I want my work to last. Longevity is one of the three main goals I have for my books. The other two? A post for another day.

I realized long ago that it took just as long to write a book that was trendy and out of print after two years as it did to write a classic. And as a quilter and artist, I appreciate books that provide me with lessons for years to come.

I often hear people complain about how expensive books are, which is why I go for those that provide me with lasting value. I enjoy patterns, booklets, and other fun diversions. But they don’t have the lasting value of a book.

Color Mastery has nine quilt projects. If you bought them individually in a pattern, each would average $15.00. Multiply that times nine and you get $135.00.

Color Mastery also has 11 exercises, and has twelve months worth of class material. I teach shop owners how they can offer a different class each month using the exercises and projects in the book. A full-day class averages about $60.00, and 12 of them would be $720.00.

$135.00 worth of patterns/projects, and $720.00 worth of classes is a total of $855.00. Still think a book is expensive? Look’s like the world’s best bargain to me.

The real test of a book-lover’s book is this: does it provide those things that make a reader’s life easier, that will make the book last, and makes it easy to find, or get more information? I printed Color Mastery on museum-quality paper using the best photographer and printer in the industry.

I included an index to make information easy to find. Look at the latest quilt book you bought: I bet it doesn’t have one. Publishers are skimping on this kind of stuff and betting you won’t notice. Bibliographies too. I want to know how to find out more information when I’m interested in a topic, and I know my readers do too. And librarians love them.

Does the book’s binding last? Is it sewn or glued? Color Mastery’s is sewn, of course. And it has a spine, so you can find it on a store shelf or your own.

Look for these qualities when you buy a book. Be a discerning consumer. Expect them in your books and ask for them. And support quilt book authors who give you the best.

Color Mastery by Maria Peagler is an exciting book for the quilter who knows she needs to understand more about color and how to make it work, but has been frustrated by less organic and less hands-on approaches. This book would best be used by you if you can buy the book, review it a little on your own, and then take a class from the author.  Of course, some of you won’t be able to take Peagler’s classes, but if you are diligent and really do the exercises in the book, you’ll achieve a lot of skill on your own.

The very practical exercises in the book are set up to bring the student of color to a natural level of skillful use, by having you use your own fabric collection for all the exercises.   (This is not a book for learning to use paint or dye to create the colors of quilt compositions, but rather to learn to use fabrics as the colors in piecing and appliqué to create designs.)

Peagler asks, “Do you know where all of your fabric is stashed?” and advises you to take the time to collect all of your fabrics into one place, in order to have a very broad selection for the exercises ahead.  As a person trying to help the Earth become balanced again, I really appreciate this philosophy of Peagler’s, to ask us to work with what we have now and use it up!  We all know we own too much fabric now!!!

Of course, this is not a hard and fast rule, but it’s good to try to use up your stash, and using what you already were attracted to, in buying it, helps you learn your own natural taste in colors, as Peagler points out.  She is leading you gently into the sometimes scary realm of understanding color, and helping you see that your own preferences can all be made to work together in the right combinations.  Very interesting technique:  all exercises are done with color swatches of your very own, so you have a comfort zone right from the start in working with familiar things you love, in order to learn.

By creating a color wheel from your own stash, you start to realize your very own, personal vocabulary of color awareness.  Peagler then instructs you to work always with color swatches from your own stash of fabrics, in creating a color journal, as a way of “sketching” your ideas for your quilts.  She has you make your own color studies in your journal for grasping the color issues of hue, value, intensity, harmony, contrast, etc, which she explains in very practical terms.  Then you move on to in-depth studies of various kinds of color harmonies, such as complimentary and triadic, and eventually get to make up your very own color harmonies.  This is all done with hands-on exercises of pulling fabrics from your own stash, and making studies in your color journal.  I applaud that she suggests it’s fine to break the color rules when you feel like it, too.

The latter part of the book includes instructions for making specific quilts designed by Peagler, but with the specific color harmonies used being decided by you, with your fabrics.  She even includes instructions for some quilts intentionally made with leftover scraps from her earlier quilt designs, which makes me very happy to see.  Recycling is where it’s at!

I particularly enjoy how Peagler helps you focus your plans for your next quilt by pointing out that you need to know why you’re making this piece.  Your simple motives: you love a particular color; you want to make a soft, restful piece for a particular person; you have a topic you’re addressing, etc – will give you differing clues as to which colors and color harmonies you’ll choose to work with.

Color Mastery is packed full of very useful charts, illustrations, lists of tips, things to think about, and color wheels and harmony patterns.  Maria Peagler is a gifted teacher who understands your fears and frustrations with quilt color combinations.  She does a beautiful job of merging the normally dry process of learning color principles with very intuitive exercises that let you relax and play.  Encouraging you to take risks, try new things, and do your own thing, she will guide you to the other shore, where you handle color with joy and success.

So get your copy of Color Mastery now, rein in your entire stash to work with, and roll up your sleeves.  You’ll soon be helping your friends solve their color issues, passing on this nurturing and down-to-earth way of understanding your own joy of color success!

The National Quilting Association’s (NQA) Winter issue of their publication, The Quilting Quarterly, is all about color.  They did a lovely review of Color Mastery, and have articles on color that really get you thinking.  This issue does not disappoint:  it’s filled with excellent articles, quilter profiles, gorgeous photography, and the latest events in quilting. There’s a professionalism in this publication that’s a step above quilting magazines available in stores. I highly recommend getting their latest issue, settling in with a latte, and going deep with color.  You can even download the Table of Contents to get a sneak peek at what’s inside.

Day Nine of the Color Mastery Blog Tour finds me at Diane’s Going to Pieces blog.  Diane is a multi-talented lawyer, art quilter, mom, avid reader, and owner of the Art Quilters web ring.  Today Diane reviews the book, and tomorrow we chat about how color is essential for art quilters and the one tool no art quilter should be without.  Don’t miss it!