Which Colors Go Well Together?

What color goes well with orange? 

I teach quilters from all over the world and a common struggle is COLOR. What colors go well together? Often quilters will have their typical color palettes that they stick to and have a hard time going outside their "box".

So I wanted to share with you a secret about color... are you ready for it?

Any hue can go with any other hue. 

Did you catch that?

Any hue can go with any other hue. 

It's all about the tone. 

So, what goes well with orange? Well, any hue could be paired with orange! It might not be your personal preference, but technically, and hue can be paired with any other hue. 

So now that you know this, when you're pulling fabric for a color palette, you can just think about how much contrast you'd like in this quilt.

Ask: Do I want it to have a ton of visual interest and be really colorful, or do I want the colors to be really harmonious so that the design can stand out most?

The further 2 colors are from one another on the color wheel, the more contrast there is.

So colors next to one another on the color wheel are super harmonious and will get along well together!

Colors that are further away from one another on the color wheel will have a lot more contrast and pop!

Colors opposite one another on the color wheel will have the most contrast possible and will make one another stand out more than any other color could, even black or white. So if you want your orange applique piece to really stand out, put it on a blue background. If you want your yellow star blocks to really stand out, use a purple for the background.

I hope this one little notion (Any hue can go with any other hue) gives you a ton of freedom! No need to stress over what goes with what. Just choose whichever colors look good to you (having similar tones will be helpful) and start sewing!

If you enjoyed this article and you'd like to learn more about color, head over to my website to learn more about Meander, my online quilt guild where we offer an entire curriculum on color.