Putting it in Neutral

And so it begins

In an earlier post I alluded to the fact that I am planning an all neutral quilt.  I am doing it "in the style of" Gypsy Wife, based on a photo I saw on Pinterest of one done in neutrals.  I can't find the picture now, so if you know whose it was, I'd love to give credit where credit is due.

I am using Judy Hopkins' book 501 Rotary-Cut Quilt Blocks as the basis for my blocks.  I figure surely, out of 501 blocks, I can find enough to fill a quilt.

So the quest has begun.  The first two days in Savannah I sorted through my overflowing neutral bin.

The bin overfloweth

First I separated things into three piles:  light, medium, and dark.  But I felt I was just wrestling with the piles.  So then I decided to separate into sizes:  less than 1-1/2", 1-1/2", 2", 2-1/2", small chunks, and fat quarters. My thinking was I should use the cut bits first.

But most of the time the cut bits were not sufficient to make a whole block.  I did, however, make some headway and got 10 blocks cut and kitted.  After I cut a massive number of 1" HSTs for just a couple of blocks, I remembered the Magic 8 trick (thanks, Gayle, for the reminder).  So this is today's tally (apologies for the wrinkles, threads, and hand-written captions).

Calico Puzzle - 6"

Antique Tile - 6"

Block in a Box - 6"

Churn Dash - 6"

Building Blocks - 5"

My plan is for each block to be different; however, I may change my mind on that as I go along.  I'm also sticking with 4", 5", and 6" sizes.  There will probably be some filler bits along with the vertical stripes.

 I believe I need to look in my stash for more darker neutrals.  I'm trying to stay in the tan family and not go to grays or pastels.  I'm not averse to including some pattern in the print. I suspect this is going to be just as addictive as Jen Kingwell's other pattern, Long Time Gone.  Sheesh, what have I done?

So, what do you think?