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Lisa773 03-26-2010 03:26 AM

2 Attachment(s)
This is a wall hanging that I'm making of a civil war hospital or field cot. It is with Civil War Repro fabrics. There is a strip between each column of blocks (no sashing), and then bordered with the same fabric. The original design has a light beige or cream colored border/strips. I don't want a cream border to blend too much with the beiges/creams in the blocks, but I don't know what other color I would use. I'd like to stay with the original design of beige/cream, but this is where I get lost. Should I use a darker, almost brown? A tan? A solid? A print?
Color choice has never been easy for me, and apparently after 3 years I'm still struggling. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!!
BTW, the second picture is just amusing (to me anyway). We were would supposed to get scattered rain yesterday! Alot of the snow has already melted. You have to love March!

Lisa_wanna_b_quilter 03-26-2010 03:29 AM

I would probably end up with a more brownish color, but goodness knows I'm pretty color challenged myself.

Fabrics should come with tags like Granimals clothes!!

QuiltingGrannie 03-26-2010 03:41 AM

My first thought would be to use a soldier blue color. It's close to navy blue but somewhat duller. Brown would work also.
So sorry to see the white 'rain' I hope it melts fast for you. Spring is here - somewhere.

butterjoy 03-26-2010 03:47 AM

Blue or brown

sewcrafty 03-26-2010 04:44 AM

This first one that came to me was the blue. The second would be the beigy brown family. Like your third block in the first row has a lot of variation in it and the last row last block. Something in between there. Sometimes you can find a nice antiquey green and that could offset most of your color choices there. I've been shocked that green sometimes just brings in the right amount of contrast.

danmar 03-26-2010 05:01 AM

My first thought was a dark blue, maybe navy. You say you'd like to stay with the orig. idea though, so my second choice
would be a dark brown. Solid or print would depend on what I found and how it looked. It's going to be really nice.
Marilyn

Lisa773 03-26-2010 06:04 AM


Originally Posted by danmar
My first thought was a dark blue, maybe navy. You say you'd like to stay with the orig. idea though, so my second choice
would be a dark brown. Solid or print would depend on what I found and how it looked. It's going to be really nice.
Marilyn

I like the blue (soldier blue), but leaning toward a brown which would be better suited to stay with the original pattern. I am headed out today to look for fabric. We'll see how that goes. Maybe I'll come home with both colors and see how they look.
Thanks for everyone's input, I truly appreciate it.

Ditter43 03-26-2010 06:37 AM

A blue-gray would go well with your fabrics and fit the era....

Ditter

mrs theo 03-26-2010 06:40 AM

My first thought when I looked at your picture was a navy color. I liked the previous idea of using a soldier blue that would be a little more dull than navy :)

reneebobby 03-26-2010 06:46 AM

It seems like I'm like everyone else I was saying blue, but a nice dark brown would work also.

Marjpf 03-26-2010 07:46 AM

My first thought was blue, too. But it would need to have gray undertones. Maybe a print with blue background and brown designs.

wvdek 03-26-2010 09:17 AM

The blue in the lower right block or the red in the upper left block. You could make the borders red, off-white, and blue increasing their width as you go out.

Sharon321 03-26-2010 09:35 AM

How about a vertical stripe often was use in that era for vertical quilts.

weezie 03-26-2010 09:51 AM


Originally Posted by Ditter43
A blue-gray would go well with your fabrics and fit the era....

Ditter

Blue-gray is what I thought of, also.

skpkatydid 03-26-2010 10:15 AM

My first thought was gray/blue also.

Kathy N 03-26-2010 11:19 AM

I also would use a dark blue in a very small print.

tkhooper 03-26-2010 12:15 PM

Things to remember. Darker colors recede while lighter colors come forward. So the original used a dominate color for the strips. Keeping that in mind there are other ways to get a color to move forward in a pattern. One is to use a small print with a light colored background. That way it wouldn't "blend in" to much with your center square color, but would still come forward. Giving the same effect as the cream would have.

Another is to choose a color on the warm side of the color wheel. This would include color choices like an antique gold, or a pale sepia.

I hope this helps.

3699quilter 03-26-2010 12:29 PM

I am also color challenged. A deep red might help???
If you are in NE Ohio - I'm surprised you have snow - it's cold today in Michigan (north of Detroit) but the sun is shining. I may have just jinxed the weather - oops.

Oklahoma Suzie 03-26-2010 12:37 PM

mabe a blue.

Oklahoma Suzie 03-26-2010 12:37 PM

maybe a blue.

MadQuilter 03-26-2010 12:57 PM

You have blue in every row, so that would be a good choice. Blue's got my vote.

craftybear 03-26-2010 03:52 PM

I would suggest a soldier blue color.

Lisa773 03-26-2010 04:23 PM

I looked today for some blue/gray fabric, but didn't find any I liked. I did find some solid darker cream fabric and will keep that on hand if I don't find anything in blue.
I truly appreciate the quick and helpful responses. Love this board!

raptureready 03-26-2010 04:30 PM

It depends on which side you want to represent. If it's the South I'd go with gray, if the North--blue. If you don't want that distinction at all then go with brown.

sewcrafty 03-26-2010 05:47 PM


Originally Posted by raptureready
It depends on which side you want to represent. If it's the South I'd go with gray, if the North--blue. If you don't want that distinction at all then go with brown.

Good Point!!! :lol: :lol:

amma 03-26-2010 06:15 PM

I really like the same color brown as your flooring :D:D:D

Debmdrn 03-26-2010 06:18 PM

I would try something dark. Brown, blue or even a black print. Just audition your choices with your blocks in the shop before you buy. Just don't lose your blocks in the strip, whatever color you choose. Have fun playing! I look forward to seeing the end result!

RedGarnet222 03-26-2010 06:30 PM

When I am not sure about a color to border a quilt with. I go to my fabrics and pull out many different ones that I can audition with my blocks on the design wall. I unroll it and let it hang next to them for a while. Some are," Oh my gosh, no! But, make sure it is a "That's perfect!", in your mind before you settle for less. This gives me a much better idea of what the colors will do with my blocks. I have been surprised many times what looks the best.
If you don't have the right one... Take it to the quilt or fabric store with you. I hope this helps.

littlehud 03-26-2010 07:41 PM

Blue is what comes to me. Sorry about that white rain. Yucky.

raptureready 03-27-2010 03:15 AM

When I can't decide I audition different colors, solids and prints. I just lay out a large piece of fabric and then lay my blocks on it and see. Try that and I'm sure you'll find the very one you want. I've even taken my blocks to the LQS, layed out bolts and tried different looks.

damaquilts 03-27-2010 04:54 AM

I would have voted for blue too. But brown would work also

eleu16 03-27-2010 06:46 AM

I think it depends where the quilt will hang....in a dark place pick beige or tan....in a bright place pick a nice brown...either way I would use a fabric with a small , quiet print

bstanbro 03-27-2010 07:26 AM

I agree on the blue. You have a few blue blocks, and a solid blue border would really bring those out without distracting too much from the original design. Nice quilt.

Lisa773 03-27-2010 12:50 PM


Originally Posted by amma
I really like the same color brown as your flooring :D:D:D

That is actually one of my cutting/layout tables. Each is about 75 years old and I love them. My DH refinished them for me. They were his great grandparents' tables which were used for canning, way back when.

chicagoshar 03-27-2010 02:59 PM

How about a narrow border of the burgundy you have in the blocks, then use a lighter pale tan wider border.
When selecting colors, I always hunt for only one color first - something that says "you have to buy me". When I have that, I key all my other colors off of that one focus color.
Also, rule of thumb for borders - you want to make your borders accent the colors of the block, but never override them.

lucyb 03-27-2010 08:53 PM

I also thpufht of more than one border. One red, one cream, and one grey blue.

Lynda H. 03-27-2010 10:59 PM

The golden brown (color of the table) looks GREAT with the blocks!

Pats8e8 03-27-2010 11:06 PM

I would try a maroonish red myself. I like the soldier blue idea too though. Good luck!

butterflywing 03-28-2010 10:46 AM


Originally Posted by Lisa_wanna_b_quilter
I would probably end up with a more brownish color, but goodness knows I'm pretty color challenged myself.

Fabrics should come with tags like Granimals clothes!!



:lol: :lol: :lol: was recently describing them to someone :wink:
omg how long ago was that?

butterflywing 03-28-2010 10:52 AM

can you find a teeeny print in soldier blue, tan and civil war red? i think it would tie it all together, but it should be really small.


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