color help?
 

Hello hello!!

I have been trying to declutter, and finish things. these blocks were from my elementary years . . . They'll finish at nine inches.

I don't have any more of the fabrics, but it wouldn't be very big if I did blocks only. I hate to purchase something to coordinate, but I could I suppose.

I have brown, but doesn't it need something to pop? The best I have on hand is red, and yellow. I have lost my objectivity! I am tempted to pass it on, but the family likes it . . . .

opinions please? My kids are no help, the husband is just glad the table is still visible.
I know I'll get honesty here! ;0))

[ATTACH=CONFIG]454454[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH=CONFIG]454455[/ATTACH]

Of these I like the first one best. It looks like your paisley has lots of colours to draw from just pick one that is a favourite and that you have in stash :-)

I like the first one best too. Let us know what you decide.

I like the first one. The yellow kind of washes everything out.

I vote red - if you have brown, a brown square bordered by the red would help stretch the red in case you don't have enough. Keep going, I hear those blocks begging to be made into something.

Because I like signing other people up for extra work I am going to suggest that you make blocks with the red bordering the yellow....just a simple square of yellow with red around it, in whatever proportions suit you.

But if you decide to do a single colour block, definitely the red.

Alison

I am different, I like the yellow.

I like the first one best if you have enough of that fabric. It will turn out great. Hope you finish it.

no advice... i just love your blocks

Really like the red with them

oh, well. the husband weighed in. he *hates* the red. says it doesn't match the paisley at all. =//.

I really want to thank all of you -- just looking at my design wall is so discouraging . . . and these comments were SO nice to read. . . .

Trying to put it together has been difficult . . . WAY back when, I cut these fabrics into 1.5" strips. Not sure how the paisley escaped the knife, but . . . Slightly less -way back when, I decided on Puss in the corner, and made a bunch of blocks. NOW. NOW? I am like, "what?!". I can't imagine what I was thinking . . . well, besides that 'seams don't matter'. ha ha.

should I sash them at all, and just have a smaller top? is the red not good enough? where does 'good enough' hit 'worth my time/investment'?
=/
[ATTACH=CONFIG]454472[/ATTACH]here is a close up of the red. It is a bit of a stretch to make it match . . . .

thanks again, so much!!!

Why not use both colors. Add a narrow border of the yellow around the red and a narrow border of red around the yellow. No matter what you choose its going to be beautiful.

It has to be either dark or light, nothing in the middle, and I wouldn't shy away from a light print, such as you have at the edges. Depends on what you want the focus on: either the paisley part, or the light part of the block. If you do anything too fancy with the intervening blocks, it will take away from the paisley, which is beautiful. I'd go with a light print, not a solid, which has nothing to break the surface flatness, and IMHO, would detract from the pattern. That means the yellow is out. Of course, you could always just sash the blocks - a narrow sash - such as black? And then use your other fabrics to make a border or two in order to get the quilt the size you like. Hope that's as clear as mud here! LOL!

I like the red. I agree with a previous reply that the yellow washes it out. If you have enough, you could make a narrow red, narrow yellow, wider red border- just a thought :)

I can only go by the colours I see on my screen. Love that paisley. Afraid I agree with hubby - I think the red should be a darker brown/red - and is that a khaki green in the paisley? adding some of that might look good. I would stick with the deep creams as background, maybe alternate blocks with the lighter fabric in the 1st pic as background,no yellow. Good luck

I would invest in a rich, warm brown or another color to complement the paisley to complete the top. Your blocks are too nice to just settle for something that doesnt really make you happy just because you have it on hand. You obviously put a lot of work into those back when you first sewed them, and you should do them justice now or you will never really like the finished product. Several places still have their sales going in full swing, and Thousands of Bolts has Moda Bella Solids for $5/yard. Please post a picture of your finished top...I know it will be beautiful! Best of luck!

I prefer the red but agree with the suggestion of a nice autumn green to pick out the shade in the paisley which is lovely. I'm not overly keen on the yellow doesn't do much for the other fabrics. The blocks are cool. Good luck with whatever choice you make

I like red.

I sounds like you do not like either one of these choices, you've done a beautiful job on the squares. I wouldn't just use the fabrics that are so-so, if you don't really like them. Use what you think looks best even if you have to buy something. If it were me, I would buy some fabric as close as I could get to the light /yellow/gold solid fabric, then use a brown and red border (or at least a brown border). The red is okay, but it doesn't flow too well.

I agree with Jingle, I like he yellow better!

I think I have MORE of that fabric. Would that work as the background squares???

I'd create a block made of both colors/fabrics. Maybe a triangle of each color?

Muted looking is okay - not every quilt has to "pop" - I like the red/rust better of the two options.

I would start holding up possibilities from my stash, watching the tan. I think that will be the color that will matter. Neither one above is doing it for me, although either may be better in person. Sometimes it helps to just start auditioning fabrics, even if they seem unlikely. Something will light up and indicate a direction to go.

hugs, charlotte

I love Alisonquilts idea of adding more blocks using the yellow with red around it. You could even add red around the original blocks & make them 10" It's going to be beautiful anyway you do it. Wanna see it when you're done!

I like the red best ... let us know what you decide on : )

I rather the first one. It picks up that hint of orange in the blocks.

The red looks better to me. I also like the idea of the yellow surrounded by red. I work in light, med and dark. Since the edges of the blocks are light something darker should be next to it. Or if you think of the tan as medium get a really light fabric for the alternate block.

I like the 2nd one the best. But then I don't like working with red.

I like the red best of what you showed. If you have brown perhaps a very narrow brown border and then the yellow for a wider border. Or if you have enough of the red use that for the narrow border.

I really like your blocks. I would prefer the red. I think the yellow conflicts with the beige. I would think brown for a border would be nice. How about another color for a flange or piping to separate the border from the blocks? The big, open blocks invite a big quilting pattern like wreaths, feathers, etc. Great quilt and worthy of being finished.

Fine tune that red. Try for a reddish-brown but not that yellow---its too pale.
I agree with Chaney Ranch---don't settle for something you have in your stash just to get it
finished. Hang on to those blocks until the right thing pops up someday.

ditto and you can make a solid or a snowball block to go with the others if you need to expand

I like the red. It would look nice with some brown added, but it's great just plain too.

I personally like the first option but either one would be awesome!

If you want a dark color coming up to the light edges, how about a dark purple-red or a tamped-down eggplant color? Personally, i wouldn't want big, dark squares in between, but the thin sashing some have recommended may just set the gold/tan off perfectly. Of course,that doesn't exactly solve the alternating blocks. With a thin, dark sashing in place, i'd go find a cream with a fine gold stripe or something similar to go with the gold and white print ( or tan and white, whichever it is). That should be easily found. Maybe even with the christmas fabrics.

hugs, charlotte

How about blue? Brown and blue is a classic combination, and if hubby hates red he probably likes blue.... The paisley looks to me like it would go with a (muted, not bright) blue very well.

Well, I read the first set of comments, and decided against the red and yellow. had to grocery shop yesterday, and while I was at Walmart, I cruised fabric. Picked out a dark purple, and a medium brown. they both looked good with the paisley. I did not have an entire block with me! (Smacks head) I did not purchase the brown, just the purple. hmmm.

I need to put it on my design wall with the purple. But, I think Charlotte may be right about having big, dark squares. Maybe big center squares of purple, surrounded by that brown? Sigh. This is progress, though . . Right?! ;0))


ManiacQuilter2, you really do have more of the paisley? wow . . . if you're willing to let it go, I can pay you for it, or trade you some red/yellow! ha ha. Maybe surround those with the purple?