A very new quilter needs advice
 

so new I am halfway through my first cushion case

I have the book Essential Sampler Quilt - thought it would be a good place to start

now my very first quilt I want to put in my bedroom that is cream and red
so the thing I would like to do is use just one cream fabric for the blocks and then use the red for the sashing and cream for the final border

but looking at all your wonderful quilts I am unsure if this will work

so what is your best advice to give to a REAL novice

thanks for your input - I want to live with ideas for a couple of weeks before I start buying fabric and leaning whilst making my first quilt

H x

Two color quilts can be quite beautiful. Google "two color quilts" several images come up and you can see if it appeals to you.

Of course it can work -- if that's what you want.

One thing to consider is that often a darker color serving as frame or outermost edge is most appealing. You might consider having your red as the outer border. It's also a practical matter-- the outer edge is most likely to get dirty, and cream will show dirt sooner.

You might enjoy drawing out your ideas on graph paper with colored pencils -- a tried and true design method.

Oh honey, anything that makes you happy will work. No quilt police are allowed on this board so there are no rules to break here. What you talked about--large blocks with sashing between, should turn out simple but elegant and can be the canvas for some very interesting quilting. My only concern would be 'too much of a good thing'. You might get very tired of just cream and red.

What about exploring a complementary colour option. Maybe add some charcoal or black or figured fabric or a brilliant royal blue or....well just not limit yourself to two colours unless that is absolutely what your heart is set on.

Can't wait to see what you decide.

Here's the Google images page you are looking for:
https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&...47.9LLCclC3p6U

Two color quilts are beautiful, I hope to make one someday. But, I would wash the red first with a couple of color catchers, until the color catchers are no longer picking up any red dye.

Just as someone said before, no quilt police here. Two colors would work great. I would go for a tonal or blenders instead of just a plain fabric. It adds a little dimension without overtaking the design. Also, I would most definitely consider a red outside border instead of cream for the reason stated above. Maybe you could do a small inner border in cream if you really like the color. I would love to see the final product. Also, draw it out before starting so you know exactly where to place everything and you are sure you like it before piecing.

Your red & cream cushion will be divine - but please - wash that red fabric first - in hot water and Nappy San or similar, to get the excess dye out.
You don't want any red leaching into the cream with the first wash

Don't forget to post a pic when done

How about something like this? http://www.mccallsquilting.com/patte...html?idx=15047 There are lots of other patterns, on the same site. :)

One bit of advice - make sure you prewash your fabric! Reds are often bleeders!

I have said from day one: if the fabric will do it, I can do it. Look around at some of the links posted above if you don't have a clear picture of what you want, but if you do- GO FOR IT! There is no rules (except maybe to always prewash- and lets face it, even that can be negotiable!), and you can design, rip it out, redesign, whatever. This is supposed to be fun! Best advice I can give is enjoy it, and when you get to where you aren't, walk away and come back later. Good luck and let us know how it goes!