Grammie Sharon

I've been making 1 inch hexies for a grandmothers flower garden out of the mini charm packs (2"squares) using Civil War and Reproductions ones. I was going to alternate each flower light dark, etc. There seems to be more darks in the packs and my center is all the same. I'm not happy with them. When I put the darks together they seem to look better. (Pic on left compared to right) The fabric they are laying on will be what connects them together. Any suggestions. I am getting frustrated and want to quit but I love doing them.

DOTTYMO

Sorry only one visible try downloading the one with all blacks together.
went back and realised you had put them all in one pic sorry. I miss judged the red in the left pictures light not dark.

I think 3 definitely dark as you have done would look best.

GingerK

I think you are right. There is more continuity and I can see the flower shape better when all the darks are in one flower. The other ones just look random and I don't think they will stand out as much.

I have also been making hexies and have decided to arrange them in alternating rows--one with a border of dark hexies and the next with a border of light. I think it will sort of resemble a log cabin.

Jo Belmont

I love your fabrics, Sharon, and I agree that the all-dark flowers look better against the medium value of the background; that being the reason too, I believe, that the mixed do not have the same pop --- the medium value petals are getting lost against the background. Summarily: Value.

But the romance of the Civil War repros is there and, using each and every one of the fabrics in the collection, I would take this approach: Set all your flowers around the same-color centers as you have done. Mix the darks, lights, mediums on each flower and set them in place. Then, to set them up with high contrast, quilt with a decorative stitch on the outside edge of each "flower" in a very dark brown or even black - perhaps 30-weight thread (size 16 needle, topstitch [sharp], large hole).

Hope some of this helps.

~Jo

DogHouseMom

Since you are going to use the light shirting to alternate each flower ... stick with using all of the light colors in the centers and all the dark colors for the petals. That will highlight each flower.

Depending on what you use together, some of those lights may look like darks for petals. Play each of them against each other and against the shirting background. For example, the flower to the far right and top has a petal on the top right which is a light shirting - it just gets lost against the shirting. That one would definitely be a center. But some of the other "light" petals you have could remain as petals or be centers.

tessagin

Are these all the hexies you're doing? What I mean is are you making more or these are the only ones? Your centers being the same is what will bring the hexies together. If you're scattering them about the quilt top you should still be ok. If you're going to connect them all together, you can but a light one from one group up to a dark from another group. Shouldn't be a problem. I believe they look fine.

Grammie Sharon

thanks for your replys. No tessagin I am still working on more hexies. I only have about 250 done so far. Lots more to go. I think I will just continue making them and then play with putting them together.

QuiltnNan

i agree with the others, all darks as the petals.

luvspaper

Personally I think your issue is more your connecting pieces and that they are patterned. The value is an issue but the pattern is too. I've only done one GFG and I used a white on white as connectors. My Elongated Hexagons that I am working on now has connectors that are blue chambray. Neither are quite solid, but neither have popping patterns either.

Just my opinion. If you want to keep that connecting pattern fabric, then I would keep darks on the outside petals.

(and yes, it is hard to find a good connecting pattern fabric)

ManiacQuilter2

I might try something lighter for the background like what you used for the center.