If the cut pieces are going to be large, or used in a "kaleidoscope/stack-n-whack" quilt, then a medium to large print will work for me. But if the pieces are going to be small, then a smaller print or marbled fabric just feels better. The one thing I try to avoid is having a strong color edge in the fabric draw the eye away from the overall pattern.
And ditto on disliking muddy tones (of any color) and anything from the hippie era.