Foothill Quilters Guild, PO Box 5653, Auburn CA 95604
Christine Barnes, September 11 Speaker and Workshop
When you think of Christine Barnes, you think of COLOR!
On September 11, Christine Barnes will be our speaker, with her subject, “Magic Fabrics/ Special Effects.” What are Magic Fabrics? Put simply, “magic fabrics” lend light and vitality to a quilt. Some suggest light coming from below the surface (luminosity) or bouncing across the surface (luster). Others imply that see-through colors overlap to create new color mixtures (transparency). They typically display variations in value—light areas among darker areas, or light-to-dark gradations—and they often contain warm colors. The lecture begins with a look at the color characteristics of 1) value (lightness or darkness), 2) temperature (warmth or coolness), and 3) intensity (brightness or dullness). A slide presentation and trunk show of quilts and wearables bring the concepts to life.
About her background, Christine says:
Workshop September 12
Christine’s class on September 12 is called Transparent Squares.
Layered transparency—the illusion of layers of see-through color—is surprisingly easy to achieve once you understand the concepts of value and intensity. For this modern quilt, I paired lighter-value fabrics with darker-value versions of the same, or similar, colors—light peach with burnt orange, for example. The fabrics in my quilt are Shot Cottons by Kaffe Fassett, but other solids will work beautifully.
The block construction is simple: you’ll make “basic blocks” with a lighter center square and darker surrounding strips. Then you’ll “whack” the blocks off center and recombine the units to make the finished blocks. Orienting the gray ombré borders with the light edges inward makes the neutral color appear to flow beneath the blocks, enhancing the sense of light and movement. The gray ombré fabric (Gelato 714) will be available the day of the class. Solid light gray fabric is also effective.
Pattern required, $8.
50½" x 50½"
“My quilting life began when I was eight or nine, with a doll quilt made on my crank Singer sewing machine. I asked my grandmother what was inside a quilt, and she said "cotton." I stuffed my little quilt with cotton balls-and wondered why it was lumpy.
“Fast forward through teenage years happily spent sewing clothes. Degrees in Design and Journalism segued into a full-time job for Sunset Publishing. In 1980 I wrote Quilting, Patchwork & Appliqué, followed by books on soft furnishings, decorating, and remodeling. I loved my job.
“Later, as a free-lance writer, I was assigned to write a chapter on color for another Sunset book. That chapter laid the foundation for two books on color theory for quilters, plus articles for quilt magazines and decades of teaching. My main takeaway? There are timeless color concepts-and they work. What may look like magic is grounded in classic color theory.
“Retired from traveling to teach, I do lectures and classes via Zoom. I feel so fortunate to live a life that connects me to quilts and quiltmakers worldwide. And now, my best creative time is spent in my light-filled sewing room, where I am always happy.”
