I share your experience with batiks. However I really want to make a dear friend a batik quilt. I am so excited! I just found a sale at fabricbuffet.com. I've picked out my fabrics but I know the internet is tricky. So as soon as I find my phone I am going to call them and ask if the fabrics I've chosen go together. There's nothing worse than working on and completing a quilt and then it turns our ugly because of the fabric put together. See if that sale "floats your boat". It sure did mine and got me rowing out of that famous creek!