The Sewing Place

Colour choices

wrenkins

Colour choices
« on: June 24, 2017, 20:10:14 PM »
First let me start by saying I've had a disaster.
I ordered fabric online and was prepared to put up with "difference in monitors" blah blah but what I received is boggin!!!! (anyone not from Norn Iron that means mingin!!!!)
Who knew if you shot royal blue with ginger you got cow pat?!?!?!  :x
I ordered two jelly rolls which looked quite different but are in fact quite similar and they are some sort of frayey, shrinky, wrinkly shot cotton in various shades of mustard, ginger, puke , cowpat, lilac washed with brown....etc.
I'm not wasting £40 so I'm determined to use them but what on earth can I put with them? I had intended to alternate navy with the lighter of the two from palest to darkest in strips but any "pure" colour I put with them will look ridiculous.
What to do ladies? What to do?!?!?!  :'(

Harbouring resentment is like swallowing poison and waiting for the other person to die!

b15erk

Re: Colour choices
« Reply #1 on: June 24, 2017, 22:11:32 PM »
Wren, I  sympathise! I am re-visiting patchwork chair covers in the most horrible fabric.

I'm sure you'll make it work.  The excellent advice I got on here, means that I am going to have something acceptable at last.

Good luck!

Jessie
Jessie, who is very happy to be here!!  :),  but who has far too many sewing machines to be healthy, and a fabric stash which is becoming embarrassing.

BrendaP

Re: Colour choices
« Reply #2 on: June 24, 2017, 22:26:41 PM »
Can you post a photo so that we can get an idea of how bad (or otherwise!) the colour combination is.

Being pretty much opposites on the colour wheel I would have expected ginger and royal blue to produce some sort of fairly neutral grey - though I suppose that is cow-pat
Brenda.  My machines are: Corona, a 1953 Singer 201K-3, Caroline, a 1940 Singer 201K-3, Thirza, 1949 Singer 221K, Azilia, 1957 Singer 201K-MK2 and Vera, a Husqvarna 350 SewEasy about 20 years old. Also Bernina 1150 overlocker and Elna 444 Coverstitcher.
http://paternoster.orpheusweb.co.

Iminei

Re: Colour choices
« Reply #3 on: June 25, 2017, 06:37:17 AM »
OOOOH  me Miss, Please Miss, ask me Miss ..... (Hand shoots up and waggles around desperately)



How about a dash of turquoise ???
The Imperfect Perfectionist sews again

rubywishes

Re: Colour choices
« Reply #4 on: June 25, 2017, 06:53:17 AM »
What about the green in :x? I'm wondering if that would lift it a bit?
Juki TL2010Q, Juki DX7,  Singers: 1917 27K treadle (aka Gertie), 1957 99k (aka Vincent), 1951 99k knee lever (aka Shirley), 1950 99k handcrank (aka Alice), 1927 28K (aka Dora), 1947 201K treadle with motor conversion (aka Livvy)
....and the dusting and vacuming can wait!

wrenkins

Re: Colour choices
« Reply #5 on: June 25, 2017, 09:14:33 AM »
I took a couple of photos and once again,as on the website, they look ok. That's because the muckiness doesn't show up.
I have no idea how to get my pics to go on my post. I have pushed buttons in all different orders and nothing.
https://www.iwantfabric.com/natures-season-jelly-roll-a.html
https://www.iwantfabric.com/natures-season-jelly-roll-b.html
I don't even know if these links work.  :S
Oh one worked!!
Harbouring resentment is like swallowing poison and waiting for the other person to die!

wrenkins

Re: Colour choices
« Reply #6 on: June 25, 2017, 09:17:28 AM »
No idea what I did so I did it some more and here's the dark lot. They are very mucky and dull.
I did think of trying to find a teal to go with the tealy colour aound the middle of the darks. VG and a tick to the cleverclogs who said turquoise.
If I can find a mucky navy for the others I might still go with that.
« Last Edit: June 25, 2017, 09:20:29 AM by wrenkins »
Harbouring resentment is like swallowing poison and waiting for the other person to die!

wrenkins

Re: Colour choices
« Reply #7 on: June 25, 2017, 09:21:52 AM »
This is what they looked like when I lifted them out of the pillow case after a gentle 30° wash!!!
Harbouring resentment is like swallowing poison and waiting for the other person to die!

Iminei

Re: Colour choices
« Reply #8 on: June 25, 2017, 10:02:03 AM »
Oh dear...

I was all encouraged when I saw the first two pics as I believe I have the very same JR and I like the colours very much ... not sludgy Wrenkie, subtle, they're subtle ..... (repeat to yourself)

They are very nice colours Darling (think subtle, sophisticated) you could make a really nice autumnal log cabin with them, with a nice intense red at the heart.

and then I saw the last pic...Oh Wrenkie, Why did you wash them???

I hope you can rescue them but I very much doubt it. I don't even like to wash yardage before sewing, let alone anything as narrow as 2 1/2"....
The Imperfect Perfectionist sews again

Ploshkin

Re: Colour choices
« Reply #9 on: June 25, 2017, 10:09:03 AM »
I think if you can pick out one or two colours and find a much brighter shade to use as background / sashing / border etc they could surprise you. 
You've probably realised the washing was not a good move.  I did that to a pieced jelly roll quilt top that had been stored.  I can't remember how long it took me to trim off all the tangled, frayed threads and press the seams but it seemed like forever.
Life's too short for ironing.

Lowena

Re: Colour choices
« Reply #10 on: June 25, 2017, 10:17:23 AM »
Like Imi, I was cheered when I saw your fabrics....a bright pink/ red or teal/ turquoise would lift them immesurably and I like the range of colours in your strips.
However never,never,never pre wash fabric for p&q. especially precuts  :( I never pre wash anything ( even reds )
Again like Imi, I don't think they're recoverable but obviously you must try  -<
What a terrible shame ... a pressing you must go {{ hug }}
 :ninja:
Triumph of hope over experience :D

wrenkins

Re: Colour choices
« Reply #11 on: June 25, 2017, 10:23:41 AM »
I wash EVERYTHING before I use it (gently in a pillow case as previously stated) for the following reason:- After I have spent a fortune and many hours of blood, sweat and tears I don't want any surprises. It took me over two hours to iron the little b*****s but now I know never to wash it again.....EEEEVVVVVEEEERRRR! I also like to get any shrinkage out of the way.
I know they're subtle (in serious danger of losing VG and tick girl) and that's why I bought them. Lovely soft colours I thought. Colours mixed in among them that I'd never pick I thought. Expanding my horizons I thought. Sticking a toe outside my comfort zone I thought.
There'll be no more thinking! I'm telling you that now.
I've found a denimy colour with sludgey coloured spots in similar colours of bilge so that's a strong contender.
As I was going to sleep last night I was doing my measurements to see how far up the bed I'd get if I just jelly roll raced the whole thing together.  0_0
Sick or what but I'm quite enjoying the challenge...where's The Dark Side therapy room please? I'm new here.  :gin:
Harbouring resentment is like swallowing poison and waiting for the other person to die!

BrendaP

Re: Colour choices
« Reply #12 on: June 25, 2017, 10:42:41 AM »
subtle, they're subtle ..... (repeat to yourself)

Yes, they are nice subtle colours, but don't try to use them all together.  The soft heathery blues and mauves would look nice balanced with primrose, banana and lemon.  The pinky, peachy colours with bright turquoise, and bright red would look even brighter against the greens and 'cowpat' colours.

Like the others I don't usually wash patchwork fabric, but if you must then buy FQs.  I know you get more variety of fabrics for a given price with jelly rolls and charm packs etc,  but FQs allow so much more flexibility in what you can cut and long term are more ecconomical.
Brenda.  My machines are: Corona, a 1953 Singer 201K-3, Caroline, a 1940 Singer 201K-3, Thirza, 1949 Singer 221K, Azilia, 1957 Singer 201K-MK2 and Vera, a Husqvarna 350 SewEasy about 20 years old. Also Bernina 1150 overlocker and Elna 444 Coverstitcher.
http://paternoster.orpheusweb.co.

wrenkins

Re: Colour choices
« Reply #13 on: June 25, 2017, 10:54:45 AM »
Thanks Brenda. My first and last foray into the world of rolls. Ghastly things!
I've always used FQs until now but I'm rubbish at choosing things I don't like. You know what I mean by that...sometimes you need something that you wouldn't choose by itself to work in with the other fabrics in a project. I even considered taking out the strips I absolutely hate and hiding them but then I've defeated the purpose of the roll.  :\
I love the thought of yellows and may go that route with some of them if I can find a suitable shade.
Another problem is that we have no fabric shops over here. Yes, that's right NONE. There's one in Belfast and one about 10 miles outside Belfast but pickings are slim and that's 90 miles away so I'm stuck with online guessing.
Onwards and upwards. I'm away to look at them again... 8)
Harbouring resentment is like swallowing poison and waiting for the other person to die!

Maximum

Re: Colour choices
« Reply #14 on: June 25, 2017, 11:02:05 AM »
So glad to hear you are going to give it a go, inspite of wash tangle. Hopefully it looked worse than it was in reality. I love the colours but agree they need something else to lift them and Brenda's ideas will do just that.
I always wash everything (except jelly rolls) as I find most fabric is not colour fast and is full of dressing. Even after washing once the stronger colours still bleed in the wash and I'm never sure how many colour catchers to use.
To stop the fraying in the wash I overlock the edges - it is also my indicator that fabric has been washed and is ready to use.