Use It Up and 25-Patch Blocks

Edited to add: Commenting is open on this post now. Somehow the comments were turned off. So sorry because I love hearing from you, dear readers.

You know the phrase about money burning a hole in someone's pocket?  Money doesn't do that to my pocket but it seems fabric burns a hole in my... well, not my pocket, exactly.  Maybe my shelf, so to speak.  For the past few years, along about January, some group of fabric comes to mind that's been around too long and I decide I want to use it up.  (If you look at the stack, below, you'll realize that I might not be able to use up all that fabric in one quilt.)   

This year, a stack of black and grey plaids from shirts were burning a hole on my shelf.  I bought these years ago before I knew what shirts would work for quilting fabric.  The fabric is fine but I wasn't sure about putting the plaids together--the plaids themselves, the variety of plaids, and the shades.  But hey, they needed to be used up in a quilt or quilts.

Then there was the search for a pattern.  Plaids sometimes don't play well together and can overwhelm a quilt.  When I saw this pattern, Friendship House, at Shopgirl Quilts, my first thought was, Oh, I can use those plaids in place of sewing all the little squares together.  Of course I neglected to consider the size difference between the squares in the quilt pattern and the tiny squares in my plaids.  I chose red and tan for the alternate blocks and sewed a few.

Needless to say, the result was underwhelming if not downright awful.  Now I have four red and tan blocks to begin another quilt.  Maybe alternate blocks, either applique or pieced, will work.

Back to considering more options for the grey plaids.  Maybe a 16-patch block?  Or a 25-patch block?  With fabrics in the deep coral range?  I hemmed and hawed, indecisive.  I thought the colors would be fine together but I wasn't sure about the plaids together.  Except I knew I didn't have enough of any one plaid for a whole quilt.  So I made a few 25-patch blocks (because I decided I like the symmetry of them and they would be more versatile).
When I look at photos of old quilts online or in books, I admire the ones with exquisite, perfect applique or piecing, but the ones that touch my heart are the ones that look like the quilter scrimped and saved pieces of fabric, used what she had, and created something charming (even if not beautiful) to keep someone in her family warm during the winter.  Looking at the first three 25-patch blocks, they gave me that impression. 

I made some more and put them on the wall.  (And took a poor photo that shows inaccurate colors because it's been greyer than grey and rainy all day....)  I don't think the blocks work side-by-side.  I think they need sashing.

When I saw them at night, my heart sank.  They looked so dark and dull.  But I finished the ones that were in progress and took a look this morning.  Maybe the plaids will be okay together.  Maybe the mix of corals will be okay.  Maybe.... What do you think?

Then I tried a possible layout.

I think the blocks definitely need sashing, either pieced as above, or one piece.  Not black, though.  Maybe solid grey?  Or tan?  Or. . .?

Here are a few more blocks with different plaids.
I'd love to hear your thoughts about the combination of plaids and the coral colors, layout, sashing fabric/color, etc.

We had grey skies and drenching rain today.  Can you see the puddles of water in the lower left of the photo and in the driveway?  It was wonderful--a great day for a nap, an old movie, or a good book.   I sewed and took photos.  We have a flood warning tonight.  I wish I could send some of our rain to Utah and other states recovering from drought.

I also wish it had rained last night.  I love sleeping with a hard rain hammering the roof.

I'm linking this post to
> Finished or not Friday at Alycia Quilts
> Peacock Party at Wendy's Quilts and More
> Oh Scrap! at Quilting is more fun than Housework
> Design Wall Monday at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts
Thank you for hosting, ladies.

Wishing you all the best!
--Nancy.