This was my initial layout plan for Block 9 of the Layer Cake Quilt Along.
As you can see, there was not enough contrast between the coral prints to make the layout work.
You can see how I arrived at my fabric selections for this block in my previous cake post here.

I switched the coral bricks out for green ones. This layout still doesn’t work – the illusion of the corners folding in doesn’t work because the yellow is too strong.

I decided to go with layout number 4 instead! I’m happy with it and like the shoo-fly that reveals itself in the coral print, and the turquoise square.

Layout 1 didn’t work out for my Christmas fat quarter block either. Instead I ended up with layout option 2. The green ovals is my background print. It only works because it is a smaller scale than the black print with the large ornaments. If I had had more green solid left I might have been able to achieve layout 1.

Can you tell I really liked layout 1?! You can see some great examples of it at the Layer Cake Quilt Along flickr pool.

With Joy,
Sarah Vee