I saw a beautiful Dresden plate done this way: each plate contained only two fabrics for the "petals"--a focus fabric and a solid fabric. For example, one plate was a focus fabric (a chevon stripe of different colors) combined with orange. Another plate was the same focus fabric with teal- another plate was the same focus fabric with tan, etc. THen you could use another color for all the centers.
Clear as mud? Hope you understand what I'm trying to describe.