margie77072

I love my family but we are rather boring. No one really digs floral prints and find using more than a few colors and prints in a quilt old-fashioned. How do I make quilts for them? So many really pretty patterns/blocks use 7 or 8 different fabrics and some prints right next to other prints. Every time I've asked if they like the block or quilt, I get a "well, it's too busy for my taste but it's pretty". I'd like to make some of the more complex patterns but just can't seem to grasp how to do it with less. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

sharon b

What about a warm wishes , uses more fabrics and a focus square , but not overly busy :wink:

Or maybe make one without asking them first and see what they say ? They might be surprised that after it is all together they like it .

I was making a baby quilt for a niece that had neon lime in it, the mother never said anything until it was done, later she told me she didn't care for the lime when she saw the colors , but when the quilt was finished she loved it :thumbup: Sometimes it is hard for others to see the finished quilt :wink:

amma

My kids don't really care for the typical calicos...but they love the geometric and other different types of prints.
They are also not big fans of traditional blocks, but love some of the more striking PP blocks and the contemporary style quilts too.
Maybe working with several colors, but add in different shades of them? to increase the amounts of fabrics?

OBW's maybe, or box in a box with 3 colors is very contemporary looking too. Cube quilts? Bargello in just 3 colors with different shades?

What about blenders or tonals instead of prints? Much more subtle than prints?

ghostrider

Use tone-on-tones, blenders, hand-dyes, marbles, fabrics that 'read' as solids from a distance, but have small tonal patterns up close. If you stick to colors that are close to each other on the color wheel, yellow-green-blue for instance, it will appear "calmer" as well.

ctack2

Can you think of a subject that they like and do a theme quilt for them? Then the focus would be on the subject more than on the fabrics.
Carol B

mayday

what a brilliant idea with warm wishes AND even better merely making one of your choice ------who knows they may even like it!!,

hazeljane

I find a traditional pattern, like one with a white or solid (or solid appearing tone on tone) background helps calm the eye. You can then use lots of different fabrics, but if they don't touch, it looks less busy. I'll see if I can find and post an example.

Retired Quilter

How about an Amish pattern. Dark colors very few prints is any.

oatw13

There are no rules that say you have to use all the colors in the quilt block pattern. I often will make a pattern that calls for several fabrics with only 2 or maybe 3. Sure you change the look of it, but that is half the fun. Just try some single blocks and see what you think. Remember, the only rule is that there are no rules. Just have fun and don't be afraid to try new things.

Just jump in with both feet. The worst that will happen is that you won't like the block and you will try another one. In the end, you may have one pretty sampler quilt!

sahm4605

batiks. and mix them with other fabrics. that is what i am doing with one quilt that i am making for a dear older lady.