Taking a Look at Little Nine-Patches

Thank you to all you dear readers who left comments on my last post about the little plaid baskets and sashing possibilities for them.  Using light sashing, as suggested by several quilters, would never have come into my mind, but the idea is growing on me.  One of the reasons I love blogging is the collective knowledge and ideas that you/we share.  I ask questions here that are often sharing my thoughts in words--thinking out loud, so to speak--and I'm grateful to readers who answer the questions with ideas of their own.  I especially liked part of Janet's comment in which she wrote,

when I "think out loud" on my blog about things I'm not yet sure I've settled, I sometimes get input from someone that I had never considered.  And sometimes I like it better than what I had in mind.

I find that to be true, too.  So thank you, dear readers, for sharing, always!

I guess "Taking a Look at" may become a short series about in-progress quilts that are almost ready to become tops as I try to make decisions about layout, setting, colors, etc.  This week I'm looking at the little 3" 9-patch blocks I have been making over the past year or so.  My intent with these was to use autumn-ish colors, and I have, but I'm not sure how autumn-like they seem.  I have 114 finished with a few more in progress and pieces already cut to make more.  I'm guessing they may become a child-size quilt. 

In the photo above I'm considering fabric for the alternate blocks as well as whether to place them straight set or on point.  Below are individual photos, going from lightest background to darkest.

What I notice most is that the straight set blocks draw my eye diagonally across the quilt, and the on-point blocks draw my eyes horizontally and vertically.  The other thing I notice is that the colors stand out more on the light and medium backgrounds and the lights stand out more on the darker background.  I'm leaning toward straight set in which the diagonals to stand out but I'm undecided about color of the alternate blocks.  The squares will finish at 1", so they won't be very big.  More of the background will show than any of the little squares.

The other thing I notice about these blocks is how very scrappy they are.  Some of the blocks have a different color/fabric for every square!  Too scrappy?

If you have thoughts about these blocks, layouts, colors, or anything else, I would be pleased to read them.

That's it from me today.  Oh, just one more thing.  Have you seen Gladi Porsche's Maple Leaf Rag?  She really knows how to do autumn colors!  It's gorgeous and positively glows!

I'm linking to
  > To-Do Tuesday at Quilt Schmilt
  > Finished (or not ) Friday at Alycia's Quilts
Thanks for hosting, ladies.

--Nancy.