Saturday, February 06, 2016

How Now Brown ... Snail

4 Snail's Trail BlocksI've been making the snail's trail blocks for my lotto block samplers and thinking about the color brown.

These are the four blocks I made for the scrap-happy graduated sampler.


I used warmer shades of brown because I plan to place these four blocks in the upper right corner of the layout.

Once the blocks were surrounded with some red and orange rectangles cut from my scraps to give me an idea of how it might look, they seem to warm up a little bit more.

Upper Corner With Snails Trails

I've seen a few comments from quilters who don't care for brown or don't have much in their stash. In my scrap quilts, brown often masquerades as yellow, orange or red when I need a "dark" in those colors to make a scrappy block pattern work.  If you look at my scrappy Broken Dishes quilt (still unquilted), you might not see brown ... but it is there–in those red, orange and yellow blocks. 

7 Snails TrailsFor the Old MacDonald's Mystery Sampler, the color cue for the Snail's Trail blocks is "ground cover."

I decided to aim for palette that suggests a southwest landscape–restricted by what I can find in my stash–and made these sandy-sager colored blocks.

These blocks will be spread across the bottom of the quilt.

Information about both samplers can be found on the Block Lotto site on this page:

2016 Quilt-Along

I am joining the linky party for the Rainbow Scraps Challenge Scrap Happy Saturday.


11 comments:

CathieJ said...

I have always liked the snail block though I have yet to make one. Yours are so pretty and those brown blocks definitely look warm with the reds and oranges around them.

gayle said...

I had planned to make Snail's Trail for RSC this year, but hadn't started them. This is a pleasant reminder of how much I like this block!
Seeing the blocks you've made so far for Old MacDonald is convincing me I need to do this mystery... Now where did I put that day stretcher?

The Joyful Quilter said...

Not sure which colorway I like best, but think that I love them BOTH!!!

Needled Mom said...

I just love the Old MacDonald blocks. Those colors are fabulous, but the others are beautiful too.

Sharon said...

It's amazing how surrounding the brown blocks with the reds and oranges really makes them come to life! But I really love the sand and sage colors the best. Your blocks are looking good!

Nell's Quilts said...

You are so right about how easily brown can disguise itself depending on surrounding colour. Great snails trail blocks.

Cathy said...

I need to get my sewing machine back from the shop so I can make some! My old Kenmore just doesn't sew as accurate a seam (or is it me)? I'm going to use greens for my ground cover.

scraphappy said...

Love the ground cover clue. Great blocks.

Anonymous said...

Thanks, I think I get it now. =) Love the mystery block colors the best - I think that was a good choice for me. A good comment on how brown can look like other colors.

PaulaB quilts said...

You are so right about how brown is the dark of many colors and it is enhanced by the Reds around it. The sand and save colors are also part of the Southwest. I like the direction you are taking.

Susan @ Blackberry Creek said...

I love all your snail trail blocks. They're awesome.

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