n2scraplvr

The Beginning Layout

Begin cutting out your fabrics for the wedges first and place them on your lap board or design wall as shown. Notice the upper left hand block is done with all dark wedges with light backgrounds (that will be added later). The adjacent block would then be done opposite in color. It would be light colored wedges on a dark background. Of the nine blocks, I have 5 dark blocks and 4 light ones. They each have their respective backgrounds done in opposite colors, i.e., light on dark and dark on light.

The first thing we see when we look at the quilt or mini are the largest pieces, the wedges I call them, so we want them to have the most striking of color balances. They are predominant in your quilt. The other colors don't count as much -- they all get blended together and form their own little circles doing their own thing. So since the wedge is the first thing we see and the largest pattern piece, it needs to be the most colorful. Everything we choose from then on will just amplify those colors even more, depending on what colors you use! We can kill it or enliven it with our color choices! It's ok to have some dead-looking areas. I just liven it up with a solid, a large scale, a bright or an oddball! We don't have to have everything just so-so. In fact, it's better if you do venture from rules a little and put a dark in where a medium should go. I often do this. It adds the element of mystery to your quilt!!

If you want really really strong contrast, then put darks where there should be darks and do the same thing with lights. Do not venture from the rules like I suggested in the paragraph above. I did a mixture in my quilt so there are some low contrast areas. It's ok as long as we can see the interplay of those background colors still uniting with one another. In fact, I worked on this quilt as you can see in this picture, but individually cutting pieces and coordinating as I went along! I was done when I was done. I didn't need to change too much. In this picture, I am adding some corner pieces and fillers at the same time. It was fun working this way and seeing it emerge! Piece by piece. I didn't really pay much attention to the light background fabrics or dark background fabrics, but I did pay close attention to the pieces the fillers would touch in the adjacent blocks. With good contrast there, your emerging circles will take on a significance and gently emerge without taking over the strong color of the big wedges. The only thing to watch out for in your fillers and corners are a nice variety of colors. That's all. It's ok to put some of the same colors side by side. The quilter did that in her beautiful Batik of the inspiration piece I showed. She went to town with lime green and the use of yellow. I think that's why I loved it so much -- all that yellow in there brought all the colors to life!! But Batiks are not the only fabrics in the world that look good for Winding Ways! We want to use up our scraps!! And a Winding Ways is a good way to do it. However, I believe I would limit my use of I Spy fabrics or some graphics because of the 'circular' appeal to this quilt that could distract. A 30's type theme would just work wonders!! Jewel tones would be fantastic here. Even an earthy CW type repro fabs would look great and homey! We associate circles with love and unity! So they would be right at home in this quilt.