Choosing Fabrics

Choices can be tough.

I mean even back when I was a wee tot, colouring in the old colouring book, I always seemed to have trouble choosing the right combination of Crayolas to make the page turn out as I had pictured it in my mind.

I quite often feel this way.  Still.

Now when it comes to the art of quilting, it isn't just all about colour.

Learning about how different fabrics work together can take time.

Print, contrast, saturation, hue, neutrals, and low volume are all terms commonly used to describe different fabrics and quilting styles.

I have been doing my homework, researching these terms and viewing all the beautiful and creative works out there in blogland.

One of my early quilts was made using the Oink A Doodle Moo fabric line by Jenn Ski for Moda.

Those oinks and moos must have come in two by twos because I am still using that fabric today!

Anyhow..... I found another cute print in a neutral background and thought this would go great with the Oink.

Here was the first block I made... 

I showed it to my son, Russell, and he hit the nail on the head with his response, when he said, "There's just too much going on."

I remember that I was actually quite shocked at the time.

What went wrong?

I thought both of these fabrics would work well together.

They both were farm themed.

One had bright colours and the other had a nice neutral background.

This second block shows the same block on a plain white background.

It is soothing.  Your eye can rest.

It allows you to see the symmetry in the block.

And it calms your urge to run away after seeing the first block!

That was lesson number one for me.
Too much going on in a block, for me, is like too much clutter in a room.  Clutter makes me feel panicky.  When faced with a room that is over crowded with stuff,  I tend to turn around in a circle, perhaps seeking a place of calm or a place to rest my eye and get a chance to think what to do first.  But always my instinct is to get away!

Here is how the quilt turned out in the end.  A quilt that is calming in design and balanced in choice of prints.  Even the colours, with the cool green and blue tones, exude a tranquil feeling.  Awww!  That's better!

Linking up with Jessica's Sewing With Certainty Series at Quilty Habit.
Why don't you come on along and join me there?
See what others have to say about choosing fabrics!

You never know what you may learn!

Keep On Quilting On!