Psychology of Quilt Colors – What do your quilt colors mean?

Have you ever wondered “What do your quilt colors mean?” What is the psychology of quilt colors behind each quilt?

Colors and the feelings that they inspire are so ingrained into our brains that often times we don’t even think about it anymore!

Think about just a few colors for example…

Sunny Yellow – feelings of warmth, happiness, sunshine and fun!

Blues – feelings of calm, serene and, comfort

By changing up the colors in your quilt, you could potentially send invisible messages that translate into all kinds of different feelings for the end user of the quilt!

With this theory, a healing quilt will likely have a different vibe of colors from a picnic quilt, right?

What is the message that your quilt is trying to tell? What do your quilt colors mean?

Let us dive right in and look at some more Psychology of Quilt Colors.

This bright color is more than just little girl ribbons and bubble gum! This bold color is often linked with feelings of joyfulness, creativity, and glamour. It is vibrant and refreshing and euphoric. I’m also going to add in here that this one is my favorite to work with 😉

A rose-colored pink suggests femininity and a softer calming color associated with love, kindness, and femininity.

Red is most associated with energy, passion, and action. It is a warm color that attracts attention more than any other color.

Orange is a combination of yellow and red and is considered an energetic color. Orange calls to mind feelings of excitement, enthusiasm, and warmth. I love to pair a bright orange with a blue on quilts!

Peach colors are excellent for a happy or healing quilt. It exudes calmness and warmth.

Yellow is the color most associated with happiness and optimism, as well as creativity. It is also associated with warmth and a sunny blue sky feeling.

Pale or Pastel Yellow has the same psychology as sunny yellow but is a bit more subdued. It is the color of energy, enthusiasm, hope, fun, and cheerfulness. I love to use yellow on gender neutral baby quilts.

Green is a color the symbolizes renewal and growth. It is the color you see the most in the natural environment… It resonates with inner energy, rebalancing.

This shade of green is heavier on yellow tones and signifies youthful energy as well as harmony and renewal.

Teal, or turquoise, is a very soothing color to add into your quilts. It creates emotional balance and stability. Teal can conjure feelings of clarity, balance, creativity, compassion, and self-sufficiency.

Did you know that blue is the most popular “favorite color” in the world? Blue is often viewed as conservative and traditional. It signifies feelings of calm and serenity. Blue is peaceful, tranquil, secure, and orderly. It does not hold the same feelings of energy that warmer color tones have.

Cool or light blue holds the same psychology and feelings that a navy blue holds. It is often seen as a sign of stability and reliability

The color lilac symbolizes friendliness and having an open mind. The color is said to help reduce antisocial behavior and aggression by encouraging emotional expression. It is a very soothing color for a lot of people.

Purple is often associated with luxury, power, wisdom, creativity, and magic! What a power color, right? Purple is often uplifting and self affirming.

Grey has a mix of meanings that really depends on the end user of your quilt. Grey can represent neutrality and balance. However, grey can carry some negative connotations as the absence of color can make it feel dull or empty. I love greys, and often pair them with a brighter color in my quilts.

Have you ever added a little sparkle and shine to your quilts? Perhaps with a metallic fabric or a silvery thread? The color silver is associated with meanings of industrial, sleek, high-tech, and modern, as well as ornate, glamorous, graceful, sophisticated, and elegant. 

Brown is a natural color that evokes a sense of strength and reliability. It’s often seen as solid, much like the earth. Brown is often associated with resilience, dependability, security, and safety. It also makes for a very masculine quilt.

Whew… so there you have it!

Colors are the secret code behind everything in this world. So next time you arere trying to pull a color pallet together with your fabrics, think back to the psychology of your fabric choices and decide … just What do your quilt colors mean?

…And then ask yourself… what is it you want your quilt to say?

Do you ever give thought to color psychology when creating your quilts? or do you just go with what you feel matches based on gut feelings and personal preference? Let me know in the comments below!