Color Works: The Crafter's Guide to Color (Spiral-bound)

by Deb Menz (Author) "Here are samples of each medium using only colors from within the hue family green..." (more)
Key Phrases: middle minor key, middle major key, low major key, Pro Chemical, Fair Isle (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"Colorworks has given me a better understanding of color—and helped me use it more effectively in my layouts." -- Better Homes and Gardens Scrapbooks Etc. magazine

"For anyone interested in learning about color and how to use it successfully, this book has great value." -- Shuttle, Spindle & Dyepot

"If you’ve been unsure about color, you need this book." -- Knitting NOW

"Step-by-step chapters discussing color choice in every medium are worth reading, regardless of your chosen craft." -- Quilter’s Newsletter

"There’s plenty of theory, but a tear-out color wheel and other tools make this very hands-on…A great resource." -- Bead&Button

"With a veritable rainbow’s worth of information, this is an indispensable manual for crafters." -- Family Circle Home Crafts

Review

"A comprehensive study of color and its complicated nuances, Menz has packed together all you need to know about using color."  —Anchorage Daily News

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Spiral-bound: 152 pages
• Publisher: Interweave Press (May 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1931499470
• ISBN-13: 978-1931499477
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #5,923 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #1 in	Books > Arts & Photography > Instructional & How-To > Using Color
  #6 in	Books > Home & Garden > Crafts & Hobbies > Quilts & Quilting
  #20 in	Books > Home & Garden > Crafts & Hobbies > Needlecrafts

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

68 of 68 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Classic Reference on Color...Don't Miss This One!, June 2, 2004

By	Diane Fitzgerald (Minneapolis, MN USA) - See all my reviews

This book is one of the most valuable resources I've ever seen regarding color. The book is more than just a book--it is a tool to be used and referred to often. I am particularly impressed with its scope in that it can be used by all fiber artists as well as bead artists. The book also has been designed by a practical person. First of all, it lays flat. Second it has pockets at the back so that the removable parts can be saved easily after working with them. The photography is superb and the printing is outstanding. I felt like I could almost pluck the examples off the page! Finally, Deb's writing is concise and to the point. No wading through tiresome text. For the price it is the best bargain in the fiber field today. This one will be a classic!

61 of 61 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's a must have for any fiber artist!, May 8, 2004

By	Sheri Smith (Spin2Knit in E. Tennessee) - See all my reviews

Needless to say, Deb Menz is one of my favorite fiber teachers of all time. And her last book, Color in Spinning, will always be the tool that turned me onto color gungho. This one, furthered my color education and opened my eyes to the endless possibilities of the color and hue spectrum. It even has a color wheel, value scale, hue family colors, and color harmony overlays! I highly recommend this book as a must have tool for any fiber person. I think it will be wonderful for many people just getting into design who haven't had formal theory classes or the opportunity to take a lot of color theory or dyeing classes. Deb does a great job covering how color theory affects a variety of mediums: spinning, knitting, weaving, beading, quilting, needlepoint and embroidery techniques.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Inroduction to color in fiber arts, May 17, 2007

By	Janet Perry "Needlepoint and Bargello author" (Napa, CA) - See all my reviews

Colorworks is a great introduction to color theory for people who
work in fiber arts, packed with lots of examples of color schemes
worked out in knitting, weaving, beads, quilting, paper, machine and surface embroidery. While it is not nearly as in-depth as the now out-of-print Color and Fiber, it is also more accessible. It is also not as specific as Mary Fry's Color for Needlework, but it provides a good, solid ground for a stitcher's exploration of color.

Almost half the book is made up of color tools, including palettes of each of twelve hue, ranging from fully saturated hues to extremely muted tones and shades. A Color Wheel and Value Scale are also provide. A series of templates has holes cut out to be used in conjunction with the color wheel to find color combinations.

The seven chapters of the book cover all the major topics in color
studies. There are chapters on color relationships, value,
contrasts, and harmonies. Each sub-topic within the chapters is
given s page of text. Next to it are nine samples in various media
showing the principle discussed. These examples use the same design from page to page, varying only in the color used. As much as anything, this gives graphic demonstration of the topics and will fuel stitchers' imaginations.

The last two chapters apply color to specific media. The sixth
chapter discusses the characteristics of media in relation to color. Most folks know that shiny surfaces look lighter than matte surfaces, but how does this apply to knitting yarn or beads. Knowing something of the characteristics of yarns before you shop will help you in making choices. The final chapter, shows how a color scheme is developed in each of the nine crafts used in the book. Paper scraps show the basic colors involved while the text outlines the color harmony used as well as the specific colors. A value scale on paper is included and samples of the media used are also included in the illustration.

This book provides just enough information on color to get a
craftsperson started with this exciting topic. Unlike many books on color, this book doesn't talk about mixing colors, since these
materials are all discreet. But it should be considered a starting point for color exploration, not a complete book.