Unifying a Scrap Quilt, Or at Least Making it Cohesive

My self-imposed challenge was--is--to use a group of black and grey plaid fabrics from shirts and a group of fabrics in the coral color-range to create a quilt.  The point is to use up those plaids!  I made a quilt using black plaids a year ago and learned that the plaids blend to grey when viewed from a distance.  (Yes, this quilt is using more of the same plaids from that quilt!)

On the other hand, I learned from this quilt that while the black plaid fabrics may look grey, their value also varies depending on the proportion of black and light in the plaid.  And also possibly depending on the direction of the plaid.  Plaids are so variable!

Add to the above the variations in the eight or so coral fabrics I used--varying from prints that look light to solids and prints that are brights and darks--and I have a busy mess of blocks.  But it's a scrap quilt, I tell myself....

Each block has 13 plaid and 12 coral squares.  My decision to make the plaid dominant was based on the fact that I had more plaids than coral fabrics.  I still have plaids left but not much coral fabric.

I am to the point of auditioning sashing.  In my original post about these blocks you readers left some wonderful comments.   Several of you suggested no sashing.  In person, all the plaids jumble my eyes which makes me think they need some space between.  So I'm choosing to use sashing.  Several of you suggested that if I were going to use sashing that black might be too dark/stark.  I had the same impression. 

I auditioned several grey shirt fabrics, none of which have enough fabric to make sashing for the whole quilt.   The greys seem to disappear.  After trying out several greys, I decided black might be the best option after all.  (See photos below and at the beginning of this post.)  I think the black or very dark grey sashing will give the quilt some unity, continuity, and structure and help it look cohesive.

The other thing about this quilt is that I'm trying to use up fabric, not buy more fabric, which means I'm hoping to use what I have, though I admit to stopping at the thrift store this afternoon....

This brings me to the next decision about this quilt, and that is whether to put coral squares at both ends of the black/dark grey sashing.  I like that it will create a secondary pattern across the quilt--a 9-patch in the center of the black sashing.  

At least that's what I think will happen.  I've cut and laid out only a few strips of black sashing.  I think the sashing will also give the eye a place to rest.

Another consideration is fabric for the squares at the ends of each black sashing piece.  Coral, I think, and  all the same fabric, if possible, for continuity's sake.  The fabrics below are possibilities, shown with with pieces of the fabrics I used to make the blocks.

The fabric on the left has less than enough for the squares, but I think it looks best of the ones I have.  The fabric on the right seems too dark, maybe a little too red/orange, and blends into the plaids.  (See top photo, center square.)  I'll cut black strips, then lay out the quilt and play a little.  

It does occur to me that I could choose a completely different color range for the sashing strips and squares but I don't know what color that would be....

Do you have any insights to share about how to unify scrap quilts to make them look cohesive?  Thank you if you do.

In the whole of human experience--even in the whole of my own personal experience of 70+ years--choosing fabrics and colors for a quilt is a tiny, brief fragment of life.  Insignificant, really, and probably not worth all the time and thought I put into it.  And yet, I'm continually striving for improvement--being better, doing better, making better--each next time an interaction or experience comes my way.  That being said, I have to remind myself that each quilt I make does not have to be better than the last.  And thank goodness for that!  (But even so, I unconsciously set that as one of my goals when making a quilt.)

I thought this Cara Cara orange was so beautiful that I should share it.  Citrus fruit isn't a favorite but I do love the smell and beauty of oranges. 

I'm linking this post to
> Oh Scrap! at Quilting is more fun than Housework
> Design Wall Monday at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts
Thanks for hosting, ladies.

I hope you are well and thanks for sharing comments!
--Nancy.

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.