This was one of the things I was considering, but when I tried out all the brown I have (mostly scraps) just to see how it would look, the browns didn't help. Yours looks better than the colors I had. Maybe I am going to have to take some of this to a fabric store to find a match.

I considered this too ... The white is really a Very light blue/green. I think the lightest colors seem to be dissonant in the blocks and would work better as sashing.

I should have done something like this. But now that I have the blocks sewn together, there are too many lights mixed with the darks.

Personally I would add a pop of golden yellow and/or orange. Take some blocks and replace one of the four sectionsi with the pop color. It doesn’t need to be every block, maybe about half of them. You might even be able to do only about a third of the blocks and distribute them sort of randomly around the quilt.

That is another good idea.

I'm with bjchad--some pops of color--like a goldenrod or a bright violet, would really make this into a very modern quilt. I'd do that without any sashing, mixing in a few pops of color into the blocks, then use 3 borders--about a 1-2" one of one of the teals (either the very light or the darkest), a VERY thin strip of the "pop" color and then a wider border of either the dark or the light (whichever you didn't use on the first one). I do think getting used to all solids quilts takes awhile!

Can you make a center medallion with blue/teal and brown and use the odd blocks as a wide border? Then find a teal and brown print as an outer border/binding? When I squint, I see the blocks you have as sort of a crazy quilt.

I haven't seriously "taken this apart" but I'm wondering if it's the placement of the pieces that is the problem. Can those be arranged so it's somewhat a pinwheel or whirligig design with the dark blue and the light making secondary designs? What does your pattern suggest for arrangement?

I think this suggestion would be good!

I don't like adding the brown...but I don't like brown in any form other than hardwood floors or furniture (LOL)

I think it needs pops of color....maybe some subtle prints..I don't know how old the recipent is...polka dots?? geometric shape - circles, visions of bubbles floating in the air...Sometimes a batik can give you that subtle prints