Color Confidence with Color Theory: -

Have Fun with the Quilty™ Color Wheel in Your Quilt Shop!

Color is the secret sauce of quilting—it sets the mood, tells a story, and makes fabrics pop! As a quilt shop owner, you have the magic touch to help customers feel confident in their color choices. Mastering the color wheel and curating harmonious selections can take your displays, pre-cut bundles, and project kits to the next level. Let’s make color theory fun, approachable, and oh-so-inspiring!

Meet the Color Wheel: Your New Best Friend

The Quilty™ Color Wheel is like a cheat sheet for picking colors that play well together. Here’s a quick rundown:

Primary Colors: Red, yellow, and blue – the OGs of color mixing.
Secondary Colors: Orange, green, and purple – made by mixing two primaries.
Tertiary Colors: The in-between shades, like red-orange or blue-green, created by mixing a primary and a secondary.

Color Combos That Just Work

Some color pairings are just meant to be! Here are a few go-to color harmonies to make fabric selection easy-peasy:

Complementary Colors: Opposites on the wheel (e.g., blue and orange) bring high contrast and energy—great for bold quilts!
Analogous Colors: Next-door neighbors on the wheel (e.g., blue, blue-green, and green) create a smooth, harmonious vibe.
Monochromatic Colors: Different shades and tints of the same color for a chic, put-together look.
Split-Complementary: A fresh take on complementary—one base color and two adjacent to its opposite for balance with a pop!

Start with One Fabric, Build the Magic

Sometimes, picking colors is as easy as starting with one standout fabric! Here’s how to help customers build a color palette they’ll love:

Find the dominant color and secondary shades in a fabric they love.
Use the color wheel to discover complementary, analogous, or monochromatic matches.
Add neutrals (whites, grays, blacks, or low-volume prints) to keep things balanced.
Mix up the fabric scale—big prints, small prints, solids, and textures—to add depth and interest.

Curating Colorful Quilts & Kits

Want to make shopping easier for your customers? Take out the guesswork by curating pre-made bundles and kits with stunning color harmonies! Try:

Fat quarter bundles in monochromatic or analogous color schemes.
Pre-cut packs featuring bold complementary pairings.
Quilt kits with a perfectly balanced color story and fabric placement suggestions.
In-store or online demos on how to build a color palette from a single fabric—instant inspiration!

Color should be fun, not intimidating! With a little guidance, you can help your customers gain confidence in their fabric choices and spark their creativity. Whether through pre-made bundles, quilt kits, or expert advice, you’ll make their fabric selection process seamless and exciting.

Encourage them to play, mix, and experiment—because every quilt is a color adventure waiting to happen!

Industry Insight

Teresa Porter, Regional Account Executive

“As a former quilt shop manager, I’ve seen firsthand how intimidating color selection can be for customers. The trick is to break it down into simple, approachable steps using the color wheel. Once customers start playing with complementary and analogous colors, they get excited and empowered to experiment with bold choices. I always suggest starting with a fabric they love and building from there—once they see the possibilities, their confidence really takes off!”