What a great thread!
I stay away from tiny hexagons that have to be hand connected (EPP?). Also anything with repeating spikey points like New York Beauty style. To me it's no beauty. And I stay away from machine embroidery like the plague. I just don't care for the look of it, especially on quilts. I do love beautiful hand embroidery tho, and I'm working on a state birds and flowers quilt now, from old Aunt Martha transfers.
Love the colors in Kaffe and Tula fabrcs, but they are hard to work with because they are mostly all "mediums" in value. All mediums offers no contrast, unless you contrast them with solid black (or white). Kaffe has come out with some pastels now, which you can use for contrast with his brights.