Originally Posted by joe'smom

Girlfriend, I've learned since my first mystery that Bonnie's paint chips are often quite different from her inspiration photos/descriptions and from her fabric choices. I think maybe with the paint chips, she is wanting to give a precise palette that works optimally, since people will be using it to choose fabrics and because not everyone has a comfort level or expertise in choosing colors. For example, suppose you took a chip that was closer to how you perceive the main bluebonnet color (it seems brighter and more purple to me than the dress blues chip). That replacement chip might not look quite as good with the other paint chips. But when the chips are translated to a range of color in fabrics, that precision doesn't matter so much. I think the other factor is probably contrast. The paint chips may represent the optimal value contrast for the pattern, but it works with a range of values, just like the color.

This year I was really trying to use stash and not spend too much on fabric. I had lots of the navy blues, so I decided to stick closely to the chips. If I had been prepared to buy a lot of fabric this year, I might have gone with the look of the photos rather than with the chips. I think your fabric choices are wonderful!