Shannon Brinkley Studio Blog

Fall Fabric Inspiration Oct 30, 2018

Inspiration for quilt fabric pulls can come from anywhere. A big source of inspiration, for me, is nature. Austin, Tx is gorgeous right now, and while we don't have the leaf color change that New Engl...

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What is Your Quilter's Color Style? Take the Quiz! Aug 29, 2018

I teach quilters from all over the world and one thing I get asked about over and over is about COLOR! So I decided to make fabric selection a little easier and created this Quilt Color Style Quiz! Yo...

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An eye for color is something you can Grow and Develop Jul 03, 2018

I teach workshops all over the country and I've noticed so many of my students struggling with -- color. Most quilters haven't taken a ton of art classes and, in turn, often lack confidence in their c...

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2 Ways to Make your Scrappy Quilt Look Lovely (and NOT like a hot mess) Apr 17, 2018
You know how some scrappy quilts can look super gorgeous and unexpected, while others look like the quilter had a tad too much wine??

Here are a couple fun effects to make your next scrappy quilt look ...
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Violet and Gray: A Cool and Eerie Palette Apr 10, 2018
I love these violets and purples alongside these cool grays. It makes for a stark, almost eerie palette. Perhaps it's only eerie since it is made into a giant octopus... who can say?
 
 
Not all ...
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How to Use Warm and Cool colors in your Quilt Apr 03, 2018
One of my favorite tools that I keep in my fabric selecting toolbox is-- temperature! 
 
A color can be described as warm or cool. Generally, yellows, oranges, and reds are considered warm, while bl...
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How to Brighten up a Dull Color Palette Mar 28, 2018
Have you ever been making a quilt, and while you're loving the fabrics you've chosen, the overall palette is looking a little dull? 
 
This happened to me while I was making this London Skyline quil...
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How to add Pops of Color to your Quilt: Part 3 Jan 23, 2018
Have you ever been pulling fabric for a quilt, and thought, how can I make this look more interesting?
 
 
One of my favorite ways to make a color palette instantly more interesting is to add a P
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How to Add Pops of Color to your Quilt: Part 2 Jan 16, 2018
I travel all over the country teaching, and a question I get asked a lot is HOW do I add a pop of color to my quilt? How do I know which color to choose for the pop? 
 
 
 I LOVE adding a pop of
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How to Add a Pop of Color to your Quilt: Part 1 Jan 10, 2018
One of my favorite fabric palette tricks I have in my belt is the POP of color! 
 
Adding a pop of color to your otherwise monochromatic (one colored) quilt can instantly add a lot of interest.
 
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Color Crush: Cream, Aqua, Chartreuse Oct 31, 2017
Have you ever had that one fabulous piece of fabric that inspired a whole quilt? Well that happened to me recently, but it was a spool of yarn! 
 
In addition to my quilting addiction, I also love k...
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How to Build a Fabric Palette: Working with Golds Oct 24, 2017
Sometimes a fabric palette will start with one thread of an idea-- sometimes a literal thread. I saw gold embroidery on a dark cobalt fabric, and I knew I wanted to translate that into a quilt. My new...
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