I am not an expert by any means, but I have been told by many, that you need to use different sizes of prints, like small, medium & large, much like you do with colors, like lights, mediums, & darks. Your fabrics are wonderful, but your prints seem to be all about the same size.

I love the 2nd block, it's stunning. You could use a narrow white sashing with a wider black sashing around each block.
Keep us updated on your progress.

I think the second block is REALLY stunning and would make an outstanding quilt.
Your fabrics are lovely.
Good luck with whatever you decide.

Sorry, but most of us see in color! :lol: Good theory tho.

Keep your colors simple small prints and I think it will be ok in this block.

If that block was on point surrounded by dark colors and in the middle of a tote bag it would be awsome!

I agree...those kind of fight. Maybe smaller patterns would do it.

call me nuts but I like it! I do a lot of scrappy and flip and sew so my fabrics are all over the place but it seems to work. (If I can ever learn to post a picture I will.)
You might make a second block and see how you are going to like it put together.

Good luck and post as you go!

Any you do not want I will recycle into totebags and pillows for cancer patients at our next sewing day.
Maybe you just wanted to be in the jungle of life when you made this one up??? :lol:

This is how the center would look if I were to use this block.

Great idea of making up a sample block first. I've had great ideas and wonderful fabric only to find out that the colors didn't work in that pattern but it did in another.

I was questioning until you put the blocks together. I Love it!!!

kwhite I like the 4 blocks put together. I think it will make a neat quilt. Good luck with your thoughts.

I love it

i like it put together like that! that looks cool. here's my 2 cents though.

use the black, and the other 2 patterns. cut out the stripe pattern material. i think it might look better without those. try it and post a pic if you do!

If you changed the blue and brown squiggly fabric to the one next to it I think that would look nice.

Hi KWhite - Maria Peagler here. You've done a great job in trying out what is a difficult block. Your fabrics are great, and here is my advice: you've got a lot of everything going on. A lot of pattern, color, and a complicated block design. Decide what you want to stand out, and make everything else simple.

Specifically, your black background fabrics are too close in value and color to your foreground fabrics. If you want to keep the black, pick something lighter in value than the animal prints. If you want to keep the tiger prints and their friends, select a lighter background print (above those prints).

I love to get in on color discussions, and thanks for the recommendation here!

You have just answered your own question. Using black and white you can see that many of the fabrics have the same size scale to the print patterns and have too close to similar values.

You want to get more separation in difference between your lights, mediums, and darks.

Right now, your mediums and darks are more alike than different.

I truly like your color palette. I agree with Tslowery, if you want, just finish it and send it to me!! :-D I'd love to have it as is!

Otherwise, I would delete the zebra print or the fourth print from the left in the top row. You didn't use the stripe print in your block, and I would continue to leave it out, but maybe use it in sashing or borders.

The reading reference materials suggestion later in this thread is excellent.

Thanks for sharing.

Wow! Maria Peagler weighed in, that is awesome! I am loving the block. We've all had a lesson in value, scale and color. Thanks for inviting us along!

I think it looks terrific....if you still don't like it, I'll take it..hehehe! :D----wow, I just had a light bulb moment. I have been looking all day for an idea for the center on a round robin quilt I am doing with some girlfriends.........you may have just solved my problem, can you share what the pattern name is??

WOW!!! I love this block!!! It looks much different put together !!!
I think you have a winner :D:D:D

Ok, I would use the tan&blue star/floral fabric and the black polkadot along with a solic tan or blue. I wouldn't suggest using ALL the fabrics in the same block...tooooooo busy.
Hope this gives you an idea

I would simplify it and only use three colors per block, and just make the same block with different combination, I would keep the black with the spots in all of them,

I love your second block. It came together nicely. Do you feel like the zebra stripe and the blue/brown squiggly fabric are fighting each other?

The fabric is pretty.

I agree with the idea of a couple of solids worked in that pattern to separate some of the busyness. There are some beautiful colors in your fabric, even a dark red that could be worked in, but it would take some experimenting. I really like the fabrics you have, but together I think they are just too busy, and if side by side in any one block, I would guess they would still be too busy. A little division with solid colors, blenders, would help in any block for the patterns you have, seems like to me!

Wow! those are great choices! I agree, the problem may be there's no place for the eye to rest, I would swap out the star fabric for something medium, and more tonal, then the swap the mottled brown for the gray pattern fabric, and keep the black dot fabric in the 'fan ' shape.

I have to tell you, I loved your block. I thought it would look great as a repeated block, and I just had to see... so I made these. The first one is just randomly rotating the block. The other two are more deliberate, for a kaleidoscope effect or whatever.

(Oops, these are huge file sizes. Admin, let me know if I need to redo these as .jpegs.)

Oh well, I see that the "random" one turned out to have its own kaleidoscope pattern, but it's different that the other two.

Just skimmed through the pages of other posts and have to say I didn't realize you already had an overall quilt pattern you wanted. I also see Joan's point about having places where the eye can rest. Though I'd say it depends on what you want. For some people, the busy-ness would be appealing.

I actually like the block....but in a quilt it might seem too busy...Have you considered adding a solid in the golden brown shade present in some of the fabrics? I see from your b&w photo that all the values are represented...lights, mediums and darks. It will be interesting to see what you do with them..
Ditter

Actually, having the ability to view your fabrics in black and white can be quite helpful. It lets you see the value of your fabrics which determines the amount of contrast in the block. I sometimes photo copy fabric in black and white to experiment with different placements.

You might be surprised how good this can look with a cream colored sashing..

LOOKS great !!

Lisanne, love Kaleidoscope #2

The fabric is beautiful, but I agree that you need to iuse some calming fabrics between the busy ones.
You probably have your own methods, but I'll share this anyway. I often do a pasted mock-up of my paper pieced blocks --it is easy to pull off a piece of fabric and try something else (or just paste it on top of the original). For me it is a lot quicker than making up blocks. When I get it the way I want it, I post that one where I can keep referring to it as I am making the real blocks.

Sometimes I don't like the blocks that I start with, then when I add sashing etc. it takes on a different look and I am really pleased with it.

love the fabrics and the pattern but with so many pieces you need a smaller less busy print. add some solids also to make the pattern in the center pop. i love to paper piece also and i find with so many pieces to each square they sometimes have to be tamed down.....

The fabrics are great but I don't think combined they are good for the pattern. The pattern has too many pieces and some are too small. The fabric is too busy for the pattern.

I love the block setting with the black framing the center. I have a collection of fabric called Mocha Meringue that is in these types of colors. Marcus Brothers has a free quilt pattern using it and it's all squares framing squares of other fabrics. It's a very modern look that is also simple and classic.

http://www.marcusbrothers.com/makeit...ilt/index.html

Exactly... they don't always finish up how you think they start :)

It isn't ugly at all! (Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.)
BUT>>>>if YOU don't like it, don't use it. It will never make you happy.
I did one with a similar block. I surrounded each block with a zebra stripe then a color stripe ....I'm trying to remember. I no longer have it....hmmmmmmmmmmmm
block
zebra stripe
color stripe
zebra stripe
then sashed with a brown that had little stars on it.
It's a WOW quilt that anyone who sees loves.
I think I put another black and white binding on it.
Just remember, if you have to convince yourself you like/love it, don't use it and MOVE ON. Your time and love of quilting is too precious to "have to" anything.