learning curve

So, I made a few more blocks yesterday. Pretty blocks, too. (sorry about the poor photo)

  I followed my usual method for choosing colours - select a pretty print, add several co-ordinating plains, maybe a second print. But when I put them beside the three completed blocks, they just Didn't Go Together.

Lesson: a collection of blocks, however gorgeous, do not necessarily make a harmonious whole.
I had obviously strayed from my original plan of a colourwash effect across the whole quilt.

Back to the design board. I cut small squares of six basic rainbow pastels - purple, blue, green, yellow, orange and pink, and pinned them on the board. Then I added 2 smaller squares of analogous (related) colours to each one.

After a bit tweaking, they looked like this.

Next, I scanned a crazy block outline into the computer, and made 12 copies. Using a basic photoshop-type program, I coloured each block to (sort of) match the fabric squares.Then I pasted the blocks together in Publisher, and printed them.

 This will now serve as a guide for making a whole new set of blocks.

What of the blocks I've already completed, you ask? All those weeks of work? Sadly not all of them may be used in the quilt - the last one, with the sheep, will probably fit in. Don't know about the other two at this stage, but they won't be wasted; I'll mount them as individual pieces, and doubtless someone will like them for a birthday present.

C'est la vie.