I can't see things in my mind like I know lots of other people can. I need to see them on paper, on the computer screen, or in real life to get an idea how they will look. (Which is an awful detriment to a quilter.)
No electronic quilter here in my home so I pulled out my graph paper and colored pencils. I thought seeing the pattern that evolves with a group of blocks together in the colors I'm thinking of using might help me decide whether to proceed or reconsider. Do you find that seeing your photos on a blog gives you a more objective view? It seems so for me.
The four photos below are all snowball & 9-patch blocks. The only difference among them is the color placement.
Version 1: I like the red pattern the evolves with this placement.
Version 2: In this view, the green is placed where the red is in the above pattern. But the green pattern doesn't seem as strong to me. The reds seem dominant to me in this pattern.
Version 3: I think this variation accentuates the snowballs and 9-patches as separate blocks. I see a strong diagonal pattern created by the reds in the 9-patches.
Version 4: The placement of colors is exactly the reverse of the colors in the photo above. I think I should see a strong diagonal created by the green 9-patches but, instead, I see a double row of red diagonals created by the 9-patches and corners on the snowballs. These last two versions seem really choppy to me.
What did you notice about these? Do red and green together drive you crazy? They are on opposite sides of the color wheel.
If I proceed with this I'll use a variety of red and green fabrics. Most of my greens are not as bright as in the photos above. Some of my reds are as bright, brighter, and more muted.
I tried a 2-color quilt before and got bored with it really quickly. It's still unfinished. But I was using only 2 fabrics, not a variety of fabrics. Or should I reconsider and use 3 colors - maybe red, green, and a natural. Or should I use many colors? Hmmmm. (I am tired of white/off-white/cream just now.)
Such fun! (But I'd really like to be sewing instead of musing.)
Linking to Let's Get Acquainted Monday, hosted this week at Sewing by Moonlight. Thanks, Em.
--Nancy.
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I also use graph paper and colored pencils to try out patterns. I'm surprised at the differences in the looks of these different variations. My favorite is the very first one.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting how dominant the red is in all those variations, however much you put in, a little or a lot, it pops up the most in the pattern. It's pretty dramatic in those drawings.
ReplyDeleteYes, that surprised me to see how the red pops, wipgirl. I wonder how different any of the patterns will look in fabric and with variations of red and green. Thanks for visiting and leaving a comment.
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