I like the idea of paint chips. Neutral can mean any color. Just by the posts, we all have different ideas as to what neutral is. I have a lime green and black quilt on my sofa, neutral to me. The fabrics I used blend so well together that the lime green is not shocking. Earth colors depend on what part of the earth you are on. Live in the mountains and greens would work. Yet live on the beach and sand and water colors may be your colors. Before making a quilt, finding out what actual color group the new quilt owner wants might keep a quilt out to display and not put in the closet never to be seen again.