My daughter and her kitties return on Sunday for a visit so I have until Saturday evening to make a decision about these blocks and get them up off the floor. (The cats love to skate across blocks, dive into them, roll around in them, and generally make a mess.) It feels like the pressure is on even though I have five more days. The important thing is to make a decision so I can pick up all 180 blocks.
I can't seem to let go of the idea of sashing. I decided against the red and light stripes mainly because I couldn't find more of the fabric with dark red and off-white stripes. (I found only orange-red.) This was one of the other fabric considerations. I like it. (Click to enlarge in a new window to see details.) If I use this fabric I will cut it for careful placement of the colors in the plaid.
I also tried this red and green plaid, below. It's a no.
This is the red and green block from Hospital Sketches in the center. I wasn't excited about that option. Perhaps it would work if there were white somewhere else in the quilt, or...?
I also tried a layout with the dark green backgrounds mostly in the center and around the edges. I was thinking formal garden layout. I wasn't impressed.
How about the light green backgrounds in the center? Maybe, if I rearrange the lighter red/pink circles into some kind of order.... This looks organized and comfortable to me.
And the last layout I tried is alternating light and dark backgrounds. I could live with this but it doesn't the give the punch I thought the red against green would. (Honestly, in person, these reds and greens together are vibrant and beautiful. But then I always love those two colors together.)
The layout that makes the most sense and looks the most unified to me is the one with the dark greens around the outer edges and the light greens in the center, two photos up. And I still like this dark sashing with red cornerstones. Will I like it between every block?
Of course, there is the consideration of what border fabric to use, if it needs a border. I'm fairly certain I won't have enough of this dark green and red plaid.
I consider this an improv quilt because I had/have no specific plan how the finished quilt would/will look and lots of play and experimentation are involved. I enjoy the process, but in the midst of indecision and uncertainty it crosses my mind that maybe I should stick to using other people's patterns and colors. Could I make myself do it? Probably not.
Do you ever begin a quilt with no specific end in mind? Do you second guess your decisions?
I hope I can turn this into a cohesive top! Feel free to share your observations and opinions.
I'm linking this post to
Monday Musings at Songbird Designs. Thank you for hosting, Brenda.
--Nancy.
This is the red and green block from Hospital Sketches in the center. I wasn't excited about that option. Perhaps it would work if there were white somewhere else in the quilt, or...?
I agree with you on the darker blocks around outside edges. Personally, I think that works best. Another perk of that, you wouldn’t need a border, the dark blocks form a border of sort.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your thoughts, Anonymous. I played around with the possibility of another border around the outside edge and decided against it. So, the two rows of dark blocks will become the border!
DeleteI always second guess myself! (Sometimes even when I'm following a pattern - there's always something to worry about!) I like the darker sashing as well, if you choose to use one. And the darker outside, lighter inside is pleasing to the eye, though random for this quilt also looks nice to me. But I wonder how breaking that up with the sashing (for either layout) will look? Will it ruin the continuity of the sorted blocks? I think it will be less disruptive with the random layout, but maybe not? (See, I'm second guessing and this isn't even my project!) But I am pretty sure it doesn't need a border. This is your quilt, though, so do what makes you happiest. You've got plenty of time before the "helpers" arrive! (My cats love my design floor!)
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for sharing your thoughts and musings on options, Katie. I think our minds work similarly--this option, but then what about that, etc. I'm still playing with options for sashing but I won't be using a high contrast one if I use one at all.
DeleteKitty arrival day) is coming up fast and I'm still playing! If all else fails, I'll just pick up the blocks in rows, number them, and then put them back down after the kitties leave.
I second guess and change my mind all the time and consider it part of the creative process;). I like your choice with the darker blocks around the edges too. It's fun to consider different layouts.
ReplyDeleteI agree that all those changes and "experiments" are part of the creative process, Cynthia. And fun, too.After much play, I'm going with the darker blocks around the edges. A self-border, so to speak.
DeleteI, too, tend to second guess myself, but usually wind up going back with the first layout I liked! I really do like that layout with the darker blocks on the outside. They seem to frame the rest of the blocks very well. Thanks sew much for linking up with Monday Musings this week! Have fun with your daughter and grandkitties this weekend.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your thoughts about the layout, Brenda.
DeleteSadly, when I begin playing and move from one layout to the other, there are times when I can't get back to the layout I first liked. My poor memory. Lately, though, I've been taking photos as I go along and make changes. I hope that will help.
Thanks for hosting Monday Musings.
I love how the applique block looks in the center. It adds a bit of elegance, such a pretty block. There are so many decisions to make when quilting. I always second guess myself. The quilt that is in the hoop right now has some different background colors in some of the blocks. As I'm quilting along, I ask myself, "Why did I pick that fabric for the background?" Questioning myself even at the end.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Robin. I like the idea of that applique block in the center of a quilt but I thought I could come up with something better than these circles. They look very casual to me and the applique blocks looks more structured and formal. Now that I've seen it amongst other blocks, I'll probably keep thinking about it and come up with blocks to go around it. It isn't very large, at only 18"....
DeleteOh, isn't it awful to second guess when you're in the midst of hand quilting? I've done it before and I'll probably end up doing it again. What was I thinking, I ask myself!
I almost always start without a specific quilt look in mind. =) I like the sashing in Pic 1 and the darker blocks as border. I also like the appliqué block center.
ReplyDeleteWe are kindred spirits in that regard (of not having a specific look in mind), Susan!
DeleteI think (maybe, probably, unless I reconsider) that I'm going to use dark sashing with the dark blocks around the outside and a medium/light green between the center blocks so that it will, hopefully, disappear. I'm using sashing because the quilt will be too small without it and I don't have enough green background squares to make more.
I like the applique block, too, but I think it needs blocks to surround it that are a little more formal. I'll be thinking of possibilities as I stitch....
You know my opinion: no sashing, esp not sashing w crosses/ plus signs. The unsashed circles are so interesting and graphic. But on the other hand I know in the end what you choose will be delightful and interesting.
ReplyDeleteLizzy, one of the things that I love about you is how you campaign for a particular layout/colors/etc. for a quilt and then encourage with a positive comment. Thank you! (I think you have more confidence in a good finish for this quilt than I do at the moment!)
DeleteSo, as it stands now, no red crosses nor cornerstones anywhere in the quilt. Dark blocks around the outside edge, and light blocks in the center. I'm thinking of dark sashing in the blocks around the outside (they blend in) and light/medium green sashing in the center so it blends in/doesn't stand out and will still have the appearance (I hope) of unity. I'm out of the greens I used for the backgrounds in the center and haven't found a green that blends. Tomorrow I'm going to undye a piece of green and see what happens. You can never tell when you undye. I had a piece of red fabric that became yellow! I hope that doesn't happen with this green fabric.
Your recent blog post about playing with red circles caught my eye, and I must say, your creativity knows no bounds! The vibrant colors and unique designs make your artwork truly captivating.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.promocodehq.com/blog/kohls-cash-expired/