I've had NO art training, but I've found, in all things really, that I don't like things with a cool base being mixed with things that have a warm base. So that's how I divide fabrics, and that's what determines if a fabric 'goes' with another.
(In my life, I have found ONE person who understands me, not that I've told many. I went to a paint store - just paint, that's all they sold, and told the guy I wanted a red for my front door, but I wanted a cool red, not a warm red. He knew exactly what I meant.)
For a quilt, that would determine if I used a white, or a ecru, for instance.