Colors for Astrid

My friend Astrid has asked me to make a quilt for her. She asked for cream with colors. She doesn't like pastels, and she's not too fond of pink.

I visited my favorite quilt shop, Quilted Threads, and looked around. I had to know what was available before I could choose. I think I walked around the whole store three times before I selected any fabric.

First I had to decide whether I wanted to use creams or beiges. I hate beige, so that was a pretty easy decision. I needed six, and these are the ones I selected**:

Next I picked the gorgeous green at the bottom (Robert Kaufman Imperial Collection # 9912). It was positively the most gorgeous green I'd ever seen and this picture doesn't do it justice. Then I picked the big bold print (second from the top), which is from the only design studio I can ever correctly identify, Rowan/Westminster.

After that, my choices were fairly limited. Having set myself up with two big bold prints, I couldn't wimp out with more traditional, "safer" choices. And I didn't want to use batiks, even though I knew I would find the colors I wanted. I didn't think the patterns would be big enough to stand up to the others. The "No Pink" limitation knocked out a lot of possible fabrics, too.

I really liked the gold Asian fabric (Treasures of the East, by Hoffman), and the bluish-green-gold I already had, along with Astrid's desire for bright colors, but no pink, really called out for more dramatic choices.

These were rounded out by two from the "gerta collection by marcia derse for mdd studio" (blue green stripe and purple bull-eyes) and a "Dab of Jazz 7925" (the orangey-salmon). Since Astrid has a cool red sofa, I knew the brilliant warm and cool reds of AndaLucia Moorish by Michael Miller would be perfect as the backing.

So what kind of a quilt am I making? I'm using the Slashed Squares design, which I used to make the Sunshine Quilt for my son (aka Mr Karate), as well as this summer version.


**The creams are (from the top)
"Tile Mosaic" from the Lantern Moon collection by Michael Miller
a Jinny Beyer
the gold swirls is from Timeless Treasures (probably a Holiday fabric. I find you can often get good reds and greens from the Holiday section)
Imperial by Hoffman
Metro Mirage by Marcus (dunno more, incomplete selvage on that one)
Rural Jardin Toile by Moda (I think)

thank goodness for selvages, and yes, I have a big bin full of them calling my name....