My Bramble Blooms and I were not happy with our first border efforts. You can see them here. The border is too wide at 7", the brown is too dark, the appliques make it too busy/are disjointed/just odd.... I will make it into a bed-sized quilt but I realized that adding two wide borders to a 21" x 28" center is not the way for it to become a bed-sized quilt. I think this first border, at least, should be narrower, and then a wider border, or perhaps several more borders of different widths.
I didn't get any further than considering three other border colors and leaves for the applique (my daughter and the kitties are coming for an unexpected visit so I had to take the quilt up from the floor). One of my problems is that I have too few mid-range fabrics but plenty of dark/intense colors and a good sampling of lights....
I think this red may be too bright, too intense? I like it but I just don't think it's quite right. (Yet.) And do those leaves look "dotty" to you? Well, if they were green there wouldn't be such a contrast against the red. I imagined green leaves but only had two to lay on the quilt. I cut the rest out of paper just to try out the arrangement/placement. And what would I do for the next border of 4- or 9-patch blocks?!
Maybe a blue border? In person I like the narrow red strip between the inner and outer borders but in the photo, not so much. The green leaves show up not at all. But off-white/cream colored leaves? At first I said absolutely not but then realized that I could do anything I want--my quilt, my choice. Do I want light leaves? Do I want leaves at all, or some other motif?
And then there's this light, creamish border.... It looks too bland, I think. All three of the borders in these photos are 4"-5" wide, so 2-3" narrower than the brown border in the photo at the link above.
It all comes down to making a quilt I like, not just a quilt that follows the prompts. And yet, I know going with the prompts will stretch me creatively, so I don't want to disregard the prompts, either. (A number of years ago I made another prompt-drive quilt with Lori's Humble Quilts Gwenny-Inspired Medallion Quilt-Along. See it here.)
I don't know where this Bramble Blooms is going. I kept thinking I would put solid arcs in red around the edges, not as big as the ones on the brown border, maybe half-circles or 3/4 circles that don't curve in at the bottom, but trying those out didn't seem quite right, either. The quilt and I will figure this out, sooner or later. I appreciate Audrey's comment, "There is no shame that some projects just take their own sweet time!"
If you have thoughts, observations, opinions, suggestions or any other comments, I welcome and would be thrilled to read them. You probably notice something I didn't or have an idea that hasn't come to my mind.
You can see all the other Bramble Blooms participants' quilt here at Audrey's blog, Quilty Folk. Thanks so much for hosting this sew-along, Audrey, and for the challenges and opportunities it's created for me to grow and push myself out of my comfort zones. I feel a growth spurt coming soon.
--Nancy.
Well, take your time, Nancy--you want to "like" it when it's finished--as you said, not only follow prompts...
ReplyDeleteI am not all that happy with mine--I just think all the colors are too "clashy"--and I really don't have the gumption right now to take it apart again (ribbit ribbit!);000 .
So, it sits on my design wall and mutters at me...I daren't put it away as I will never finish it if I do...
Soooo, you are not the only one who doesn't feel finished with prompt #1...hang in there...
hugs, Julierose
P.S. I like the lighter border--you can always add some applique to it?
Thank you for the encouragement not to rush this quilt, Julierose. I hope you can choose any next steps for yours that make you happy with it. Yes, for me, too: out of sight, out of mind.
DeleteAny second border will have applique but you're right, the light border is wide open for plenty of applique (if that's what the quilt wants and if I want to stitch that much).
You sound like me,I've undid mine so many times it's about to be ruinš¤£ all your choices look nice ,the cream makes the center pop & I luv the little brown jug!
ReplyDeleteThank goodness your top wasn't ruined! It looks great, Helen.
DeleteThanks for sharing your thoughts about the border color you like and the brown jug.
I love your experiments'/ auditions. I do like the red the most. [I kind of feel you need some pieced bordering, think of the Lynda Brannock Flowers you did? The added texture can be interesting???]
ReplyDeleteYou sent me good advice about taking my time w BB and being open to explorations and changes. Like you I am slow---and I almost gave up. Today maybe a tiny breakthru--at least it engendered a smile or two.
Maybe Audrey will have another FINISHED Linky in --oh a year? Or we can share our final creations on one another's blogs.
love
lizzy
Your wor is always beautiful. Take your time, have fun.
Thank you for your positive comments, Lizzy. I like the idea of a pieced border. I'm still trying to decide on applique, though.... What to applique, how wide to make the border, etc.? I thought I liked the red border best but when I was scrolling down that post to respond to comments, I was more drawn toward the blue. I'm still exploring/considering possibilities.
DeleteI'm looking forward to seeing your next steps on BBI. A smile sounds encouraging.
I think Audrey will have another link-up after the 2nd BB finish, at which time I won't hesitate to share BBI, too, if I've finished the top by then! Or yes, we can share on each others' blogs!
I like that you think my work is beautiful. I wish I shared that opinion about it, too.
You aren't the only slowpoke. I'm still dragging my feet a little because the block I want to surround my parts 1 & 2 with, requires curved piecing. I'm almost finished with a different UFO. I just need to sew on two side pieced borders and then I'll concentrate on BB.
ReplyDeleteI don't have any particular advice but I really like the little peek of a border of red between the green stripe and the blue border.
Lori's "Gwenny - inspired challenge is when I first became familiar with your blog. I wanted to join in on that so badly but I remember being so busy that I just envied you all and had to be content watching everyone's progress.
I like that I'm "in the same boat" with you, Robin, and others who haven't finished BBI. Will the curved piecing be hard? Will you do it by machine? Circles?
DeleteYes, I like that narrow strip of red, too. I think it adds a bit of punch.
I had forgotten that you didn't do Lori's Gwenny challenge and that you first read my blog then. I'm so glad you did, and that you left a comment! That was a challenge, too, also out of my comfort zone, but I think this sew-along is even more challenging, but I don't know why.
I think quilts just take the time they need and you're going to be making the best decisions for it moving forward! No rush! Thanks so much for linking up with the link party and joining in with the QAL. It's definitely been a year for distractions over here too.:)
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for the encouragement about good choices for this quilt, Audrey. My mind won't leave it alone but no decisions yet. Thanks so much for hosting the quilt-along. It's been both fun and challenging!
DeleteWell my Bramble Blooms is exactly where it was before. I haven't even had any ideas of what to do, so I think you are making great progress, you are trying things and have come up with some good ideas. I did go back and look at what you had before and I have to say I really liked the picket fences, the arches and especially the birds. The brown looked fine to me, but then my border is brown. It is easy to get impatient, the right idea will come at the right time. I am hoping I can come up with the right idea!
ReplyDeleteYes, ideas are the challenge for me, too, Rebecca. I liked all the elements in the border, too, and the brown, but I felt backed into a corner with only a few options for the next border, none of which I liked much. But maybe it's just because I don't seem to have many ideas. I think we'll both come up with right ideas one of these days, weeks, or months. I think it's hard to put a time limit on creativity--at least for me!
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