Review By: Janet Wickell,   About.com - June 1, 2007
"FIVE STARS

Ah, color, it's the one quilt ingredient we all seem to stress about, and no wonder, because a quilt stitched in colors that don't quite click rarely makes it to our list of favorites. Not to worry though, because Joen Wolfrom's Visual Coloring will erase any anxieties you might have about choosing colors for your quilts. There are several excellent color books out there, including other texts by this author, but none of those books approaches the subject in such an easy to understand manner.

INTRODUCTION TO VISUAL COLORING TECHNIQUES. Ms. Wolfram explains how to use Visual Coloring techniques to find and explore the colors that move you. She shows you how to use photographs to translate the colors you see in nature to fabric. Numerous two-page spreads put her methods into practice by displaying a collage of illustrations: a photograph, swatches of fabric chosen from colors portrayed in the photo, and an example of a quilt made by combining the selected fabrics. Don't be fooled into thinking that the techniques are meant to help you choose colors and fabrics for landscape quilts -- they teach you how to design any quilt by encouraging you to expand your color horizons and helping you see color combinations in a different way.

QUILT PATTERNS IN 'VISUAL COLORING". Visual Coloring includes five quilt patterns, all designed by using the colors in nature photographs. The patterns provide a wonderful exercise to help you put the book's methods into practice.

FINAL THOUGHTS ON 'VISUAL COLORING". If you can only buy one book about color, put Visual Coloring at the top of the list of texts to explore. You needn't have any color experience at all to be successful, but this book isn't just for novices -- even experienced quilters will benefit from the techniques used in Visual Color. Don't limit yourself to coloring quilts, because the techniques in this book appear to be perfect for converting your entire home's decor into any type of setting you can imagine.

Empowerment is a strong strong word, but I wholeheartedly believe this book provides it. Following the author's advice will eliminate your color woes and increase your confidence by leaps and bounds."

Review   The Quilt Channel - June 1, 2007
"We have observed previously in our reviews that one of the most intimidating aspects of quilting for many people is the selection and coordination of colors. Many quilters have no color training, often do not trust their own eye, and have no practical rules of thumb to guide them.

Joen Wolfrom, known for her ravishing quilts and innovative techniques, is offering a solution in her new book, Visual Coloring. Her method has the great advantage of being very simple and automatically adapted to your personality and color preferences. Explore the world around you for color combinations that please you (nature is a great place to do this, as well as printed matter), put the images you collect (by your own photography, easier all the time with digital cameras, or by clipping magazines, books, calendars, greeting cards . . . the list is endless.) Save these images in folders keyed to different color combinations -- desert earthtones, for instance, or sky and water blues. The process of compiling these collections serves several purposes -- to make you more comfortable with color, to help you identify the colors you are drawn to, and to provide you a baseline from which to choose fabric colors for your quilts.

So why, to explain such a simple idea, do you need a 96-page book? Well, if you didn't have the book you wouldn't see the many colorful examples Wolfrom provides, and the technique by which you apply this color system to fabric (and quilt design) selection. You would also be missing out on the stunning quilt gallery that demonstrates how the technique works, and the detailed instructions for applying it to five included quilt projects.

Joen Wolfrom has proven her credentials as a master of color in her art and in her previous books, such as Color Play. In this book she cements that reputation, with an amazing color tour de force and an elegant, thoughtful approach that at once challenges quilters and puts them at ease with color."


Review   Library Journal - August 1, 2007
"While in Color Play: Easy Steps to Imaginative Color in Quilts, Wolfrom encouraged quilters to learn elements of color theory, here she speaks to quilters who wish to go straight to choosing colors without any knowledge of color theory. Prospective quilt designers, she instructs, should create a clipping file of color photographs (e.g., of nature, decorative pottery, jewelry) from which they should select only those photos with visually pleasing or emotionally evocative colors; then the photos should be enlarged in order to bring out colors that might not otherwise be noticeable. This will inspire them in picking colors and textures with which to design an original quilt. Although the idea is not revolutionary, quilters will learn much from Wolfrom's gallery of quilts and can practice this technique by duplicating any of her five projects. For most quilting collections."


Review   Quiltnieuws - September 1, 2007
Reviewed in this foreign language publication.

Review   British Patchwork & Quilting - October 1, 2007
"The author says this is a 'foolproof approach to color-rich quilts.' We are to train our eyes by studying the colours found in nature. She uses photographs, enlarged to 8-1/2" x 11", and finds all the colours in the image, often with surprising results. She recommends using all these revealed clours as a guide to fabric choice, for example, a closeup of a blue iris leads to a selection of 47 fabrics. Using this colour palette we can eliminate certain shades and add darker or lighter tones. There is a gallery of beautiful nature photographs and the quilts inspired by them; one lace cap hydrangea was the starting point for five different quilts. The book concludes with 5 projects, which assume the reader has basic knowledge of piecing. I enjoyed this fresh approach to colour selection."

Review   Australian Quilter's Companion - September 1, 2007
"Learn Joen's method of visual coloring--taking images of nature and landscape scenes and extracting a palette to make a quilt. Packed with wonderful examples. You will soon be looking at the world and images of nature in a new light."

Review   Les Nouvelles - September 1, 2007
Reviewed in this foreign language publication.

Review By: Mark Lipinski,   Quilter's Home - November 1, 2007
"My Recent Faves You Shouldn't Pass Up!

Who couldn't use a little help and guidance in [the color selection] department? Just the other day I was visiting a quilt shop, only to find a seasoned quilter fretting about which colors to use for a border. See? She shoulda' read the book!"

Review   The Professional Quilter - September 1, 2007
"Plenty of quilters feel intimidated when it comes to color. Joen Wolfrom offers a very simple solution--find colors that you are drawn to by culling photos and images from date books, magazines, photos you shot, etc.; keep these images in a color inspiration file; and, finally, using one image, choose fabrics that read like the colors in that image. Joen has numerous examples that put her concept into practice. Additionally she gave 20 quilters a selection of nature photos and asked them to use her visual coloring method to select color and fabrics for quilts of their choosing. It's fascinating to see the variety of quilts based on the same photo and coloring. She also includes instructions for five quilts to utilize her method. Regardless of how confident you are about color, this book will cause you to look at it in a new way."

Review   Quiltemagasinet - May 1, 2007
Reviewed in this foreign language publication.

Review   Quiltemagasinet - May 1, 2007
Reviewed in this foreign language publication.

Review   Patchworkideen - April 1, 2007
Reviewed in this foreign language publication.

Review   Quilter's Newsletter Magazine - January 1, 2008
"Joen introduced her intuitive approach to color in quiltmaking by presenting fabric swatches assembled according to the full range of hues in several gorgeous nature photographs. The gallery in Section Two pairs dozens of quilts in both traditional and contemporary styles with photos, illustrating that when quiltmakers take their color cues from nature, they can't go wrong. Each of the five traditional quilt patterns provided includes a "thoughts about fabric" section to encourage you to develop your own unique color sense."

Review   The Quilt Show - November 1, 2008
"Joen Wolfrom Makes Choosing Colors Easy! We've all seen those quilts rich in color and deep in interest, but wonder as we gaze at the great fabric choices, "How do I begin?" Joen Wolfrom has the solution in her latest book, Visual Coloring: A Foolproof Approach to Color-Rich Quilts. Here Joen shows us how to take the pain out of choosing colors for our quilts, without any unpleasant "suprises" in the results. (Yes, you can do it!)"