Splash of Color – the book that taught me paper piecing! Book Review

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I’m so excited to show you what I learned from Splash of Color – paper piecing! Jackie is a Nationally Certified Judy Niemeyer Instructor (that’s a prestigious paper piecing title) so I’m not surprised that her book contains several paper pieced quilts as well as excellent instructions.


My original intention was NOT to make this entire quilt. When Jackie asked me to review her book I felt totally honored but I told her I’d only have time to make a mini-version of one of the quilts. I fell in love with this quilt (it’s called Jumping’ Jax) and I planned to make the four center blocks, lol!


But something strange happened. Once I started paper piecing, I could not stop! It felt like delirium. I kept printing more and more papers and adding more and more rings of color to this quilt. I’m totally surprised that the colors worked out so well because honestly I did not plan them ahead of time. I scrambled for the next color every time I ran out of blocks to make! 


Here is Jackie’s version of Jumping’ Jax. All of the quilts in Splash of Color use bold black and white fabrics mixed with intentional colors that really pop. These quilts are not shy!


I decided to try a modern twist with mine by using about 50 percent solid fabrics and adding some gray. Gray is not a color that Jackie uses very much, so I hope she approves! I also simplified the border using only black (Cotton Couture Black from Michael Miller – it’s the most saturated black I’ve ever seen!).

And by the way, I had so much fun quilting this quilt with rulers!

See more of my sewing book and product reviews here and see some of my free quilt patterns below.

Happy quilt making!


Disclosure: some of my posts contain affiliate links. If you purchase something through one of those links I may receive a small commission, so thank you for supporting SewCanShe when you shop! All of the opinions are my own and I only suggest products that I actually use. 🙂

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185 Comments

  1. Tracine Charest says:

    My favorite color at the moment is purple, all shades with grey.
    tracinecharest at Gmail dot com

  2. Katie Eveler says:

    I love that quilt pattern! My favorite color is a rich, deep coral/salmon. I’ve been enamored with that shade for years!

  3. What a gorgeous quilt pattern! I’d love to win a copy of the books, thanks!! My favorite color right now is purple!

  4. I am very curious to learn about paper piecing!
    My favorite color is blue – love it in all kinds of shades!

  5. My favorite color is, and always will be, orange. 🙂 mr.whitenose(at)mindspring(dot)com

  6. My favorite color has always been green, light, dark in between, but lately it has morphed into aqua. I can’t get enough.
    Thank you for the giveaway.
    Good luck everyone.
    jcraven1958@hotmail.com

  7. My favourite colour is royal purple, love it can’t get enough! But I have also been very into teal lately… And coral… Hmmmm I love colours!

  8. Janetta Dobler says:

    My favorite color is blue, but I am learning to step out of the box and be more adventurous with oranges and greens!!!
    j_dobler@msn.com

  9. Doris McCarty says:

    My favorite color is green! I love paper piecing. I’m working on a paper pieced quilt right now.
    Dmac5958ataoldotcom

  10. Stephanie McDonnell says:

    I am intrigued! I would have to say I’m really into mint right now. I picked up a sample bottle of Valpar’s "Sweet Mint" and I’ve been painting everything with it now.

  11. Pamela Crane says:

    Coral is my favorite color, but I find myself buying a lot of turquoise.

  12. My current favorite color is bright lime green. I also love turquoise and have been using it for a splash of color.

  13. I’ve been working with purples and greens lately. It’s just joyful.

  14. I love a bright lemon yellow & combined with turquoise it is awesome!

  15. I ALWAYS love turquoise! Thanks for the chance to win Splash of Color, Love your blog!
    (Diana dot Kastelic at Hotmail dot com — no spaces)

  16. I like using reds! But blue seems to be the most popular color. I have a friend who’s a successful painter and he always says if you want to sell something put a lot of blue in it!

  17. I’m loving turquoise and purple right now, not necessarily together, just my favorite colors. Love your quilt! Sometimes the unplanned ones are the best!

  18. Theresa Sheldon says:

    My absolutely love red. I think red paired with black and white is the best combination of all times.

  19. I have to go with blue!! I love color though, so anything that pops catches my eye!!

  20. Oh I could mention lots..for instance pink..that is a true favourite… But I’m going to be bold ;0) for me…and say just GREY… Just because it’s growing on me!! And Jackies book have been a long wait for..so I would b ever so happy to win…:0))

  21. Right now my favorite color is ORANGE! Thanks for the giveaway opportunity.

  22. I love pink and brown or green and purple. But red is my favorite stand alone color.

  23. Lori Smanski says:

    these are such pretty quilts
    I love pink, turquoise and purple

  24. Rosalind Gutierrez says:

    All shades of blue fabric entice me to make a quilt.

  25. Susan Brehm says:

    Right now I’m fixated on yellow. 😃 My email is susanbrehm57 (at) gmail (dot) com. Thx for the giveaway!

  26. I’m really stuck on orange. I try to move to cooler colors but warm and sunny oranges keep drawing me back.

  27. May Gunter says:

    My favorite color is Hot pink or Neon green. But I love all the bright colors!

  28. I like aqua right now. But my latest quilt was red and blue, which is also a favorite. I love Jackie’s version with all the bright colors.

  29. I am always drawn to bright, jewel-tone, blues with a splash of yellow.

  30. Chris Peterson says:

    I’m enjoying working with a lot of blue right now, which is definitely not a color I have ever leaned towards. Orange and green have always been my favorites.
    Thanks for the opportunity to win Jackie’s new book!

  31. Sara Cassells says:

    I love love red! I’m especially loving it combined with turquoise at the moment.

  32. Shanna Crabbe says:

    For many things my favorite color is pink but, I’ve noticed in quilting, sewing, yarn crafts, and jewelry it has become blues and green and combinations of.

  33. Jennie Wallick says:

    I love Russia and a deep raspberry color. I’m currently working on a quilt with those and green. But it probably whatever quilt I’m making.

  34. My fave color right now is vintage mason jar turquoise. Love all things mason jar!

  35. carolyn montgomery says:

    my favorite color right now is any and all things aqua. thanks for the chance to win.

  36. Orange… right now I am touching and petting and stroking orange of all shades and hues!

  37. Denise Toomey says:

    I have been drawn to Navy! I do like it with Turquoise.

  38. Cathy Burnett says:

    I recently helped a friend do some much needed painting in her home. We used a
    Butter Pumpkin in one of the bedrooms and I fell in love with it. I plan to use it in my own home.

  39. My favorite color is bright lime green, but any bright bold color will do!

  40. Leslie Hassmann says:

    Love it & I would love to challenge myself with paper piecing!

    My favorite color right now is everything Aqua!

  41. Good Morning Caroline!
    Your quilt is excellent! Modern and colorful – JK approved!

  42. Generally if there’s blue, I like it but I just finished a log cabin quilt with shade of lime green and I love it. I think I need to make more green. Thanks.

  43. I would have to say Christmas fabrics in any color. I working on pillows for Christmas gifts. I have never tried paper piecing, maybe it’s time I did. Your quilt is beautiful.

  44. Margaret Griffiths says:

    I love reds, but lately I’ve been using a lot of purples and blue. Thanks for the give away

  45. Lori Morton says:

    Loooove watery shades of blues & greens! 🙂

    Thanks for chance to win your give-a-way too! 😀
    bearpaws9(at)copper(dot)net

  46. Sunshine yellow and sea blue or turquoise – love this quilt!

  47. Turquoise has always been my favorite color. It really makes your quilt pop, I love it!

  48. Believe it or not, I don’t have a favorite color – I love rainbows and gradients. I looked at my stash to help me answer your question, that didn’t help me choose one color over the others. Thanks for this giveaway. ktsquiltdreams ATgmail DOTcom

  49. My favorite color is yellow. It makes me happy, and energetic .

  50. Love your quilt! My favorite color is blues – all blues – including aquas and teals! Thanks so much for the chance to win 🙂
    Debby E
    samtaylorcjsmimi at yahoo dot com

  51. Susan the Farm Quilter says:

    I’m with you, turquoise, teal, aqua…just can’t get enough of these colors!!! Love your quilt with the solids and the grays – yeah, I’m hooked on gray too!!!

  52. Purple or turquoise they have a magical pull to them when I stop by a quilt shop.

  53. Rochelle Summers says:

    I’m finding it’s green at the moment. But I must love them all because I have huge stacks of each.

  54. I have been noticing the purpley-red-bowns lately. I guess because it reminds me of fall, fall is near, and I am so ready for cooler days.

  55. Dawn Jones says:

    I am into teal, which is pretty close to turquoise (or maybe it’s the same). Anyway, the quilt is great, have a wonderful day.

  56. Sarah Clemons says:

    I have to go with Tiffany blue love a splash of color.

  57. Your versions is excellent! Fave colour right now is chartreuse. I also just like spelling it.

  58. I’ve loved purple since I was a teenager, but I also really like blue and red. It never dawned on me till I was typing this that liking blue & red made sense. After all, mix them together and you get PURPLE!! 🙂
    Vivian @ wvoaks @ comcast.net

  59. Linda Yeager says:

    Ciel blue–very hard to find & I usually settle for lavender.

  60. Lisa Holmes Garrett says:

    I love to use orange in my quilts!

    lag110 at mchsi dot com

  61. Leah Glasscock-Sanders says:

    Teal is my favorite color, I even have a stripe of it in my hair. Can’t get enough!

  62. I love all colors, but I’m partial to teal and brown together lately.

  63. Tina Sheppard says:

    Green, Green my world is green. However my husband’s favorite color is red. If we are not careful we can look like we are celebrating Christmas in July.

  64. Blue, blues and more blues! Every shade, every tint – as long as it fits in the color wheel as a blue!!

  65. My favourite colour is sapphire blue. keybby123 (at) gmail (dot) com

  66. I love yellow and turquoise. Of course I like most all colors, after all I like sewing. Lol. Peacocks are one of my favorite.

  67. Patricia Willey says:

    I love the fall colors, burgundy, dark oranges and moss greens with a bit of white to startle.

  68. What a beautiful quilt. It looks like so much fun! My favorite color is peach.

  69. kathy pfaltzgraff says:

    A favorite color–my-go to color is greens of any shade, but I certainly like to use oranges also. Great review, Kathy in Colo repzjr@plains.net

  70. Generally, I like rainbow colors, but purple is my favorite right now. Jackie’s book looks wonderful!

  71. Julie in GA says:

    I have been crazy for orange lately–so bright and cheery!

  72. Mary Hope G. says:

    My favorite color changes all the time but lately I seem to love the color dark teal. But my mind keeps saying that I really love pink!

  73. Judith Martinez says:

    Blue is my all time favorite color but I’ve been drawn to purple a lot lately.

  74. I love any hue of blues and pinks. I would love to win this book.

  75. Enid Mejias says:

    My favorite color is pink! Thanks for the giveaway! Still working on my pink hexie block quilt

  76. Jackie Kayaer says:

    I love blue’s and green’s. I like all colors but these are my favorites.

  77. Green green and any shade of green.
    Thanks for the chance to win this book

  78. I am with Blair, I just can’t get enough of green ! ! Thanks for the chance to win!

  79. About a year ago, I fell in love with teal. Dark turquoise, deep aqua – whatever you call it, I love it.

  80. Katie Cottingham says:

    Orange (especially bright pumpkin orange) is and always will be my favorite color with Purple (bright amethyst) coming a very close second! 🙂

  81. Rose Sabey says:

    I love RED!! Thanks for the chance to w, your paper piecing is gorgeous!! rosesabeyatyahoodotcom

  82. Favorite color is always blue, but sometimes it’s deep true blue while recently is more the teals.

  83. Caroline Rohrer says:

    favorite color right now teal/turquoise and purple, not necessarily together,but sometimes.

  84. Kellie Warren says:

    I am loving adding a yellow to my quilts right now. It looks so pretty with turquoise, blues, reds…everything i put it with. But, I go through color moods so frequently that in a month I will be onto a whole other kick. Lol

  85. Lately, I’m loving orange. I guess cuz it’s getting close to Halloween.

  86. lauraluvsloons says:

    I love this quilt and your paper piecing is excellent. My favorite color at the moment is any variation of blue/green, especially mallard blue.

  87. I love this pattern and would love a chance to with the Splash of Color ebook. My favourite colour at present is Teal, and any variation of it from light to dark. karenmr@tpg.com.au

  88. Usually I would say blue but this week I seem drawn to pinks in all their wonderful shades!

  89. A few years ago my favourite colour changed from red to orange. I don’t have a lot of orange clothes or accessories but I have a rubber arm band supporting literacy so I am always wearing some orange.

  90. Laurie Pardo says:

    Blue s always my favorite color, but I really want to make a quilt using all the colors of the rainbow…..ROYGBIV! pardolg1@gmail.com
    Laurie Pardo

  91. This is the toughest question for me. There are way too many great colors to just pick one.

  92. PigglyQuilts says:

    My FAVORITE color is orange! I cannot get enough of it!

  93. Angelica Jones says:

    Mine is turquoise! I love it and it can be used in any season depending on what other color you blend it with. 🙂

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