrics in that location, but when it is allowed to fully color progress without any contrast, I think the design loses impact.

But! Beauty and art are subjective, and what I think matters much less than what you or the intended recipient of the quilt thinks, so let’s take a look at a few more mockups.

Kona Eggplant to Regal with Fabric F contrast on left (yellow) and Fabric F colorwash on right (light purple)

Above shows my suggested Kona Eggplant to Regal colorway on the left using a contrasting color for Fabric F on the left (yellow) and a colorwash color for Fabric F on the right (light purple). To get an unbiased opinion, I called my husband over to take a look at the side by side mockups and he said,

I like the version on the left with the pop of yellow. The version on the right is a nice gradient, and you know I like gradients, but it’s lacking something that the pop of yellow creates.

Kona Black to Espresso with bright green Fabric F accent on the left and white Fabric F accent on the right

There are different ways to achieve contrast with Fabric F. It can be a bright and vibrant color change, like on the left above, or it can be a big contrast difference (which in this case also happens to be part of the colorwash sequence), like on the right above.

GRAYSCALE Kona Black to Espresso with bright green Fabric F accent on the left and white Fabric F accent on the right

Looking closer at the Kona Black to Espresso green versus white fabric mockups, I converted that image into grayscale above. On the left, the green is a more medium value and blends in closer to the fabrics that are around Fabric F in the quilt top. On the right, the white is the lightest value in the quilt top and stands out more in contrast to the values of the fabrics that are around Fabric F in the quilt top.

So, I recommend aiming for either the color and/or the value of Fabric F to create a “pop” of interest in the quilt top.

I hope those mockups are a helpful way to think about your fabric choices. Again, this was a great question and if this inspires any more questions, don’t hesitate to ask them in the comments!