I'm at a total loss for this one.....
 

I was gifted this fairy panel and my intention was to make into a donation quilt, but I just can't decide how to TONE IT DOWN and make it, frankly, less awful. It seem just to loud for a child's quilt and using any of the integral colours makes it even stronger. One of my friends suggested turning it into a kaleidoscope quilt. She wasn't kidding. So far that's got my vote. I know some of you will love this panel, so tell me how to soften it and make a pretty quilt from it.

I would trim the red away. Use some of the lighter colors in the panel. Cream, lighter green

i love the panel. the suggestion of trimming the outside red away sounds like a good idea. if the green patch at the left is one of your choices, i'd switch it for a softer green as in the vest.

I like it the way it is - I like the bright colors.

I guess they must be Christmas Fairies as they are sitting on poinsettias. I actually find it charming and I am sure some little girl will too. I think the over abundance of red is what is screaming at you. Definitely get rid of it on the sides. Tone it down with beige, light gold and the lightest shades of green leaning to moss and sage and away from lime. Then you can make some nice big leaf appliques and have them sneaking over the border into the body of the panel (maybe even have them be 3D where they go over the body of the panel, you know back them and quilt them before appliqueing and leave the tips that sneak over unsewn down.) to hide some of the red and black.

You can't really kaleidescope this unless you have multiples so you can get the repeat effect. Another option is to cut out the fairies and maybe just one of the poinsettias and applique them to another surface ala broderie perse method.

I wouldn't do a kaleidoscope. You'd end up with little hands and cut-up faces...not pleasant! Funny how different we all are. I, too, think the panel is awful, but some people love it!

Kids go crazy over the vivid colors. Cutting off the red boarder might be the way to go. There are lovely small dotted fabrics. Perhaps one with a white or cream background with the dot in a softer green, or a dark pink dot in a similar, softer color family of the red. That would give it a softer, more relaxed feel to the panel perhaps.

I would leave the green beaded border & the plain green border, removing both the red & ornate black & red borders. This is a Cicely Mary Barker pattern. Growing up, my sister & I had a book of her's with many of her botanic fairies. I still love her work, but I agree that some of the large MM panels are a bit much.

If you eliminate some of the red of the pre printer borders and use more greens and beige I think you will still need to bring some kind of red out to the outer border area. JMO. :)