I spend weeks tweaking a group of fabrics until they feel right to me. I never use precuts as a group because they are too matchy for me. Similarly, I find most random scrap quilts to be too jarring and busy. My chance of making a Bonnie Hunter quilt is zero. The word "pop" is not on my radar. It's a visceral reaction, I think. The colors need to "sing." Sometimes I am going for a 2-color scheme and fine-tune the group, moving fabrics in and out, adding occasional edgy ones, until they begin to vibrate. Sometimes I am going for a soft glow.. My piecing is pretty simple and my quilting very basic. They have to be, given all the time I spend on the front end.
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Hugs,
Charlotte