The world of color theory is a complex one. It's also a lot of fun! In this post we share some of the basics that you need to know to help you put colors together, and we also reveal the Pantone Color of the Year and the Kona color of the year in this helpful guide.

Have you ever been asked the question ‘What’s your favorite color?’ Most likely, you’ll have a very clear idea about which colors you love and which ones you certainly don’t love! It’s such a personal thing, and we often have strong associations with different colors and what they mean to us. Color is often a starting point for our quilting projects too, and you may have noticed that here at the Quilter’s Planner we love color, and we love a rainbow!

Color can be a very complex subject, with an immense and sometimes mind-boggling amount of theory and science behind it. However, some of this theory can prove very useful, particularly when it comes to putting colors together- something that us quilters do all the time.

So we thought we’d share some of the basics of color theory here; you can find more detailed information on our color theory page in the Reference section of your Quilter’s Planner. We’ll also take a look at the Pantone Color of the Year, the Kona Color of the Year and the latest addition to our product range; the Radiant Dreams Aurifil thread collection!

The Color Wheel

The color wheel allows us to view the full spectrum of color and helps us understand their chromatic relationships to one another. Let’s take a closer look.

Primary Colors – There are three primary colors; red, blue and yellow. These colors cannot be created by mixing other colors.

Secondary Colors – These are green, orange and purple. They are the colors created when mixing 2 primary colors together.

Complimentary Colors – This is a term you’ll have heard a lot. It refers to colors that are opposite each other on the color wheel and go well together. For example blue and orange, red purple and yellow green. They have the strongest contrast and harmony.

Analogous Colors – These are colors that are next to one another on the color wheel. For example, Blue, blue green and blue purple. They can evoke feelings of harmony and balance.

Pantone Color of the Year

The leading authority on color is Pantone. This is a universal language of color that enables color critical decisions at every stage of the workflow for brands and manufacturers across the world. Every year they release a color of the year, and we thought we’d share more about the color chosen for 2022.

Very Peri

17-3938

This is what Pantone said about why they picked this shade:

“As we move into this world of unprecedented change, the selection of PANTONE 17-3938 Very Peri brings a novel perspective and vision of the trusted and beloved blue color family, encompassing the qualities of the blues, yet at the same time, with its violet red undertone, PANTONE 17-3839 Very Peri displays a spritely, joyous attitude and dynamic presence that encourages couragous creativity and imaginative expressions.”

Leatrice Eiseman, Executive Director of the the Pantone Color Institute.

We love this color, and it seems very apt for the climate that we find ourselves in.

Kona Color of the Year

It appears that purples are very much on trend this year, as the Kona color of the year is not dissimilar…Robert Kaufman have chosen COSMOS for 2022; it’s a wonderful vibrant shade of purple, making us think of tropical flowers, starry skies and decadent jewels. We look forward to seeing your makes using Cosmos throughout the year!

Radiant Dreams Aurifil Thread Collection

Color really does make our hearts sing here at the Quilter’s Planner, so when the opportunity presented itself to curate a designer collection for thread company Aurifil, deep, saturated jewel-like tones in a rainbow spectrum were the perfect combination. Inspired by the Quilter’s Planner brand colors and Lorinda’s love of all things rainbow, the Radiant Dreams collection was born. Head to the online shop now to order your set.

We hope we have de-mystified some of the theory around color, and we encourage you to play and have fun with it in your quilts and projects throughout 2022!