Stuck and need help please
 

Hi everyone,
I'm making a small wallhanging for my lil granddaughter who loves all things ocean, especially dolphins. I bought this Stephanie Pippen pre printed dolphin panel, and I have the stitching completed. I was hoping the small white border would pop with the white of the stitched dolphins. It took me forever to even come up with these 2 border fabrics, and now I don't think I like them together.
Opinions please, and alternative suggestions are welcome too.
Also, at 1st I layered it with the batting and backing...intending to have the dolphin stitches be part of the quilting. Tried it, didn't like it, so did as the instructions suggest and stitched just the panel only. So now what would look good for the quilting portion?
Thanks in advance!
Regards,
Kif
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First--what beautiful stitching! What would you think about replacing the white border with (a wider) one in a batik that combines the blue you have with lighter blues and especially aqua? Rather like the background to your photo.

Wow! I really love the dolphins!

I agree. The white doesn't really do anything. There are a few options I'd consider depending on your goal:
1) Grey sashing. This would create a very tranquil, muted look that would recede compared to the blue. I would probably quilt grey sashing in grey so the dolphins get more attention.
2) Pick something that matches that turquoise/robin's egg blue in your batik & use that. It will give it a consistent ocean look. Maybe try quilting that with a 40wt white thread with little waves or such.
3) Lime green. Analogous colorway. This would make a strong frame for your dolphins. I would definitely only quilt with a matching thread, if at all, as the color is already very strong on its own. Would really make for a playful, colorful quilt.
4) Fiery red-orange. Complementary color. Honestly, I probably wouldn't do the whole thing in red-orange, but maybe if you wanted to spice up the grey a bit, you could add red-orange cornerstones to add a bit of pop.

And actually, I'm not entirely convinced that bright white is out of the question. The texture of the white fabric you chose is competing with the texture of the batik. Picking a solid bright white Kona solid might actually look okay ... and if it needs to be toned down, you could always add some wavy lines in different shades of blue to break it up a bit.

I'm also thinking that if your dolphin block on point, that might add more visual interest. Plus, quilting around the dolphins in a matching blue (or as close to matching as you can get with a batik) would help the dolphins stand out more ... or maybe even consider a faux trapunto treatment on the dolphins to give them a bit of dimension. They just really blend it a lot at the moment.

Happy quilting!

Thank you, thank you, thank you ladies! Wow...Lots of wonderful ideas, and I'm so grateful you took time to give me feedback. I'll head back into Grammy's Fabric Shop and see what I come up with that goes with your ideas.
I will post pics of alternate options, and if y'all have time, I'd love more input.
Regards,
K

Take your quilt with you to grammys fabric shop and show case their fabrics with your quilt. ......or did I state the obvious?

Those dolphins are beautiful. Whatever you end up with....your granddaughter is going to love this!!! Perfect for ocean loving girl!

Dina

Lol! I should clarify Grammy's Fabric Shop is actually my fabric room. Um, literally. When she was about 3 my lil gd asked if I had any Nemo fabric? I told her I'd need to check. She replied, "Can we go look in your fabric shop Grammy?". Out of the mouths of babes...
Thank you all for the ideas and the nice comments. I wish I didn't make all of this so hard on myself!
K

ok, let's think sea. How about replacing the white border with a coral or pink jellyfish color. For the dolphins, how about stitching either a whorl coming out of their blow hole, or stitching sea green waves underneath?

OK, I am odd woman out. I like the borders you have used.

For the quilting, below the dolphins outline fish, above outline birds, or put the birds in the outer border. Or outline stitch the dolphins, but in a blue very similar to the background.

Stuck, need help redux
 

Hi all,
Okay, here's the new choices... auditioning 4 different fabrics around my Sylvia Pippen dolphin panel. The outer border I like. Opinions/ideas on which one for the inner border. Or a combo maybe? The bottom one reminds me of seaweed.
Thanks for all of your prior suggestions as well, I definitely nixed the white. I liked the suggestion of Orange, but the 1 color my granddaughter isn't fond of is orange.
Regards,
Kif

I don't see the picture. :)

Lol..
Let me try again..
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I saw a tinge of purple in the first pic. Is anyone else seeing this? I see it in the thread used for the sewing.

Very pretty & serene! I actually have that large polka dot fabric & really like it. :)

I really like all four, but if I had to select which I prefer, it would be the bottom one. You can't go wrong with any of these. It continues to be just beautiful!

Dina

Purple is my lil granddaughter' fave color. So I'm trying to incorporate it. I'm so happy you see it as well!
Thank you all so much for your help. I really struggle with choosing my colors on every quilt I make. You all don't know how much you've helped!
Regards,
Kif

I too like the bottom fabric for the border but would run the stripes horizontally as they will look like waves. I would quilt horizontal wavy lines in chunks that move back and forth to look like waves. In a thread that matches the fabric. Maybe add a jellyfish or a small school of fish or coral in there depending on your skill level. Also in matching thread so it is very subtle.

Oh, oops. Were we supposed to pick just one? I really like it with the 4 different ones, but maybe that's too much work. In that case, I pick the one on the right because it provides the best contrast.

I was thinking the on point would be great no matter what color you ended up with just because its different.

Will this be a surprise for your granddaughter, or has she seen it? If she likes being part of the process, you might ask her to pick a favorite border. Of the 4 pictured, I agree with the choice of stripes run horizontally like waves. But I'm wondering if you have a soft lilac batik? I'm thinking the Dolphins would get more attention if you framed them in an analogous color.since your grAnd likes purple, that might really excite her as well.

I really like these aqua batiks as the inner border....makes a huge difference. I think any of them would work, but I especially like the parallel wavy lines. I thought the white looked fine, but these fabrics are dynamite!

I agree that the white doesn't quite "fit the bill" but just wanted to say that is fantastic. Love those dolphins. Your stitching is beyond awesome. Can't wait to see the finished product.

It will be a beautiful quilt! Can't wait to see the final results! Your GD is lucky to have you, too, smile.

The white is needed to echo the beautiful dolphins, but would probably look much better in a narrower width, perhaps half the width or less of your original plan. For the background quilting around the dolphins you could stitch a wave effect. No matter how you finish this, the dolphins are really beautiful.

Have you thought about cutting the background around the dolphins to a smaller square? That much blue overwhelms the dolphins.

Oh my word!! You all are so creative!!! Not sure it's helping my decision making though...lol...as so many wonderful ideas!
It is going to be a surprise, her 7th birthday is coming up.
Not necessarily choose just 1, heck I debated all 4...my hubby just grinned (he knows me all too well). I'm probably an intermediate-advanced hand quilter, more of a pushing it-intermediate fmq. I planned to add the "oomph" by machine on this panel. I love all of the quilting ideas...and adding a jellyfish or school of fish.
I hadn't considered cutting the inner panel down...hmm... I had debated keeping the white if I made it very narrow. My intention in the beginning was to have white to make the dolphins pop. I have fairy frost white...also ff silver, teal, and purple...
GAA!! I just wish creativity flowed out of me naturally...
Thank you all!!!
Regards,
Kif
And thank you all for your kind compliments. The stitching on the dolphins is super easy. It's pre-printed, just stitch on the stitches..Tada!

I agree!!!

First, this is adorable! Your stitching is wonderful! I think it works as is. But if you don't like the stark white, how about a purple and white print, something small, as lines, or geometic or ocean wavy or....something not flowery?

Your problem is too many choices....all of which are good! I struggle in the same way.

You'll eventually know, and when it's finished it will be beautiful! Good luck!

Wow! Your quilting is awsome! I can only dream.. :/ but I love your quilt, and I am sure your little grandaughter will too !! I agree on one thing only.. I think I would replace the white border .. but the whole thing is gorgeous!

My thoughts, too. That is beautiful. My granddaughter who is married now would love it.

I actually showed the pics to my granddaughter pretending we're helping a lady here on QB choose fabrics. She's young enough that she doesn't know my board name, and she completely fell for it.
Thank you all so very much! I'll post a pic of the finished quilt.
Regards,
Kif

Quilting "waves" would be cute.

I think it is a hoot that the little girl thought your sewing room was Grammy's quilt shop! Wise little Grand baby!! Your stitching is gorgeous! Whatever you come up with she will love 'cause it came from that special shop!

Yes I laughed so hard when she asked if we could look in "Grammy's Fabric Shop" that day.
Thank you all so very kindly!

This was my thought or perhaps a narrow flange of white.

Beautiful embroidery. Hope to see it after you have it completed.

LOL......perhaps a bit of a stash you have if a lil girl thinks it is a fabric shop. Love those kinds of rooms. And kids! :)

A narrow strip of white, blued white, or grey would make such a great stop border before adding any of the fabrics you have chosen. I am talking 1/2 or 3/4 wide. I like to use one very narrow strip often.

You and a few others suggested making that inner border narrow, and I did. In a white that has very small dots of muted blues, purples, teals. I did the larger border in the circles batik, as that's what dgd chose from the pic I posted here...that she thought we were helping another Grammy decide for her granddaughter :). I really liked the batik lines, but it's not for me.
I'm now working on the final quilting...Bree123 suggested a trapunto technique around the dolphins. I've never done it, but there's a 1st time for everything...so far so good.
Thanks again to everyone! And I will post a pic when it's done.
Regards,
Kan