can you pull the like shades/tones together in more of a rainbow effect to tone down the random scrappy that is bothering you?

edited to say Susan was posting while I was, great minds and all :)

The pattern is brilliant, the batiks play well. I'd never make another quilt if my working wall was taken away, for me it is as much a tool as the sewing machine.

You can do it! Working out of our comforts zones, ALWAYS have us doubting our work. Play with layout.... like colors in a row or groupings, darker to lighter, etc, ... just play. When you get to something you 'kinda' like walk away and let it rest, coming back later to see what you feel. Scrap quilts can be a challenge. I am working on my 5th (or is it 6th) and I still am asking myself... if it will work. I just keep going. So far I love the finished quilts. Sometimes it's the borders that puts them all together, or the quilting... one never knows. I figure the worst is that it is my 'utility' quilt, for the picnic, races or car quilt. Or it could be donated.

I love the colors and think it will look great when finished. In addition to the bottom right that needs a fix to the layout, I think what might be throwing you off is that the last row creates 1/2 the design. I am funny about things being symmetrical, so if it were mine, I'd take that last vertical row and add it to the bottom, which would create a more symmetrical design and really show off the "rings" that the individual blocks form.

If you still don't like the look, add a solid inner border of the same fabric you used for background and an outer border that isn't too busy. That will help tone it down for you.

It looks like you used watercolor-type Batiks, i.e., Hoffman or similar in most of your blocks and a handful of Batiks with a 'stronger' - much more contrast - print some other blocks. For example, Row 1, 3rd from the right (you have 3 of these blocks), Row 2, 2nd from the right (2 of these blocks) and Row 4, 2nd from the left (2 blocks). What if you replaced those blocks with others using watercolor Batiks? Use those 7 blocks on the back of your quilt!

Maybe using a variety of watercolor Batiks throughout your quilt might give it a better look.
Just my humble opinion - - - -


Jane

Thanks for all the good suggestions. I have just put Angelia's suggestion on my design wall, and this may work. Here is a picture of it.

Dina

I think it is lovely but I am a scrappy lover.
Once you have all the blocks done, maybe you could add a border of one solid color.
Lots of times a border tames the chaos...it 'corrals' all those different colors and makes them part of the whole. Worth a try.

I like that! You might even get away with a batik cornerstone where the sashings meet, if it doesn't "busy it up" too much.

Another good idea! Thanks. I am going to leave this on my design wall and walk by it several times today. I could make it one row longer...

Dina

Rearrange the blocks to make "flowers" using 4 of each color. Then put sashing between the flower blocks.

[QUOTE=jclinganrey;7043378]It looks like you used watercolor-type Batiks, i.e., Hoffman or similar in most of your blocks and a handful of Batiks with a 'stronger' - much more contrast - print some other blocks. For example, Row 1, 3rd from the right (you have 3 of these blocks), Row 2, 2nd from the right (2 of these blocks) and Row 4, 2nd from the left (2 blocks). What if you replaced those blocks with others using watercolor Batiks? Use those 7 blocks on the back of your quilt!

Maybe using a variety of watercolor Batiks throughout your quilt might give it a better look.
Just my humble opinion - - - -



Well, you are good! This is exactly what I did. I started with a layer cake of batiks and then decided I didn't like the rest of the fabrics in it. So I added some that I already had, some that are more jewel colors. May not have been the way to go. :)

Dina