Some of these I bought at fabric stores, some were given to me, some are from clothing, some I have no idea how I came to have them. But I like every one of these fabrics. Since they all have roses on them, I've set myself the challenge to use them--some, many, all?-- in a quilt. Obviously, it will be a mostly low-volume quilt, but if I use the reds and fabrics with a dark background, there will be pops of color, too.
The challenge of using these fabrics together, for me, is that I have a condition called aphantasia, which means I have no mind's eye. I'm unable to visualize the possibilities, the quilt blocks, the arrangement of blocks, or how the fabrics and colors will be used. I will be able to see them only after I've created them. Essentially, when I make something I can see it, and then I can remember it, but I still can't see it in my mind. It's an interesting challenge for someone who's trying create quilts.
I know this quilt will be a calm quilt because so many of the fabrics are light, but I don't know how those fabrics will evolve into quilt blocks. At first I thought just squares and strips to make 9" blocks, but then thought a variety of blocks might make it more interesting. Some block possibilities include Ohio Star, Economy, 9-patch, Snowball, Hourglass, Flying Geese, Dresden Plate, Sawtooth Star, and Quarter Cabin blocks. Maybe not all of those blocks or maybe other blocks too or instead.
For sizes I thought perhaps I could base the blocks on a 9" square which could include 1", 1½", 3", 6", 4½", and 9" blocks or strips of those sizes, in various combinations.
Some of the fabrics have larger prints that I'd rather not cut those into small pieces that would make the roses unrecognizable, especially since there are plenty of fabrics that do have small prints that could be cut into small pieces and the roses wouldn't be lost.
I decided to group like colors together and photograph them. Perhaps some will be eliminated.
The lights.
The darks: browns, greys, tans.
The reds and darker pinks.
The pinks.
The greens.
The blues.
The peaches.
The pinks in solids, stripes, or plaid.
And all the fabrics together, again.
Past experience tells me that many of these fabrics can work together, but I just can't envision how a quilt with these will look--blocks, color placement, etc. I guess there's lots of play in the near future for me! If you have thoughts to share about making a quilt from these fabrics, I'd love read them.
I'm linking this post to
> Finished (or not) Friday at Alycia Quilts
> Peacock Party at Wendy's Quilts and More
> Oh Scrap! at Quilting is more fun than Housework
> Monday Musings at Songbird Designs
Thanks so much for visiting.
--Nancy.
What a fascinating and delightful challenge you have set for yourself. My first thought is to create a sampler quilt. Select blocks with a center square, either on point or not. Think Ohio Star and Churn Dash. Then feature your large print favorites in the center. Next use settings and corner stones to surround the blocks. This can be done with the non-rose fabrics to calm the many patterns. You might start with a table runner. If that looks good then go on to make bed sized quilts. Most important - have fun and don't worry about the outcome.
ReplyDeleteSuch great ideas and suggestions for possibilities of blocks, Gwyned. Thanks so much. I thought I would be playing with these fabrics this week but am sewing blocks together for another quilt. Next week I'll play, I think!
DeleteWhat a lovely collection of roses, and such a fun and beautiful quilt you have begun to plan. I love rose fabric too, it's why I bought that awful eBay Fail quilt. And low volume is so sweet and cozy.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know there was such a thing as inability to generate a mental image. Amazing that you make such lovely and diverse quilts anyway.
I thought the envisioning process was a learned skill. In my first job after college, the head designer where I worked rather mentored me and she constantly coached me about mind's eye skills. Perhaps it was also an in born talent?
love
lizzy
Thanks, Lizzy. We'll see where these rose fabrics go when I get to play, hopefully next week. (Postponed from this week because I'm sewing another top together.)
DeleteI don't recall that I've ever had the ability to see things in my mind. It could be an inborn talent, for sure. From what I've read, people are born with aphantasia, though occasionally trauma may bring it about. Our brains are so interesting -- and so different from one person to another.
It's difficult to say without knowing how much of each fabric you have on hand. Do you want to use all the colorways in one quilt? I think you might want to add a plain fabric to both provide some contrast to all the florals and tie them together, perhaps a slate gray as a setting fabric for a series of square floral blocks of different sizes in a pavement type pattern. Simple but effective. Lots of options here, have fun!
ReplyDeleteThat's true, Pat. Some of the fabrics I have are really small pieces, and others are yardage. I don't think it will work well to use all the colors. I already pulled out the purples, but I may need to eliminate one or two other colors. I was thinking primarily light background fabrics and pinks to roses to possibly reds. I haven't been able to play this week but hope I can begin next week. I really should just pull out some graph paper and play that way to begin with.
DeleteThanks for sharing your thoughts, suggestions, and encouragement.
The rose fabrics are so pretty and diverse. I love low volume quilts. Perhaps your could use the lighter fabrics in a design with the darker fabrics as a middle, like a wagon wheel or Dresden plate quilt. I had never heard of Aphantasia. I was explaining it to my daughter Tina and she said she is unable to visualize a finished product. She crochets a lot and said she can follow a pattern perfectly but could never come up with her own design because she can't imagine it in her mind. I would have never guessed that visualizing is difficult for your because you create such pretty and amazing quilts.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the suggestions, Robin. I had thought about a Dresden plate block.... I haven't had time to play yet, and I need to pull out some paper and jot some ideas and drawings, then pull out the fabric and play.
DeleteThank you for the compliment about my quilts. But you've probably noticed the challenges and struggles I go through to get to a finished quilt: make the parts, lay them out, look at the whole, photograph it, rearrange, and start again...? It is play, but sometimes it feels like work, too.
I don't think I know of another person with aphantasia. So glad to learn of your daughter. We are two of the world's 4% of individuals with aphantasia.
What a beautiful collection of fabrics! I can see a sampler quilt in these that would be wonderful. The designer Wendy Williams has a BOM that keeps popping up in my various feeds (Urban Owls), but her eclectic asymmetrical designs is what I see happening with these just in a more subtle manner than some of her patterns. But that's me. I'm sure whatever you make will be amazing!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your thoughts and ideas, Katie, and thank you for the suggestion to look at Wendy Williams's Urban Owls quilt and some of her others, and for the idea of a sampler quilt. I haven't had time to play yet but am looking forward to it.
DeleteYou will have a great time playing with all of these! They are all so pretty!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Alycia. I will when I finally begin!
DeleteYou have so many beautiful fabrics here. A sampler might be fun. Or one favorite block, repeated. Something that has both large and small pieces, like a sawtooth star. I would just have fun and also don't hesitate to edit out a fabric here or there. Very interesting about the "mind's eye".
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your thoughts and suggesting options and possibilities, Cynthia. I hoped to begin this week but realized this was my week to put together another quilt so have been working on that. Next week I hope to delve into the roses.
DeleteOhhh, I love all your fabrics, they're so soft and pretty. I'll love to see what you make with them.
ReplyDeleteHope you have a lovely week
*hugs*
Tazzie
:-)
Thanks so much, Tazzie! I hope you week and weekend are/will be good, too.
DeleteBeautiful fabrics, which you already know, and a great variety. I'm trying to visualize how you don't see with that condition, and it seems like a major stumbling block to creating, but I would never have guessed, based on previous projects. I do see now why you have a lot of questions about what works or doesn't, though.
ReplyDelete9" is a great block size, and fits in with others. I would say maybe make a favorite block, try others around it - maybe in construction paper first, before cutting fabrics? That won't give you the colors and tones and tints, but it would give you shapes and what shapes compliment each other? I look forward to seeing how this works out.
Thank you, Susan. The vision problem is only in my mind, as in a blind mind's eye. I don't think I realized it until the past few years. I remember writing in blog posts things like, "I try to visualize," or "I try to imagine," or "I can almost see...." I can remember what I've seen in the past but I can't see it. I think it is a hindrance to making quilts but it's not something I can change. And yes, lots of questions because I know others can imagine how different fabrics or different blocks or arrangements will look. It's only after something's sewn together that I say, "Oops. That doesn't work." And then I unstitch.
DeleteI have used paper in the past and sometimes I use graph paper to try out different ideas. Thanks for sharing all of your suggestions. I appreciate it. I'm looking forward to seeing how this turns out, too. I hope I don't have too many false starts!
I love any floral fabric, but I think roses and pansies are my favorites. You have such a lovely collection. I look forward to seeing what you make with all of them. Thanks so much for linking up with Monday Musings!
ReplyDeleteThank you for hosting Monday Musings, Brenda. I need to get better at having a post ready to link-up on Mondays. The musings posts seem to take me a little longer to compose.
DeleteI'm eager to see what becomes of these rose fabrics, too. I haven't made much progress with blocks yet, not even a decision. Soon, I hope!
What pretty fabrics, Nancy! For not being able to envision something, you certain have a lot of great ideas!!! This will be beautiful and I'm excited for you and your rose quilt!!!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Nancy. I haven't made much of a start and no decision about blocks yet. I'm looking forward to being able to begin!
DeleteI adore florals as well - they will make a lovely quilt
ReplyDeleteYes, I agree, Maggie, that florals are fun to use for a quilt! They offer/present different challenges than sewing with other fabrics such as plaids, solids, or blender fabrics. I hope I can make them play well together.
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