Discover eight clever ways to use orange in your quilt's color palette from top designers Edyta Sitar, Pat Sloan, Maria Peagler, Betty Alofs, Sarah Whitney, Faith Wellman, Laura Berringer and Geri Richardson. Orange doesn't have to be garish and overwhelming!

1. 8 Clever Ways to Use Orange in a Color Palette September 2010 Color of the Month presented by Maria Peagler, author, Color Mastery

2. 1. Give a Subtle Glow “ Pieced or appliquéd, orange is one of my favorite colors. The secret is don’t have too much of it: just enough to complement other colors. It goes great with blues, it makes the reds and pinks even warmer, and if you want to make a statement in the center of a log cabin, a burnt orange will do the job. Orange in my Sunset quilt makes it glow.” —Edyta Sitar Laundry Basket Quilts

3. 2. Punch Up Your Stash “ My favorite colors are cool blues, aquas, and purples. I thought I seldom bought orange — but here you have it. The orange is the punch! And somewhere along the way I did buy orange!” — Betty Alofs , www. bettyalofs .com (Ricky Tims kaleidoscope pattern)

4. 3. Let the Designer Do It Pat Sloan features orange in her Georgia fabric line with spiky flowers, bold dots, and whimsical swirls. Pat’s done the hard work of coordinating orange in a color palette so your quilt will look stunning for fall. —www. PatSloan .com

5. 4. Get Local Inspiration “ Marmalade and Jam’s palette of orange and purple was inspired by a friend’s visit to the farmer's market, where she saw colorful jams and jellies displayed next to each other. Purple and orange live on one side of the color wheel, providing just the right amount of warmth and contrast.” — Sarah Whitney Sweet Clover Canyon

6. 5. Use a Warm Palette “ My Mariposa Tile print blends yellows, corals, pinks and magenta with kiwi to create artful flowers & butterflies with fresh appeal that works all year long. See it in Kristen Gassaway's easy yet eye-catching butterfly appliqué quilt here . ” — Laura Berringer Marcus Fabrics

7. 6. Use Orange and Black in a Surprising Way “ Japanese manhole covers offer intriguing designs. Take this design from a wall hanging to the next level using a gallery framing technique. Applique using those fabulous hand-marbled fabrics. ” — Geri Richardson Grannie G

8. 7. Use Fall Motifs “ If you’re nervous about using orange, start with pumpkins! You can't go wrong coordinating the pumpkins with a colorful autumn border print. I just love the richness of fall colors. ” — Faith Wellman DoodleTime Designs

9. 8. Pair Orange with a Neutral “ Autumn Antlers uses an orange and brown color palette with a playful deer and bird design. By combining an orange print with a warm brown, I’ve toned down orange’s brightness without losing its warmth.” — Maria Peagler Autumn Antlers pattern & kit 2010 Color-of-the-Month series

10. For more information on using red in your quilt’s color palette, check out Color Mastery: 10 Principles for Creating Stunning Quilts , available at your local quilt shop, Amazon , and the online store . Winner of a Benjamin Franklin Best Craft Book of 2010 award. Look for Maria’s latest book, The Frugal Fabriholic: Your 12-Step Plan for Saving More for Your Quilting Stash, available at Amazon’s Kindle store, the iPad bookstore, and Smashwords.com http://quiltsandcreativity.com http://www.colormastery.com http://www.twitter.com/colormaster http://www.facebook/colormaster