Moving right along..................
..........the focus fabric for each block has now been selected and the final arrangement has been decided.
As each section is stitched, it's paired with the rest of the block parts on my design wall. Chain stitchers will be rolling their eyes for sure but this is what works for me.
The idea for this current piece is an offshoot of a Japanese room divider I saw on a TV show....unable to take a photo, I quickly sketched what I remembered.
Clearly I didn't get it quite right. As the 2nd vertical row was completed I suddenly realized my 'oops' moment. Can you see what's wrong?
Yup....I'll either need another row or remove the lowest horizontal row. DANG!!! Why am I not really surprised? The phrase 'can't see the forest through the trees' comes to mind. I'm THE most directionally challenged person you'll ever know. Even after living here for 14 years, I still need to bring written instructions on how to drive to some friends homes, despite being there over a dozen or more times. Some ask why not use GPS.....same reason...when that unseen person tells me to 'turn right in 500 feet', she may as well be speaking a foreign language. I can't differentiate between 100 and 500 feet....but if she said 'turn right at the shell station on the corner'...hey I can do that!
So, really this unexpected design issue shouldn't have come as a surprise to me. Very humbling as usual. I aim to keep my finished pieces in specific size categories to best fit the gallery spaces I have available. Now I have to alter that to make it larger or smaller. Good thing we are having a car outing today with friends so I can delay my decision.
AND...before you ask.....did I draw the quilt out on graph paper (as many quilters do)....heck no....I guess there may be a bit of free-spirit in me too!
6 comments:
Such an easy fix--simply add another background strip to the bottom of the first column. If your piece is 4" longer than what you thought was ideal, it's not REALLY going to matter. And design-wise, it still works just fine. In a design like this, a bit of extra background is not a detriment. If alternate rows will have the same problem, add the extra strip at the top. Let go of that perfectionism and embrace your inner wild woman!! I know you can do it!
OK, I don't get it, the arrangement looks nice to me. Why does it need another row? I think you are too hard on yourself, your work is wonderful.
I like the idea of uneven rows, I didn't think it was a problem. I'm impressed by how meticulous you are.
What - you didn't want an up and down bottom edge? Actually, I think that would be pretty interesting although I wouldn't want to be the one to have to finish it off with either binding or a facing. And I hate to admit how many times I had to look at it until I saw the problem, even after reading Kathy's comment. So Carole, don't feel bad.
Post worth reading for the description "choosing the head banging process of making one-of-a-kind quilts." I think many of us will want to add that to our artist statement - lol.
It's going to be lovely- and whatever method gets you across the finish line IS the right one! I'm not seeing the oops either- is it to avoid the squareness of the 5 x 5 arrangement and go with a more rectangular quilt design?
I need to clarify my thoughts about this piece....I guess my sense of order has gotten the best of me. I am warming to the idea that Kathy suggested (but interestingly I had already thought of and dismissed....again...probably because it's simply NOT what I had in my head....even though I really didn't have a documented plan anyway). My plan now is to make all the blocks.....and then decide what to do about the 5th and bottom row....choices: add another strip of fabric to the smaller square blocks to extend the length to match it's next door neighbor block, remove the row entirely since the row above finished evenly, OR make another row which too will have an even lower edge. I think if the top row wasn't even, I could live with the bottom row being uneven....but it's not...therefore my dilemma. Thanks everyone for your helpful ideas.
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