May I venture to say we've all had the experience of planning a project, and then been disappointed by what we made? On the same hand, I've had this one go from an apprehensive start to very exciting for me. Let's call it a roller coaster project. My anxiety is mostly from drawing you into it with me, and the possibility that it flops. This blog runs in 'real time' meaning I don't only show you my triumphs, but also showcase my duds. Honest creative process means not everything works out. It's comforting knowing we all go through it, and grow in our struggle. Sewists don't deliver gorgeous projects without making some dogs! (Sorry Doxies.)
You can find more information about the start of this project in yesterday's post. I showed you the top and bottom pictures here. A close up of the center shows how my curves weren't as even at the points as I would have liked, but the geometric fabric tends to throw the eye off anyway. Unless I'd point that out, not everyone would see it. I'll tell you so you can use that trick, but remember to never point out your own mistakes to people when you show them your work! Most will never see what you see.
I paired the curved piecing light fabric to light fabric. Low contrast means I have some leeway if my seams are the slightest bit off. I expect they will be as I've never sewn a project with curves before. It's hard to perfect a technique the first time out, but this challenge is more about highlighting the fabrics than technique for me.
The next row of the medallion is HSTs. I made sure to make them slightly larger than needed, and trimmed them down. There's high contrast on this fabric change, and it frames in the all light center.
I used a variety of the challenge fabrics at the corners that I was finding hard to fit into another part of the quilt. I echoed the colors here.
The Square-in-a-Square blocks below are a favorite of mine, and when I laid the charcoal with the coral, I had to make them.
The corners were next, and again, I was using new fabrics from the rest of The Quilted Fish line "The Cottage Garden". The charcoal print reminded me of a gilded frame when viewed at a distance.
It was time to add the connecting pieces on the border, and I auditioned several. The white was calming to all the prints, and gave the eye somewhere to land. It also reminded me of clouds. I imagined the hardscaping of a garden in the darker fabrics, and birds surrounding a fountain in the center of a garden.
I did some collaborative texting with family and friends about the white 'floating' too much, and decided it needed a dark border to lock it all in. Charcoal birds, I think. Don't you?
Click my Instagram button at the top sidebar to follow along through the day as I sew. It's a great help having other quilters to bounce ideas off of in real time. I'd love to see what you're making, too! Just @pinkdoxies to make sure I see your post, and we can sew together. A Virtual Bee Day anyone? I'll Bee there this afternoon.
Come on, Doxie girls.
