I can tell you what NOT to do. I just made a crazy black and white, and a dash of red. No one except me likes it. It did get a honorable mention in a quilt show, and the critque complimented me on the choice of fabrics. It was also ripped apart by a gentleman at the state fair, saying it was the uglist quilt he had ever seen. Just saying. It has 64 different black and white and 11 red.