carol45

My modern quilt guild does something they call a Bee. Each Bee group has six members, and the Bee lasts for 6 months. Each month one of the members is the queen bee. That person can specify 2 blocks that she and everyone else in the group will make during that month. It can be very specific or very general. At the end of the month the queen bee will have 12 blocks to make a quilt from. In my Bee we were doing very large blocks, 18". I had the bright idea to have everyone applique a ring in a fall color on a blue background. I specified some limiting dimensions. I thought it would look cute, and I would add rings of my own after to have them all looping together to make probably a child's twin size quilt. Now that I have them back, they look so drab on my design wall, I can't think of anything I'd like to do with them. I'd love some suggestions. I think there's a problem with the overall colors. What color could be added to enliven it? What else can be added to make it fun looking? Or should I assign it to the pile of things that just never worked?
Thanks!

ManiacQuilter2

Add some solid circles??
https://www.google.com/search?q=quil...d5TuGEFTlzM%3A

bearisgray

A lot of interpretations of fall colors on blue backgrounds - - -

JustAbitCrazy

Green sashings, or multicolored fall colors for sashings.

PaperPrincess

I think I would cut the blocks into quarters & rearrange. To see if this drastic idea is something you'd like to try, print off your photo, cut it up and see what you get!

dunster

I think once it is sewn together - just as it is - add some fancy quilting - and it will become an interesting modern quilt.

charlottequilts

I think the problem lies with the backgrounds. If you cut the blocks as Paper Princess suggested and reassembled them with a narrow, dotted sashing that would make some of the paler backgrounds bluer? Not sure what color would work, since they may be different in person, but black with small white dots could work. It's knd of out there, I know. I'd audition colors until I hit it.

hugs,
Charlotte

MadQuilter

I like PaperPrincess' idea a lot. It would give you 8 smaller blocks with the intense blue background to disperse. Right now, they look a bit overpowering. I would look for a modern print in fall colors (something that has some green in it). The corner stones could be the same colors as in the rings. Then when it is sashed and assembled, you evaluate if it calls for full circled to be appliqued (or inset) throughout. It will be a wonderful modern quilt and creatively yours.

Judith1005

I think the color green needs to be added. Not a forest green. Maybe something primary or bright. I think this could be a really fun quilt.

Kassaundra

At first I liked the idea of cutting them and rearranging, but so many are so offset if you did that you would have to reduce the size of the squares to a common low denominator that would allow for cutting the circles and getting enough of the circle in each quarter.

If you don't cut them apart I would put the darkest square in one corner and "ombre" the rest so the lightest is in the opposite corner. If I were adding another color I would go w/ white since you are wanting it modern. (or mimic the "ombre" effect in the sashing w/ more blues) On my screen it doesn't read autumn.