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This is the quilt I'm going to make for my boyfriend. He's been "helping" me pick green fabrics under the guise of "I want to make something with green in it". I showed him the alternative set ups of the design and he thought the one with the black and white checkerboard background looked best.

According to EQ5, I can make a whole block with 1/2 yard of fabric: 1/8 for the green and another 1/8 for the background. I've been buying quarter yards for the green so I can churn out two blocks for each green fabric.

I'm kind of wondering...and bear with me if this doesn't come out right...if for the whites and blacks if I should get a different fabric for each block (like I'm doing with the greens) or use the same white and black fabric for every block.

I personally would go with the same black and white prints in each box. I'm afraid it would get to busy, maybe??? IMHO

I think keeping the black and white the same would really make the greens pop. He's going to love it.

I think I'd go for the same white/black for all. And would look for a tone on tone for each.

Though that would depend on what greens you have chosen as to whether it'd look better with solids or the tone on tones. Also, dependent on your greens a cream/ivory may blend in nicer than the white, though a bright clean white would likely help your fabrics pop out more. Depends on the look you want too.

YOu'll have enough going on with all your different greens, and that's what you want to be "seen" in the end, not the background. So go for consistency for your black/white.

wow, love the design

I think it will be awesome no matter what color you choose. I already love it. =)

I think if you used different blacks and whites it would look really cool, but I would use tone on tones. This is going to look awesome.

I think using same black and white will allow the varied greens to stand out

I would use all the same black and whites. The minute you put two different blacks next to each other, one will always look "washed out". The same with the whites, one always looks "not so white"
IMOHO

Carole

same here..

It's going to be awesome. He'll love it.

Eleanor Burns is having a two day sale....ALL GREEN FABRICS 35% off...some as low as 2.60 a yard...its on her Quilt in a day website

http://www.eleanorburns.com/shoponli...t=Sort+Fabrics

love the design and colors. put the background prints you are thinking of using with the greens and take a photo, thats what I do. Sometimes it helps to focus on what your photo reveals, to help decide which fabrics to use.

This would be 1/4 yard of fabric, not 1/2.

Look how much moola you just saved. ;-)

ooc, how are you going to cut the fabric? Do you have templates?
I wonder what John Flynn uses to cut his kits, or if any of the Accu machines have WW die.

I'd love to make one, but have no patience to cut out all that fabric.

What about pure solid black and white as the background? Like Kona cotton? Does that show off the greens to better effect? You should be able to see it in EQ.

If not, and you still want use tonals for the black and white backgrounds, I wouldn't make them too noticeably different. They should be tone-on-tones with maybe a variety of textures.
But anything else and I think it gets too busy, and takes away from the green designs.

I think it would look good either way.

Ah, the Accu's do have a Winding Way die:
http://www.accuquilt.com/go-winding-ways.html

Wow. Now I need to find someone that has the die and pay them to cut the fabric for me. How easy is that!

The two background colors work well with this. I have used a variety of black tone on tone for background and it really turned out well. I would do the same for the white or rather an off white. Although I might consider using only black tone on tone for background.

This picture doesnt really do justice to the backgrounds but they were all black tone on tone.

That quilt is going to be beautiful. I agree with most of the other posters, using the same black and white would make the greens pop and I would use tone on tone. He is going to love it.
Sue

That quilt is going to be beautiful. I agree with most of the other posters, using the same black and white would make the greens pop and I would use tone on tone. He is going to love it.
Sue

Sorry for the double post. Guess I had an itchy trigger finger.
Sue

If you used the same background fabrics for all the blocks, I think it might keep the cost of fabric down - and there would be less wasted/unused fabric.

Also, then the only thing you would need to concentrate on would be the placements of the various green fabrics.

I would use the same black and white for the background and just use the variety in the greens. I really like the pattern.

The difference between yours and the OP is that you are basically using two fabrics (yes an assortment of blacks).

She is using a large assortment of greens plus the blacks and whites.

Consistency in the black/white fabric, one of each, whatever is chosen, is going to make a more stunning and dynamic quilt, and will help keep the background in the back, and the greens allowed to shine forth and show their stuff!! :)

I'd use the same blacks and whites. Maybe a tone on tone for them?

It'll be absolutely beautiful.

love your design! it would look good either way IMHO. don't you just love EQ?!

I think it would look fine either way, but which way does your boyfriend like? It's for him, so let him chose which one he likes best.

Stick to tonal on the black. Maybe a dimples or moda marble. I just quilted a quilt with a solid Kona black border. It picked up EVERY piece of fuzz and animal hair in my house. And my animals are not even allowed in the quilt room! I love Kona, but I won't use a dark solid fabric again. I had this same thing happen to a dark navy blue. Its tone-on-tone for this quilter!

I would stick with the B&W. I have the Accucut Studio winding ways die (it is also available for the GO). I've made a couple of practice blocks, and had a bit of a problem getting them to lay flat. I happened to find the book: "Winding Ways Quilts" by Nancy MacDonald. She has a few cutting and construction tips that really helped a lot. Also some eye candy on different layouts. It's amazing the different ways this block can be layed out! If you can find a copy, I'd recommend it. I got a bunch of batiks for mine but I'm going to use the same light background for all. This quilt is about #4 on my current list... Sigh.

scribbling a note for future reference. :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

And this is why my worst subject in school was math. lol. Actually, I think I was thinking back when originally I had 8" and those did use quarter yards for each color. But after I posted I printed off one of the template pieces and laid it out on one of my quarter yards...I figured out I could roughly get enough clover leaves to make 5 blocks and there would be a little extra. I was considering using any large scraps leftover to make up the border instead of buying new fabric for it.

I don't own an AccuCut machine. Somebody on here recommended these templates (I forget who makes them off the top of my head) and I think I'll get those. I don't mind using templates because I can take them everywhere with me and I don't have to have a rotary cutter and mat for them.

I pulled up the EQ5 file and tried it with the solid black and white. The black didn't look great. It definatly made the greens pop, but I saw that it lost the texture and dimension when switched to a true solid. The solid white was okay, but the tone on tone gave it a bit of an oomph. [/color]

I would keep same black and white for background blocks. That would make it easier and since it is background it should not stand out but stay in the background and let the green shine.