A Process Post: Contrast

Contrary to the serious sounding title, this is the one where I make fun of myself a little bit.

We all know that contrast is really important in choosing fabrics, colors, everything for a quilt, right?
My problem is that sometimes I get so fired up on an idea that I don’t really audition before I plunge right in.

I am working on the last border of my Marcelle Medallion quilt, the little cross blocks. My plan is to make half the background dark, using scraps of navy and dark gray and blue, and half light, using just the peach crosshatch. The crosses would be somewhere in between and “float” in the middle.

I had a series of bad breaks and miscalculations. See photo above.
Let’s examine, shall we?
the one on the left: too much pattern in both the dark background and the cross fabrics as well as similar values so neither one stands out.
middle: the gold in the cross blends in too much with the peach, although it is not horrible. Just not the look I want.
right: getting better. just not enough value difference between the background and the multi-colored cross.

Now hold on, though! that one on the right can actually work when placed with others that have really good contrast, behold:

This kind of shows that it’s okay to have a so-so block with good blocks and they all work together.
Do you know what else I discovered?
These blocks would make a FABULOUS quilt all by themselves…

I see some ideas brewing here…..better get that Marcelle finished.

my boys started school last week. don’t they look cute and so grown up.
Now, this is an example of very poor contrast.

Hope you are smiling,

Sharon
**p.s. I had a super sweet comment from Letha about my fan quilt-along but she is a no-reply blogger and I feel terrible that I cannot respond to her comment. Letha, if you are reading this, thank you so much! and I would love to see your fan quilt.

linking with Lee and Julie