Something like this might work for the background. It's from Hancock's of Paducah..... MODA CHEZ MOI BOUTIQUE OMBRE RAIN DOTS GRASSItem #: M 16047 27

Hi CeeGee: I have found these panels at Blue Bamboo, Ericas and also on eBay, in fact I ordered one off eBay :lol: Hope this helps you a little, I have never tried anything like this before, so with some of my oriental FQ that I have stashed, I will look at her when she arrives and see if anything looks good. If you need any more sites just pm me. Have a great day Bea

I am loving it. I'm going to order it and see if they also have something for the parasol. Which is giving me the same types of problems because the geishas hair is infront of it and the black wants to receed again. So I can't go with a bright fabric that matches the kimono. Again I need something subdued but also something I would wear with the kimono if I were wearing it. I do seem to love driving myself crazy lol.

Idea! Try using the kimino border fabric for the parasol; then use a mottled black for the kimino border. See how that looks...... it might work!

I was thinking about using the border fabric for the umbrella. My worry with it is that the geisha's black hair may try and receed. What do you think? Will the gold cording in the hair and the beads give it enough umph that it will stay in the forground? I've got to say I'm never using black for a foreground piece again this is just to hard lol. Am I a whimp?

I don't know why the hair would recede.... I think the contrast will make it pop out............... I always go with the visual effect--- I have to see it to know if it will work. Lay it out and see!

I'll do that. Your advice is wonderful. Thank you so much for taking the time to help me work through this. I had no idea how much I would need to learn to make quilts when I started in November. But the more I do the more I love it. Thanks again for your help.

I have used a panel like this in a quilt. I placed it to one side and did the rest in 2 inch squares in Asian fabrics (I used the iron on fusible) I made sure some of my squares had the same color as the panel so it looked blended in. My squares went from light to dark. I'm sorry I don't have a picture available but it was fun to do and looked very elegant when completed. You can also put a thick muslin in the borders to blend it in as well. Since I was a new quilter at the time, I did what I wanted and probably did a lot incorrectly but hey....I loved it. have fun.

I'm thinking about a black sashing and then a boarder with hexagons using all the fabrics in the panel since the finished window quilt needs to be 32"X54".

Barb...did you NOT see the IRR center I made using one?
I still have a couple more that are waiting for me to figure it out.