Dina

I think it is up to the quilter. When I started asking questions here about fabric selection, I got lots of answers, some contradictory. For example, I was told to never use white or to always include white. I was told not to use a solid fabric. It was suggested by the author of my book to use batiks, which I thought about but didn't do...couldn't find 8 shades of purple. It was suggested not to use large prints. I appreciated all the suggestions I got and all the help. (I had a great deal of trouble arranging my fabric from dark to light.)

Some of the fabrics I chose were small prints. Let me see if I can find a picture of my final selections....as I changed my mind lots of times. What I did when I got close to deciding was cut one inch strips and lay them beside each other to see how I liked them.

I have to admit that I don't know what a gradient is. (I have only been quilting 4 years...still learning lots.) My guess is that it is a fabric that has several shades of one color? If so, I used several of those.

It sounds like a lot of fabric, 20, but the pattern I made only called for 1/4 yard of each and most of mine came from my stash, though I did go buy some fabric. I had a great deal of trouble finding lights, but someone on this board told me not to be afraid to use the back of a fabric. That worked really well for me, as I couldn't find a light purple, lavender, orchid, etc.

Hope this helps. I certainly enjoyed the whole process and I hope you try it and like it too. It is nothing like anything I have done before, though I understand some Trip around the World patterns use a similar technique.

Dina