Lois I agree with Marilyn, I think a dark sashing will bring it all together. Either a darker green or a dark purple. I think you will be surprised at how good this quilt looks when you are finished it.

Lois, I noticed that you made 8 blocks with the quarter squares, what if you just took away the ones with pale pink? Their contrast isn't as strong as the other blocks. And, I agree that it would be good to add that print somewhere else? Good job. I'm also learning about colours. I think it's a big topic!

What a great idea, Marilyn!

I don't think they're so bad!...they just need a spark !! Hard to tell on the screen but I'm thinking
a dark sash...like the dark in the backround floral print ...might pop the blocks and the floral in a
wider border would bring it all together. Would love to see a photo mock-up.... lots of ways to go!

Lois,
There is something very attractive about the mutedness of your color choices. I suspect you're going to like your piece better when it is quilted and done. One thing that struck me personally was that the center square fabric of the sawtooth block might make a lovely border and could pull it all together. I also thought that perhaps, a lighter, brighter shade of your background fabric might set off the blocks very nicely when you consider the fabric for the sashing. I, for one, look forward to seeing how you go about it. I'm willing to bet that the challenge this quilt presents you with in terms of fabrics will become the reason you will really love your quilt in the end (and yes, you will remember all the whining you did along the way as part of the story of how this quilt came about with a smile).

From what I see on my screen you have yellow & purple - complimentary colours should work; and red & green - also complimentary colours, also should work. However the green is a greyish olive green and I think that that is pulling the colours to their greyer shades and making the combinations 'sad'. Also it is reading as medium light through to medium dark in value - could that be part of the problem?

How to fix it, I really don't know, would adding clean pure colours work? or adding in the last 2 complimentary colours (blue & orange)- not sure about that....going paler? going darker? both? Lots of fabric auditioning and taking photos as you go is probably your best bet.

If all else fails, I am still willing to stump up for you to get that bucket of black dye or just go with Nancy's advice

loise98 wrote:
and out of it comes a quilt which to me looks wonderful . Don't give up, you might like it at the end

Lois - I LOVE them!! I think the fabric in the middle of the stars brings all of the colors together (although I love the colors without that, too). Maybe if you add more of that you will love them better? I truly love them as they are!! Maybe you will also love them better after you finish and get a chance to step back. I find that when I'm pushing the color envelope and I'm nervous about the colors to begin with, that I find myself second guessing everything and hating the blocks while I make them. But, once I put them together and step back, I fall in love again. Take a step back, take a deep breath, get a cup of coffee and let yourself enjoy the blocks. If, in the end, you still really don't like the blocks or the quilt, that's okay. As you say, the fabric really wants to be used. (And they would find a very happy home here in Colorado with me!!)

Nancy

Here are my blocks as they are now. "I don't like them!" Whine. Whine. Whine. But actually that's okay. Why have I left beautiful fabrics on my shelves for years? Because I was afraid I would turn them into something I don't like. I was afraid of ruining beautiful fabric. Well, the truth of the matter is that I really want to make quilts more than i want to collect fabric so I have to take a chance on making something that doesn't turn out as well as I like. I also get bored limiting myself to fabrics that were designed to go together. I don't like these blocks real well but you know its not the end of the world. Wendy is right I can improve the situation by adding something new to the mix. That is my intention today.

I am doing 6" too - and I find them small enough; not much room for error. My head is not up to the math that is needed to change the size. I have to put stick-it-notes on my ruler to remember to cut the right size and that is when it is given to me in a pattern. As there seems to be tools for anything under the sun when it comes to quilting do you have a tool to help you?
Marianne

All my squares are 6 1/2" Wendy. Any smaller than that and I would probably eat them first.

O lois, those fabrics did look good on the line together so you probably just haven't added the one that's going to make them work.
PosyP wrote:
yes my cutting is off but I decided to do 4 1/2 inch squares. Well if you can do 1/4 or 1/12 I reckoned I could manage that (except the maths )

So what size is everyone else doing?

This is going to take a photo. I took one this afternoon but I am not home right now and I don't have my camera with me. The background fabric is just a bit much. It is absolutely becoming YUK in my book. I definitely will not use it for the joining strips. I went ahead and drafted some of Nancy's setting blocks. They will give me the opportunity add new color which will delute the Influence of the background colo. Hopefully, that will improve the situation. It can't get worse! Tomorrow I will post the picture. I am just like the quilter Ricky mimics, first I dilly dally with decisions, and then, after I get going I say, "I don't like it!" Whine. Whine. Whine! LOL

Lois, thank you for the laugh though I am sure you wouldn't appreciate how hard I laughed.