May Colour Inspiration

Welcome to this month’s Colour Inspiration post! Each month, I play with a new colour palette and apply it to a few different quilt designs to see how it works in a variety of settings. My goal is to inspire your fabric pulls and show how colour can dramatically transform the feel of a quilt.

This month’s palette is inspired by all the blossoming trees around here. We have apples and crabapples, there are ornamental plums, and even magnolias. It’s a bright and cheerful combination of soft pinks, juicy reds, and refreshing greens - a sign that summer is just around the corner!

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May Colour Palette

For this month's colours, I've picked Kona solids in Leprechaun, Green Tea, Baby Pink, Carnation, and Watermelon.

I usually pick Kona solids because I have their colour card, and my local shop carries them all. However, if you prefer to use a different brand of solids, you can use the QuiltySolid app (for iOS or Android) to plug in the Kona colours I've listed here and see equivalents in other brands, and even matching threads.

Here are a few examples in the solids brands I see most commonly here:

ColorWorks by Northcott: Kelly, Sprout, Make Me Blush, Bubblegum, Hot Lips

Bella solids by Moda: Parakeet, Cucumber, Amelia Pink, Petal Pink, Raspberry

Century solids by Andover: Pear, Spring, Slipper, Bubble, Passion

Pure Solids by Art Gallery: Parrot, Light Citron, Crystal Pink, Sweet Pink, Hibiscus

May Quilt Mockups

This colour palette was a fun one to play with, and led me outside my usual comfort zone as well with a couple of more retro looking quilts. I did have to add some extra shades of mainly green for some of the mockups, since they need more than the 5 colours I had in the inspiration. But it's still keeping with the overall feel of the colour palette.

Dancing Hearts

So, first up, let's have a look at the newest release in the shop, Dancing Hearts.

This colourway gives the Dancing Hearts quilt a totally different vibe — like a springtime love letter! The gradient effect in the hearts really shines in this palette, and the mix of warm and cool tones gives the quilt a fresh, happy energy. It would be perfect for a May wedding gift or a cheerful wall hanging.

For a different twist, I switched the colour gradient around, putting green around the outside and at the center of the quilt, and pink in the center of the hearts. I love how this instantly transforms it from a pink quilt with green, to a design that reads as green with pink.

Bar Code

Next up is Bar Code, a favourite of mine to mock up because it's such a fun, graphic quilt that lets colour take the spotlight. In this version, the alternating bars in light and dark shades create a rhythm that feels both modern and playful. I love how the greens and pinks interact here — they almost feel like rows of blooming flowers in a garden.

Be Mine

Be Mine is a cheerful design was made for bold colour play — and May’s palette brings out its fun, flirty side. The bright pink and green alternate through the letters, while the baby blue or white backgrounds shift the mood entirely. On the white background, the colours feel crisp and light, almost candy-like.

I wanted to try out some background colours other than my favourite white, so I tried otu this baby blue. It feels a bit like looking up through the branches of the tree and seeing the sky peeking through. On this background, the colours take on a slightly retro twist — like a vintage postcard with a modern edge. 

Flocks of Colour

This pattern really shows how much impact a background colour can have. In this version with the white background, the flying geese feel light, playful, and springlike - they remind me a bit of petals in the breeze.

But swap in the chocolate brown, and suddenly the colours feel richer, warmer, and more grounded. It’s such a fun way to explore contrast and mood, all with the same colour layout for the blocks. It’s a great reminder that sometimes all it takes is a background swap to completely transform a quilt!

Pie in the Sky

This version of Pie in the Sky leans fully into a retro vibe — and I actually quite like it. It's way out of my normal wheelhouse, but so much fun to play with. The contrast between the red and pink quarter circles with the green background gives the whole quilt a playful mid-century modern look, especially with the repeating circle and arc shapes. I used the two-colour layout from this newly released pattern, where the centre pies are one colour and the outer shapes are another, which really helps those circular forms pop. It’s graphic, quirky, and just plain fun — a bit like a modern take on a vintage dessert.

Twisted Log Cabin

This might be the most dynamic quilt in the bunch this month! Twisted Log Cabin is a block pattern that I've used here in a full quilt. I added a little strategic block twisting in the centre of the layout to create the illusion of a floating square - which this month’s palette makes even stronger. It’s modern, a bit unexpected, and such a fun way to play with symmetry and colour.

Feeling Inspired?

That wraps up this month’s colour inspiration! Whether you’re in the mood for something graphic, scrappy, or full of movement, these bright spring colours are a great way to add a little extra cheer to your sewing time.

If you decide to try out this palette, I’d love to see it — tag me on Instagram @pennyspoolquilts or use the hashtag #pennyspoolquiltspatterns so I can cheer you on.

Until next month — happy quilting!