Black will normally recede and make your colors pop especially if you have used intense/bright colors. So you may not want to do it that way. But I do love black sashing and borders so I know how you feel. I had a very busy red, blue, and harvest gold sampler quilt going and it was looking awful until I added the black sashing and border. I should have done an inner boarder to finish it before adding the black border But I didn't realize it until after I had the other border on. Oh well that's the way it goes sometimes.
Give your DH the praise. Especially if it gives you quilts that really pop and that you love. Maybe even fix him a special dinner on fabric shopping day. Who knows what he might come up with...the next state fair blue ribbon quilt?
I know exactly what you mean about your head spinning. I'm like that too. When I can talk her into it I take my best friend along. She is good at matching colors although she says she isn't. I like the colors she chooses.
3699 I understand where you are comming from. Me I like to march to a different drummer so I can't talk myself into buying kits. But I did read a good tip somehwere. Get the paint chips at the hardware store. The long strips tell you which colors will look good together and the little squares will give you good combinations of the color schemes we've discussed mixed with neutrals. It's so nice when someone else does the work.
What about Prints
I have learned that large prints work great as focus fabrics. What does that mean? It means someone else has already chosen your color scheme for you. All you have to do is chose colors that are in that one fabric and your good to go. For example lets say that your focus fabric is a pastel with greens, blues, and purples. If you want to do a medallion quilt you might want to do the framing blocks in the exact greens, blues and purples as are in the quilt but in small prints with dark neutral backgrounds. Like a small print green vine on a black background, A small flower print on a dark grey background. And a purple star pattern with a black background.
Are you able to visuallize what I'm describing?