Fabric choices - input needed!!
 

I am going to make quilts for our neighbors who are moving; we are very sad :thumbdown: . I want to make the Disappearing Hourglass quilt (using Tartan's tutorial of course! ) for the husband and am hoping to pull from my stash. What do you think of these 3 batiks together? I currently have them laying on a natural muslin but thinking I should get more of an off white (less yellow) fabric for the background. Your input is very much appreciated!!

Those will make a nice muted quilt. Definitely, though, the background needs to not be yellowish.

Sorry - my first impression was drab and/or muddy.
The side fabrics DO go together with the center piece, but I don't like the side fabrics with each other.

I think the first two on the left are okay just by themselves.
And the middle one with the right one by themselves are tolerable.

The three of them together don't do much for me.

But it is YOUR quilt and YOUR neighbors. Maybe my monitor has drabbed the colors down a lot.

The two on the left both have the blue/brown in them. The fabric on the right has no blue or brown, but it really isn't strong enough either to be a contrast to the blues/browns. You might try auditioning other fabrics for the one on the right so you have a stronger light/medium/dark.

I like the one on the left and the middle one. Not to sure about the one on the right. From my screen it looks like a brownish/dusty rose, and am not seeing it fitting with the other two. But my screen color may be off. It is really hard to loose good neighbors! Hope you get some great new ones.

I took the fabrics outside and photographed them in natural sunlight. I'm starting to rethink the one on the right also

I am going for muted. The neighbor is 82 yo retired minister and his wife's color palate (and the home decor) is pink, pink, pink, emerald green and more pink! In fact the realtor made her put away most of her pillows, throws, floral arangements and other decor as he felt the house wouldn't show well with the deluge of out dated colors.

I think pick different fabric and send me those. I like the right one the best but think they go well.

Even in the outside light the one on the right just doesn't fit (to my eye)--it is too reddish. To complement the other two seems like you need navy or chocolate brown.

Or an intense flash of the blue?

My first impression was pretty fabrics but the scale of the prints is too similar.

Actually, IMHO, it is in the eye of the beholder. Personally I love the combination.But I love muted tones. It will be soothing. Not all quilts need to be vibrant and popping. If auntpiggylpn chose these particular fabrics, there must be something that is pleasing to her. But that's just me.

I too am not fond of the one on the right - if you have a blue (tone on tone) that would work great

I actually think it's perfect for the color scheme you described, and I'm usually one for bold colors.

I too love bold colors and I think that is why I am struggling with fabric choices for this quilt.

I am making a quilt with this block now. I have found that a cream background works well. Moda has a pretty one that doesn't have any yellow in it. I like the two colors on the left also. I got two layer cakes of Moda's French General fabrics and found that the larger prints seem to fade out with the cream background, so I would stick to medium prints. One thing to watch for while doing this block is that all the seams after the initial seams are on the bias. Don't know if I would have tried this one if I had realized that. Using a lot of spray starch before doing any sewing. Should keep Niagra in business this month. :-)

I'm liking the left and middle ones together and think I'd exchange the one on the right for a vivid blue solid.

I like the fabrics. I think with a darker blue or brown for the background, all will play well together. I am one that has a hard time with muted colors, Love them when someone else does a quilt but I can't seem to make them work. Whatever you choose, I would love to see it finished.

Maybe add some blue? One of the fabrics has blue in it.

I'm with cjsews... I think a rich chocolate brown would set it all off & pull it together. ...I see brown in the dark shades of the pink one. but a solid brown, not a blender. The three focus fabrics are all blenders.

My eye is drawn to the two on the left together, but not as much the one on the right. It does seem to have a pink tint and may very well be your reason for choosing it given the home decor. Maybe the man would enjoy something of his own with no pink. :) I like the idea of a blue or brown instead or even another muted batik that has blues and browns.

Love your fabrics! As others have mentioned (and after checking out the tutorial), I think the most important thing is making sure you have good contrast between the fabrics and the background choice. So, lay your chosen fabrics on the background choices and make sure they stand out. Other than that, go for it! It will make a lovely gift for a deserving person.

The fabric on the right doesn't have a pink tone to it! Must be how everyone's monitors are showing it. It is dark brown and the background is a smoky, dirty off white

I really like this combination. I think the one on the right is my favourite; it doesn't look pinkish to me. I think they go well together, although I agree with some other posters that a dark blue or brown would be my choice for the background instead of a light neutral.

I like quilts with muted colour schemes. Quilts don't have to be the star of every room they're in; I like it when they share the spotlight with the rest of the decor. I think this will be a nice, quiet, manly quilt.

I don't like the two outside ones together. You need to add a splash of color. If the couple has has pinks and greens in their home they obviously like color.

I would do a test block before you cut everything. I'm afraid there is not enough contrast, and that perhaps you will loose your points with the wide color variations.

luv your fabrics!!

I am fairly new to quilting, so I may not be of much help, but my question to you would be, are you planning to make two different colorways or are you planning to go with one color setting only? The block itself only uses two colors.

If you notice on Jenny's tutorial, she used a layer cake which would have possible 30 or more different print fabrics paired with the solid layer cake. I am just using 3 different batiks but each block will have the same solid fabric in it. That block would be a HOT MESS if you used 2 or more prints in it!

I agree with several others, I like the one on the left and the middle. If the quilt is for a male, I would use as my third color a dark brown (chocolate) or a deep warm blue. The you could use either a taupe, beige or cream(not yellow based) as a background. The one on the right is very pretty fabric - a good starter for your next quilt!

I like it.

I like the fabric on the right but not with the two other ones. I would try to find something darker as the other fabric, maybe a small print of the dark color that isin that fabric and then throw in some cream color. Good luck. They will love anything you give them with love.

Keep the two on the right and get another fabric to replace the one on the right. Choose something with blue in it..

I agree. I like the center batik.

My monitor reads the one on the right as having a pink hue, which kind of makes sense for the wife. I don't think it goes with the other two (which are lovely, by the way!). For some reason, I thought of the two left fabrics with a dark gray fabric.

auntypiggylpn: do you think this fabric would work with the two fabrics on the left?[ATTACH=CONFIG]481512[/ATTACH]I have a yard of it, and if you are interested, please pm me and it's yours.
Michelle

I agree with the majority. I don't think the right fabric goes with the other two.