Lena1952

We make Quilts of Valor string quilts using a white center strip of 2" and then anything goes for the red and blue strips. The white unifies the entire color range and adds a lattice look when blocks are joined. We use strips of differing widths, as you have. My person feeling is: find a center strip color and use up those scraps. Throw in those few colors that are not blue and it will be stunning. And you will feel great about creating a one of a kind quilt. And if after all is said and done, you do not like it, you can always donate the top to a worthy cause and everyone one wins. Just my thoughts:-)

trolleystation

Great advice from members who advised you to use the same color/tone in the center.

baskets4moo

I would recommend deli sheets for your foundation (think the waxed paper sheet they line baskets of food with). I've been using them for years. They're inexpensive and can be bought at GFS or Costco. Use a small stitch length and it practically falls out, and can tolerate some ironing.

Oneta

I agree with sherryl1, go to Bonnie Hunter's Quiltville.com. She does mostly scrappys, and has lots of instructions.

Kayaker26

I made some with all one color family...I used it as a picnic blanket! When I posted the pic people loved it!

Prism99

Thanks to everyone for the great ideas. It is really helping me get a handle on this project! Still not sure what exactly I'm going to do. So far I'm not too happy with strip piecing on a foundation (plus it is annoying not to be able to iron the Vilene squares), so I am thinking of simply piecing strips together to make strip sets, cutting squares out of that, then putting them together with a gray sashing fabric.

I did find several quilts online that I really like. Here are some links to them, even though mine is likely to be considerably different from these:
http://fussycut.blogspot.com/2011/07...ing-quilt.html
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-e2JbybIprS...full+front.jpg
and this one, which makes very clever use of blues by adding larger pieces in two corners:
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/292804413251821299/

Apparently I find the idea of complete randomness very uncomfortable, so will have to have some planning theme for my quilt. Don't want too much, though.

4dogs

I use the fabric softener sheets as my backing...the used ones......they can be cut square or used as they come, as rectangles and I have used them both ways. They still smell good, and they are so light weight, it doesn't make your quilt so heavy - they wash just fine - I have used these a lot and have never had any problems.
I have done string quilts in scrappy, but I have also done them is one color patterns....like using many stripes, all with green prints of one kind and another............one of the prettiest ones I did was all in yellow prints... I had it at Project LInus and everybody was asking how did you do that??? I have also done them is all solids..that makes an interesting one too, all different shades of all the colors...you can do them with all the strips the same width or all the strips different widths........I don't think there is a wrong way to do it..........

4dogs

I was trying to find the yellow one but so far, it is hiding...anyways,...they are fun and colorfull

Siodach

Another option you might try is to lay down your centre strip, then fill in one half with only blue strips, and the other half with non-blues. This would use up 50% blues to 50% other colours, and give you what would be effectively HST blocks to play around with in your layout :-).

Cheers, K

sprice

Very nice quilt, Hillcountrygal. I chuckled a bit reading this. Everyone has their own style (and quirks) that they have to accommodate. I have never cut a strip to use for a string quilt. I just save leftover strips in a bag--any size--and use those--any color, any width, sometimes uneven. I also like a control center fabric--usually black--but see no problem with a mostly blue quilt. Sounds wonderful to me.