That second photo is awesome!!! Jennifer Bosworth from Shabby Fabrics did a tutorial on the spool block. Another project I'm interested in doing :)

The second photo is beautiful. I couldn't recognize spools at all in the first photo.

Your second photo is perfect, love the spools that way!

Don't think the spools are too wide (they really show the 'thread' well). I think the spool ends are a bit too thin. If you made them half again wider, that would also bring the spools closer together. Personally, I like the distance between the spools, so I might just make it a bit bigger by increasing the spool size but leaving the same gap.

I agree with QuiltE. I like the second version, all you need to do is make the backgrounds larger.

I like the second picture. I would probably add a couple more rows to make it longer. If it will be a cover or quilt it would need more length.

The first row of three standing on end, next row one on it's side with fillers on ends or two or three smaller. Such pretty fabric choices.

You can square these up by adding a strip of background to the short sides and then you can alternate them. I really like the first picture. They look like the little squat spools of yesteryear. Maybe just a tone darker on the spool part. I like the bit of abstract the little square spools provide. The second picture of spools is more traditional and says spools.

I think that part of the problem maybe the color of the background fabric. The green and the golden 'wood' are just too close so the wood disappears and the spools just look like boxes. It looks like you designed it on a computer you might try changing the green to a white (like the older sample) or even try a dark.