I TEND TO THINK ALL FABRICS GO TOGETHER

AS FOR QUEEN SIZE QUILT - I BUY 108" BACKING 2 1/2 YARDS
YOU CAN FIGURE OUT FROM THAT HOW MUCH TOP FABRIC YOU'LL NEED + SOME AS YOU'LL HAVE ALOT OF SEAM ALLOWANCES

I bought this doohickey that came with a red and green plastic to look through. It also came with a bunch of color cards with color combo suggestions on it. I just got it so I haven't had a chance to play with it but the main reason I got it is because I want to use up my stash, most of which is not from certain lines.

Get a 3 in 1 color tool from C&T Publishing. I think that is the ``doohickey`` Gale is mentioning.

you may think it's strange but when I'm going through magazines or flyers I rip out pictures that I like. They pay a lot for those advertising agencies to come up with colours so I take the ones that I like, and a pattern that I like and try to match the colours I use to be similar and the same ratios as the photograph. Paint stores are GREAT for it. They have suggested colours that go well together and then I just go from there. As an example, look at the cover of Martha Stewart living this month. it's a light blue with punches of orange and white SO I'd use that blue colour as a main with the orange and white as accents.

PS: Food magazines are great for colour choices. Everyone likes to look at food!

And eat it too :thumbup:

Try focusing on color values. Light, medium and dark.

Love your username, koipuddle.

I pick out a print I want to use and I try to match colors from that and I try to use at least 3 differnt types of fabric to go with it. Splotchy, solid and print for example.
I love matchy matchy. I have some older fabrics and the newer colors don't always match. I have learned to love the scrappy quilts and have made several of those. What appeals to you will be just right.

Also be sure to choose light and medium fabric in the colors you want for contrast. Hang up the pieces or step away and squint (take your glasses off) to see if they go together without any colors taking over.

Jack: Email me privately. I want to talk to you about the color issue.

One thing with prints is, they appear very different depending on the distance you are away from the quilt. If you're looking at them from up close, say 2 - 3' they look like one color and you see the print, but from across the room = 15' away, they'll appear as a totally different color. I make Art Quilts and all my quilts are displayed on a wall, so this is something I struggle with. As I'm choosing fabrics, I have to remind myself to preview the fabric from a distance back, not just on my table by my sewing machine. I made a quilt that had lots of metallic gold and copper in the prints and those metallics disappeared when seen from across the room.