Blue, a primary colour in all of its tints and shades, is perhaps the most popular colour used by quilters. This is not surprising when we look at the world around us, at the blue skies and oceans. Blue can often be the perfect foundation or background colour for your project.
Colours Inspired By Nature
The complementary colour for blue is orange-yellow. In nature this combination can often be seen in sunsets and sunrises. Sky blue, also known as cerulean blue, has a warm hue. It is a tint which is also useful for suggesting water. Mixing sky blue with yellow orange could suggest an ornamental pond filled with goldfish or golden Koi.
Cool Watery Blue
Other hues of blue include turquoise and aqua blue. Turquoise, also known as cyan, can also be seen as part of the colour scheme of the sky or in oceans and ponds. Aqua blue can be seen in the colour of Robin's eggs and deep lakes and lagoons. Orange is the complementary colour for turquoise. This combination is very strong with the deep heat of orange against the cool of turquoise. A similar effect can be created when using aqua blue and its complementary colour, orange-red.