Quilt Color Palette Ideas: 7 Ways To Make This Quilt Your Own
If you don’t know it by now, I make bold patterns for bold quilters. And the Lillette quilt pattern is no exception! When I designed this quilt, I took a healthy dose of inspiration from 70’s florals, but kept the design clean and modern by creating an overlapping block effect. By combining simple geometric shapes with retro floral motifs, this pattern manages to feels both nostalgic and contemporary. Add in some opportunity to play with bold color combinations, and you’ve got a classic Mija Handmade pattern.
The pattern comes in three sizes, but right now I’ll focus on the small throw, which uses eight sets of three fabrics. Each set of three colors makes three L-shaped units. If you study the cover quilt, you’ll see that there are three orange L-shaped flower motifs, three purple L-shaped flower motifs, three green L-shapes…etc. When thinking about your fabric pull, you’ll want to make these flower combos by picking three fabrics that relate to each other. The easiest way to do this is to use one light, one medium and one dark value of one color.
Think of each flower as a little three-fabric recipe: light + medium + dark.
This makes the pattern especially fun for quilters who enjoy experimenting with color, value, and fabric combinations.
To kickstart your creativity, I’m showing you 7 different ways to make this pattern your own! As always, I have a (strong) bias towards warm colors, so forgive me for an overabundance of oranges and browns!
Light, Medium, Dark Recipe
Pop Art with Ruby Star Society Solids
Goldfish, Balmy, Pale Peach
Cocoa, Goldenrod, Sunshine
Sprout, Pistachio, Goldenhour
Playful, June, Peony
Witchy, Heliotrope, Macaron
Blue Ribbon, Lindley Blue, Evening
Teal, Bright Blue, Frost
Teal Navy, Galaxy, Turquoise
I have to start off with Ruby Star Society’s new solids! What I love most about this version is that, because they matched the solids to existing print lines, you can replace any of the solids with your favorite Ruby Star Society prints and the quilt would still look incredible! If you love dopamine dressing or colorful maximalism, this pop art color palette is made just for you.
Casual Elegance with Suzy Signature Solids
Haze, Spiced, Snapdragon
Poppy, Queen Bee, Ginger
Velvet, Thistle, Monet
Truffle, Driftwood, Pearl
Nova, Honeymoon, Cerulean
Hemlock, Matcha, Pistachio
Northern Waters, Ocean Fog, Glacier
Apple Cider, Dried Carrot, Shrimpy
I’ve used Suzy Signature solids to mock up every single quilt pattern of mine. The colors are just so rich! This casually elegant quilt would look great in a home that prioritizes warm neutrals. I think it belongs on a Nancy Meyers aesthetic mood board! It just screams lived in luxury to my interior design sensibilities.
Moody Botanical with AGF PURE Solids
Potters Clay, Sugar Plum, Blushing
Slate, Atmospheric, Periwinkle
Magnetism, Balsam Fir, Meditation
Dusk, Stargazing, Cosmos
Dusk, Intergalactic, Daydreamer
Galactic Grey, Rosemary, Fresh Aloe
Mediterraneo, Denim Blue, Tranquil Waters
Wisteria, Overcast, Daybreak
The color story and floral motifs remind me strongly of Monet’s Water Lilies. This one if perfect for our rainy day lovers. If you want to feel surrounded by moss covered stones and brooding willow trees, this moody garden palette is for you.
Woodland Whimsy with Moda Bella Solids
Mushroom, Fawn, Cobblestone
Cypress, Lichen, Pear,
Pumpkin, Chai, Dijon
Rose Wine, English Rose, Cotton Candy
Raven, Nickel, Driftwood
Nectarine, Peach Fizz, Pearl
Juniper, Cucumber, Mint
Deep Burgundy, Blush, Bubblegum
I have to say, I think this is the perfect fall color palette - it balances traditional autumn colors with woodland whimsy! I want to back this version with a large scale print with forest creatures.
Off Recipe Colors
Vintage Garden with AGF PURE Solids
Candied Cherry, Olive Oil, Ethereal Pink
Potters Clay, Vaporous, Morning Frost
Golden Bronze, Miami Sunset, Celestial
Peacock, Summer Sun, Latte
Lakefront, Blossomed, Periwinkle
Garden Fern, Marmalade, Coconut Milk
Sweet Fig, Asparagus, Chamomile
Pampas, Skylit, buttermilk
Here’s where things are going to get really interesting. I think the three fabric recipe: light, medium, dark is perfection. Buuuuut…. I love a bold color decision! So I’ve gone off recipe with these fabric pulls. Take a scroll through these versions. The flower motifs don’t use one color in three values. The L-shaped flowers use a set of three fabrics that I just think look great together. This PURE Solids version still feels cohesive, buttery and rich even though we’ve gone off recipe.
Midcentury Modern with Moda Bella Solids
Blue, Brown, Celery
Dusty Jade, Scarlet, Parchment
Fig Tree Wheat, Fig Tree Olive, Fig Tree Cream
Pond, Peach, Ivory
Kansas Red, Hay, Etchings Stone
Kansas Green, Citrine, Ruby Ice
Blush, Together Tan, Porcelain
Plum, Platinum, Soft Yellow
This Moda Bells version gets quite funky. The avocado greens, warm browns and creams, combined with the light blue and vintage reds are giving a mid century modern color palette. These would be great if you’re going for a retro modern aesthetic in your bedroom textiles. I think the key to making all these colors work is using a healthy dose of neutrals in the fabric pull.
Storybook Christmas with AGF PURE Solids
Peacock, Raw Gold, Peach Sherbet
London Red, Ocean Fog, Chamomile
Hunter Fields, Potters Clay, Quartz Pink
Candied Cherry, Pacific, Sweet Macadamia
Eucalyptus, Mink, Creme de la Creme
Ruby, Cinnamon, Fresh Sage
Coffee Bean, Lemon Tart, Morning Frost
Magnetism, Aurora Red, Toasty Walnut
And finally, because I absolutely cannot resist a good Christmas quilt color palette, here’s my take on the Lillette quilt as a Scandi Christmas quilt. Isn’t this just a perfect storybook holiday color way? It somehow manages to feel like a traditional Christmas palette while using unexpected neutrals.