Gemm

Okay - I have a question about neutrals and scrap backgrounds. I have been trying to come up with a plan for a piece of fabric and some coordinating bits & pieces and am quite determined not to buy anything for the top (backing might be another story but I don't generally worry about backing until a quilt top is finished as I'm never quite sure what I'll end up with).

The picture shows what I call the piece of "scenery" fabric which is 36" x WoF - I've folded part under to try to make it work as a sort of rectangular window centre panel. I am then looking at building up the size with some concentric borders, some of which will be pieced (I'm leaning towards flying geese and 9P maple leaves right now but math might make me change this).

So the question: If I'm using scrap backgrounds for my FGs and leaves (plan was for one background and one main fabric per unit - not mixing it up more than that, I hope), is it likely to be too distracting if I use a plain cream for a narrow border between each of the pieced borders (similar to what I have framing the "window")? It will certainly not blend right in to some of my background pieces but at least it would be consistent across the quilt and will help me make the borders fit into each other nicely (I think I have enough of one solid to make this plan work).

Usually I don't panic too much when using up scraps, but I generally pick simpler blocks (that don't take so much math) and I'm worried I'm going to just give up on this project if I put all of the work into cutting and sewing the leaves, especially, from the bits and pieces I have and then hate the outcome. :-)

Thanks for any thoughts/strategies - so far I've tried to cut pieces for one leaf and already messed up so that piece of fabric is relegated to FGs only... big sadface! And sorry for all of the parenthetical comments - I'm just trying to get what I think could be a good thing out of my head and on to the forum and maybe into reality!

Thanks again!