Hands2Help update - fabrics!

Time for a little update (a few days late from the Sunday update on Sarah's website, but that's how it will be for at least another couple of weeks!)
I got a packet of fabrics last week from my swap partner - 8 coordinating FQs with a theme that reminds me of my roots (ah, the Great Northwest!)

(Okay, not entirely - we don't have moose in Oregon. But just a minor detail...those fishing creels bring back memories...)

I've already learned something about myself from this Challenge - that is how much my own color palette has changed over the past 20 years or so. The first quilt I ever made (only quilt I made for a long long time) was exactly this set of colors. But that was in 1990 -92 or something like that. Now, as I looked through my stash to add to these for a quilt, I find it is full of much brighter colors. In fact, I realized that it's true - when I need something more muted or neutral I often need to go look at the fabric store. But I did find several pieces in my stash that I think will complement these - and for this particular project I think mixing in some brights will be a nice balance for a cheery children's quilt.  At least I think so...we'll see as I move into cutting what will stay and what will go...

My swap partner Brenda suggested solids may be a nice addition, and that's where I started...then I found some additional complementary small prints and some scraps of this little woodland print I used as part of my Fat Geese quilt top (those owls are my favorite - so cute I used them in my Valentine's day pillow too, hehe)

Scatter them all together and I like where this is going. The solids really pull out the color from the FQs my partner sent.  

( as an aside to this self-discovery - I hope my fabrics didn't send my swap partner into a diabetic bright fabric-induced coma! I wish now that I'd taken a picture before I sent them off.  I took votes around the house and everyone here voted for the brighter set rather than the more sedate blues and greens alternative set - but they've become brainwashed by my chronic color saturated choices I think!)

For the quilt, I'm thinking of using this Plus Quilt pattern (free download - nice pattern!!) 

The smaller size version is close to the H2H size requested and it calls for 18 FQs which is about what I have assembled - though I think there will be a lot of scraps leftover, those can be used in the back if I feel in the mood for a pieced backing (which is usually)

Of course, I won't be able to get much cutting done for about 2 weeks due to various circumstances: 1) my craft table serves as our second Easter Sunday dinner table, so I have to reassemble my craft corner to be ready for regular operations. 2) we have our totally awesome annual Parish Retreat (at Bishop's Ranch in Sonoma County...bee-oooautiful!) this weekend, and 3) I have one more business trip the following week... but after that I am home for awhile and will be taking some extra time off around Memorial Day weekend to recharge and catch up!

So TTFN!

Linked to Sara's Whoop Whoop!