Will This Work for a Shakespeare in the Park --dark for the background
 

I want to make a Shakespeare in the Park and am considering using these 2 groups of fabrics (I'll have to find more to have enough variety). I am thinking of using the blue as the background fabric and the purple as the "main" fabric.

I've googled quite a bit and haven't seen an example of using darks for both parts of the quilt (there are some with mixed colors throughout though). I know the downside to this plan is that there won't be as much contrast. I'll have to make up some blocks first to see how it works out. I'm in the planning phase right now and won't start this for at least a few months. I like to have things thought out and planned before I start a quilt and I still have several other quilts I need to work on first.

Just wondering if anyone has gone down this road?

ETA: if you are unfamiliar with the pattern, here is a link to google images. https://www.google.com/search?q=shak...w=1680&bih=919

Such beautiful fabrics but sorry not familiar with the quilt pattern!

Sorry I don't have an answer to your question, I just had to tell you that I am in love with the selection of fabrics you have. Man alive they are beautiful. How much do you have of each? Did you get them different places or at the same place? I love batiks and I don't have many lights. Of course shades of blue and purple are some of my favorite colors. BrendaK

Love Shakespeare in the Park - love your colors, but like you, I would need to see a block. Good luck

That pattern is on my bucket list, too, but the fabric selection has given me pause. I can't wait to see what you do with it. Do you have the book? I do, and there may be some guidance there...I could look it up for you if you want!

Yes willferg, I do have the book. It only shows light fabric/dark fabric combos. I had been thinking of doing this type first: https://www.google.com/search?q=shak...l%3B1022%3B843 the pink and green one using my blues and purples but it is so hard to find enough light batiks to use for the "light" parts. Plus, I've done some intricate layouts before but this looks like it would be very challenging to make each block correctly (the lady that made this somewhere discussed that she did in fact have to use the seam ripper many, many times making this quilt to get the colors in the right positions).

I was going to suggest you look at the pink and green one for the subtle contrast.

Are you planning white for the background? Perhaps lay your fabrics on the white, fanning each group out, to emulate the effect of the pattern. You might get a better sense of how it would look.

Subtle contrasts can be very effective. With the white background, I think the fabrics you have would find their own definition, and keep a nice soft look.

My only thought would be for you to check that the blues/purples definitely belong in each group. Looking at the photo there's a few that look like they might work in the other group. Of course, you have them IRL and we may not be seeing the true colour, once photo'd and then viewed on our monitors.

Would you consider using regular cottons instead of batiks as the background? This would give you more flexibility in achieving the contrast and many folks (including me) have mixed regular cottons/batiks with very successful results. In my opinion, the contrast is important for this pattern.

QuiltE--I'm thinking about not using a white or other light color at all. So, it would only be purples and blues--mostly mediums and darks. One color would be the background (white in most people's versions) and the other would be the design fabric.

I am working on constructing a coloring version of this quilt using graph paper to play around a bit with the colors and I may end up with something closer to the pink and green version or one of the other similar ones where the colors are spread either horizontally or diagonally. If I do this, then I have to figure out a background fabric.

This is an very interesting pattern, but in the images I notice MUCH more contrast in the values of the colors than the group you are showing. Your colors are beautiful! But they are more 'graded' than contrasting. :)

Jan in VA