Sunday, August 19, 2012

"Joy" + Kona .... advice please!

Hello friends.  If you read my post the other day you know that I'm a bit swamped with Christmas fabric!  Well, after considering lots of options (and being inspired by Toni's idea!) I have decided to use the FQ bundle of Kate Spain's new "Joy" fabric to make a Sparkle Punch quilt, designed by Elizabeth Hartman of the Oh, Fransson! blog.

Here's what it looks like - I have a FQ of each of these prints:


The Sparkle Punch design needs a background colour of course, and I'm having a really tough time deciding.  I'm a little averse to white in general - I find it a bit too stark and let's face it, I live with boys!!  So I was considering some of the grays that Kona has - even a dark one like Coal - but I'm just not sure.  And there doesn't seem to be a gray lighter than Ash.  Nothing has 100% grabbed me yet.  I searched around online a bit to see what's been done with this fabric, and since it's still very new there are not very many examples yet however the few I have seen all use a white background.  See here, here, here.  It's growing on me....a bit.

I worry that since many of the prints have a white background as it is, that they'll get lost in a general white background on the quilt, but looking at the examples I linked above, it doesn't seem to be the case.  

So, what do you think???  I'd appreciate any advice!!

P.S.  Here's a small bit of what I have cut so far, and that ruler you can see underneath???  It's a 6" x 24" that I just bought yesterday!  Can you believe I've never had one?  I'm one who tends to 'make do' (I used a 6" x 16" cutting mat until just a few months ago.....) but can I say, I LOVE this ruler!  SO much easier than what I was doing before, which I won't even go into...


16 comments:

felicity said...

I graduated to an 8½"x24" ruler and it's even better! Just sayin'!

I don't think the light-background prints would get lost on white, but I hear you about its lack of practicality. I love Coal - it's not too dark but it's dark enough to make brights pop. I used it on my crane star pillow, as a reference.

Have fun and good luck!

✾Jamie Lee Cooley✾ said...

I have the same ruler. I've actually had three because my kids have stepped on them before. Ouch!

I think Joann's carries a gray called medium gray but I'm not 100% sure. I like all the Kona grays and think it would really set off the fabrics. Good luck!

Jan said...

I really like the idea of coal. How about aqua, I think it might work.

Suz J said...

There is that block in the quilt picture link that has different points/central square (the one with the deer??) - for the really light backgrounds you could have a light square, then used one of the darker prints for the points. I have a 6x12 ruler and a 15 1/2 x 15 1/2 ruler - works for all situations.

Jenelle said...

What about an aqua or a green, just a couple of shades lighter than the predominate aqua or green in the collection? Gray would also work well I think. Probably a very dark or a very light grey would work best because of the medium shades of most of the prints. Coal sounds pretty good (and has a season appropriate name too!). :)

Kate said...

Keeping in mind that I am not at all a grey person... I would match the pink or the lightest green in the light strand prints. I used green/red in my Joy quilt and I think it would blend too much in a Sparkle Punch....as would white. I suppose a grey would work - there's grey in the light strands, after all. But a light one, not a dark one.

Patti said...

Well...I just happen to have a brand spankin new Kona colour card! So, let me see...there is a nice new grey called iron, which is somewhere between medium grey and ash.Steel is also a new colour, just a little lighter than coal.

Debbie said...

Me, I'd probably do white, but then I like the look. And the ruler - that's my fav & life would certainly be rougher w/o it! And I adore my 24x36 mat! Might as well confess while I'm at it that I also have the largest Olfa cutter with the squeeze handle - awesome.

Chelsea said...

How about brown?

Obviously kidding! My first choice would be white since I'm unhealthily obsessed and know at some point I'll make an all white quilt - not whole cloth, pieced, but all out of white. I do love the idea if playing with aquas, too. Mint would be pretty, and I think close to the pale blue in the prints. Or go darker teal like everglade or jade.

Susan said...

Personally I love white! But if you can't live with it I'd go Kona Ash or maybe a light teal! Good luck with your decision!

Cheryl said...

I had the same problem finding a gray so my daughter's quilt. I actually wound up using the gray dot from the Ruby line from Bonnie and Camille. It was the right color and the dots are so small they add a little texture but read as a solid.

Lucy | Charm About You said...

I'm with you but find I'm using more and more white (mostly in quilts I'm giving away!!) - how about a black and white dot?? Ash would be nice too, I think coal is too dark.

Katie B said...

Wow, that's a tough choices, I think a lighter gray would be really nice, but I'd probably go with white.

Sew Festive said...

I'd use a pin dot fabric. Maybe the super light aqua color from Ruby? Or buy more of the white-on-white snowflake print from the line and use that? I also like the idea of a really dark green, and think it could look super striking.

Anonymous said...

I would probably use Kona Snow. It tones down the quilt so it doesn't look so stark white.

Heidi Grohs said...

I was going to add...pin dot fabric. I am using one for corners on my Christmas quilt and I love it. Or use a tone on tone. Even just a swirl white on white?

I think Grays or not, but for some reason I am not seeing it.

But if I am late in the game on this? IGNORE ME!!!!!