Simplest requests can turn nightmarish!
 

My MIL painted her bedroom a green color and got a new bedspread/sham/curtains, etc to go with it. This is a woman who has had white walls in every room in every house for 75 years so a painted bedroom is a HUGE deal! She asked that I make a wall hanging to go above the bed--approx 2'x 4' horizontal. Her only request?--lots of 'cream'. Obviously she's not comfortable yet with the dark wall color. :) I've attached a picture of the 3 colors from the comforter set. I've spent hours and hours trying to come up with a pattern and have literally lost sleep. I think I'm 'over-thinking' it. She wants to keep it simplistic so you'd think this would be a slam-dunk right?--WRONG! Too many options out there and I want to do a good job with it. Finding colors to go with it is proving difficult. After throwing around hundreds of design ideas and sketching I think I'd like to go with 3 cream background snowblocks (horizontally) with some sort of border(s). Would like to applique a 'bird on a branch' in the left and right blocks and perhaps a stemmed flower applique in the middle block since she loves birds and flowers. This would then show a lot of the cream color background.

I'm rambling but just trying to get a handle on it. Anyone else agonize over designs that you have to create? I've also searched for patterns but nothing trips my trigger. Found the Spring Woodland Stonehenge) fabric collection (or Autumn Woodland Stonehenge) and feel some of the simpler patterns in this may work to bring out some colors. Anyways, feel free to offer options/opinions if you'd like regarding colors and border design, etc, to help this gal get some sleep! Thanks and Happy New Year!

I feel you 'pain'.

I am a color person and am working on a beige and tan quilt for DD. It took me some time to find the 'right' tans.

Good luck on your project. But try not to loose to much sleep, one day a 'light-bulb' will turn on. ;)

Have you considered paper piecing?
You could create a good size block, then border it with appropriate colors to the size you need/want.

Then, add the bird on a branch in one of the corners.

Don't sweat it now. Just put your colors on th side of your work table and wait for inspiration.

With the contrasting color a simple log cabin would work.

I can't say much about the style of the wall hanging, but when it comes to color, I always love various shades of orange/peach/coral with green. It will add a pop of complementary color

I would do a Carpenter's Star. It's easy when pieced using HSTs and has a lot of impact hanging on the wall. To make it the rectangle size make two stars 24" square.
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I agree with the carpenter star! Simple but still striking!

I also think the carpenters star would be really striking!!!

I would probably use a variety of creams and light tans to create a background out of squares, then applique a tree branch and cardinal on top of that.