Teeler good job in explaining it .. I go for whatever color if I am making for someone else and find the complimentery color. If I am just making a quilt-I find the pattern I want; right now I am stuck on the 10 minut block which takes 5 materials or 4 solids and 1 multicolored depending on what I feel at that moment. I go with a pattern in mind pick out the middle first which will be the main fabric (whether 4 patch, 9 patch or strips.logcabin or whatever), then I decide what coordinating colors after picking out a couple of colors in the main fabric.
Does that make sense Deborah H? It all feels overwhelming at first, but it will get better with time, patience and a good seam ripper ...

Many times, I see a fabric that I think I can't live without. So I buy it, maybe a companion and then decide what I want to do with it.[/QUOTE]

This is what I do, too. If I see a fabric I love, I buy it and then figure out what to do with it. And this is where my angst begins, because I think "what to do with it" has to be perfect in order to fulfill the promise of the fabric. I spend way too much time worrying if I've decided on the right pattern!

I agree with Friendly Quilter - when making a quilt for someone else, find out their favorite colors, then go to JoAnn's or you LQS and find a "focus" fabric, which could be flowers, well now I'm at a loss for words. OK, back to the focus fabric, pick one you think they will like, then look at the selvedge edge of the focus fabric - you will see small dots that represent every color used in that fabric. Then find fabrics in those colors, and pick a solid or tone on tone background, and 2 or 3 other fabrics to go with it. Then find a helpful staff member to help you in this process, or, as I have done on occasion, ask another quilter who is in the fabric aisle to help you with the process. Looking at the selvedge color markers can go a long way towards finding coordinating fabrics. It can be done, and it doesn't take long to get the hang of it. Good luck. The members of QB are always there with helpful advice.

I do it by trial and error, that's why I have so much fabric! Remember you have to like your quilt regardless, so if it looks good to you, it's good!

I got on designseeds.com and it is great. Thanks for the tip.

I tend to do things backwards, I let the fabric tell me what pattern would be best.

I am using up some fabrics I have, lots and lots of fabrics.
I always pick out a print and try to select fabrics from that.

When I first started, I went to the LQS and bought a kit. Since then, I either ask a friend or an employee at the LQS to give me a hand with color combos. I have found scrappys are the best of all because it just looks good.

This is one of the things that just gets better the longer you quilt. I don't think anyone can truly "teach" it to you. Putting fabrics together is somewhat of an art form-- just go with your gut feeling for what goes together, and learn as you go.

Makes perfect sense. You are right all that fabric in the store is so overwhelming. I look at it all and think, where do I srtart? But so far I haven't done too bad. Most of the things I've done look pretty good. I am definitely enjoying it. Thanks.