I know, it's making you feel dizzy.
 |
| Getting the basket blocks sewn together and trimmed |
It was making me feel the same way, no matter how many applique blocks I threw on the wall or how I changed the setting.
 |
| What's it gonna look like with the addition of the pineapple blocks? |
This was one of those ideas that started out with a stack of gorgeous {to me} fabrics and lots of behind the scenes meditation on how to best use them. The bottom line always came back to trying to blend some improv. sewing with a sort of classic applique shape.
 |
| Those lovely basket blocks are just not doing anything good... |
It was something that was hard to get started on. The idea seemed prettier than the final result could ever be, but oh so irresistible. And getting it to this point and seeing all that busyness on the wall was a wee bit frustrating. It wasn't all wrong, but the fun looking baskets were just not behaving well. There was a lot more crazy talk than I expected.
 |
| Hmm.. Could it get any busier? |
My daughter popped in to tell me something and had to listen to me lament the situation. She hesitantly suggested using one of those 'strips of fabric that go between?' and finally the light bulb went off. These busy, busy blocks definitely seem to need some breathing room. The power struggle on the wall is real, but we quilters have our tricks too.
 |
| Okay, maybe the sashing will give everything some much needed space |
I think it would help if I had about four design walls! This is most definitely going to take a little more time than I initially thought to settle. No point rushing anything! I finally took it all down and dove right into the scraps. Ahh... It felt like the wall had been yelling at me.
Luckily, a good distraction was right at hand. There were these lovely. little, stripey bits that didn't want to end up in the garbage can. Did anyone else get the
Maria Shell book, 'Improv. Patchwork: Dynamic Quilts Made With Line and Shape' for Christmas?
 |
| Just having fun... |
I've been pretty confident that this book was
way above my pay grade. And hello? I don't exactly have a lot of solid fabrics, a must-have in the writings of this book. But the funny this is, a few snippets from the book have apparently been percolating in the back of my brain regardless. And guys, I didn't even read through the entire book, just sort of skimmed and gawked a lot, like we do when it's all just a
bit too much to absorb in one setting.
So yep, I'm here to tell you that somehow all these little scraps {some so skinny as to be ridiculous} have pretty much hi-jacked all those other important quilting plans/lists and want-to's. At least for the moment. They are currently making their way into a 'Railroad Tracks' sort of quilt based on Maria's yummy book. It's been open to the relevant page during this free-wheeling make time, let me tell you--trying to make an interpretation that won't come off as total garbage! Too, I'm thinking baby quilt size so it will be small and less likely to get overwhelming when the scraps run out. Which means I will probably be ditching that pink and blue baby quilt idea I proposed a couple months ago. How utterly boring that would have been compared to this....*wink
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteEeeeee! I love your quilts. lol. I was liking the crazy smash of lines and loops and then you added the lucky beige pineapple square. what about rows? a row of pineapple squares? Regardless. I love watching your process! so refreshing and thought provoking!
ReplyDeleteisn't it neat when one of our kids can look at one of our quilts and feel it is safe to offer a suggestion! Occasionally my husband will to and actually he has advised me on color a time or two and was right! Looking forward to seeing what it looks like with sashing
ReplyDeleteLots of fun greens and blues here! I'm kind of partial to the first photo with just the basket blocks too. So many choices, and that's a good dilemma to have.
ReplyDeleteYou and your amazing designs! I love to see them come to life. Even your crazy green striped baskets that were causing flashes in my eyes! LOL
ReplyDeleteThere's something about the crazy green striped baskets that I like on their own, but your daughters idea of a small path of separation calms everything down. ( to a dull roar!) LOL
ReplyDeleteAhhh, the journey of a quilter. Some people think it's pretty straight forward. Buy fabric, find pattern, make quilt. It is never that easy, is it? I have a quilt on my bed right now that was clever and attractive in my head. It turned out terribly busy and distracting but the hand quilting is spot-on and it's warm.
ReplyDeleteSome interesting quilting dilemmas to chew on! The basket blocks look amazing, but they don't read as "basket blocks" to me - more like a modern, abstract block. Maybe for that reason they need to go off in their own direction? I'm sure you will come up with a grand solution! The scrappy RR tracks look like wonderful fun!
ReplyDeleteIt will be interesting to see where the basket/pineapple quilt goes from here!
ReplyDeleteI love your basket blocks, look forward to seeing how they progress. But what really caught my eye were your improv, I can fully understand why you are so immersed in playing with these just now!
ReplyDeleteto be honest when I landed here and had my first glance at the first picture I didn't have a clue that it was your basket blocks :) They did not appear to be baskets in the first photo and it was not until reading a bit that I could say "AH" that project that she was talking about awhile back :) This is the first one that you lost me on :)
ReplyDeleteTo be clear in regards to that last comment you always fascinate me / this is the first time in my life visiting here that I'd experienced confusion / you'll sort it out :)
ReplyDeleteI love watching you work through your designs challenges!
ReplyDeleteI looked at the first few photos and thought about adding feet to the baskets, which would both make them more baskety (in my mind, anyway) and would also serve the function of sashing to give a bit more room to all that activity. Or just sashing! 8)
I love all the greens in the basket, but noticed that my eye gravitated to that white centre. Your pale sashing somehow restores the balance and it definitely feels like you are on the right lines. Some quilts are just harder to get right that others, but on the other hand you are smashing those little stripy strips in crosses right out of the park.
ReplyDeleteI love that book too and I love your description of 'getting sidetracked'. It happens to all of us sooner or later. And some of us more frequently. LOL
ReplyDeleteGreat projects Audrey ! I love your fabric choice for the baskets and how you used the striped fabrics. I'm looking forward to seeing the final result. You always have such amazing ideas !
ReplyDeleteI adore the pineapple blocks! Just my two cents but I think maybe you have two quilts happening here and they're not working forced into one. 1-Baskets w sashing 2- Glorious Pineapples. Maybe? [I'd also like the basket block cut into quarters so the image of baskets isn't overwhelmed by the graphic of the hoops---but maybe I'm getting carried away, or overthinking.]
ReplyDelete<3 lizzy gone to the beach lizzzz.d@gmail.com
i think your crazy culprit is the striped fabric. otherwise its a beauty anyway. but the striped corner could be switched out quick and then you can get on without too much busy. just my two cents worth.
ReplyDeleteHi Audrey, I have been lurking/reading all your posts. I can't wait to see what setting you are going to end up with on this interesting combinations of blocks and colors. I know you will come up with pleasing solution as always! I love basket blocks and actual baskets as well :). Thanks for your inspirations.
ReplyDeleteSashing - what a good solution. I love loud but admit those blocks were yelling.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, I have Maria's book. Love it, too. Like you, very few solids. Wish I had the time to work through with prints right now. Perhaps later.