It’s been a good day for quilting. It started raining here early this morning , so it was the perfect day for staying inside. Naturally I ran out of Pellon by about 6 inches by 36 inches so I got creative with spray glue instead. Never let it be said I'm not flexible.
I love it when I start a project with a clear idea of how it’s going to turn out and the steps I need to take to get where you need to go. When you can visualise the end product and it’s positively gorgeous. My projects usually dont end up anywhere near what I dreamed, but I'm OK with that.
Then something happens to make you change your plan. With me it was receiving 11 fat quarters less than I had calculated I needed, to complete this quilt. Not my fault. They sent the wrong pack and didn’t have another of the larger one I actually ordered to replace it. Sometimes you just have to roll with the punches. Faster than you could say “Holy Credit Batman” I revised the plan to make the quilt slightly smaller.
My quandary is this . Originally I was going to cut each of these blocks into quarters , then sew them back together with each quarter being different.
Then I thought about not cutting them at all and just sewing them together as full circles ... but that seemed like a slack option.
Now I’m considering cutting each square/circle combo in half and sewing them back together so there are two different halves to each block. The method in my thinking is that this material is REALLY busy and different quarters might be way too visually distracting .
Then I thought about not cutting them at all and just sewing them together as full circles ... but that seemed like a slack option.
Now I’m considering cutting each square/circle combo in half and sewing them back together so there are two different halves to each block. The method in my thinking is that this material is REALLY busy and different quarters might be way too visually distracting .
So I’m after opinions . What do you think? Now that I have this laid out, it’s way busier than I ever imagined. How much busier will it look if I cut these into quarters? Is this quilt wayyyyyyyyy too busy ?
Opinions Please...Different Quarters for each block , Single Blocks sewn together Or Half Circles ? Any other ideas?
It feels so awesome to be sewing again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ooooh lovely colours and fabrics.
ReplyDeleteIn my humble opinion, I would probably, maybe cut them in half and try that. Or you could cut some of them and leave some whole. Eek I don't know, I am terrible at making decisions. If it was my quilt I would take the slack option, coz I am slack, and not because I think it would look any better.
I'm thinking you could go with the original quarters and then maybe put a thin sashing strip between the blocks? It will give you the look you envisaged, but break it up enough that you can see the details.
ReplyDeleteJust my thoughts because you were polite enough to ask.
By the way - I Love Circles and this looks fantastic just the way it is.
Love the colors in the quilt. If you leave it as is, fancy quilting could be done on the solid fabric....using a contrasting tread. But looks great the way it is.
ReplyDeleteI don't really know what you are talking about....quarters, singles, halves? Sounds like math. Anyway, my two cents, I like the whole circles. What a treat this quilt will be! Just looking at it makes me want to put on a sundress and a big hat and go pick flowers!
ReplyDeleteVery happy and fun to look at already...not too busy--yet. If you are bound and determined to cut something in half, how about just the blocks with solid color circles? Then you can mix and match but not make it too busy.
ReplyDeleteI like it the way it is too. It reminds me of a Dear Jane quilt and although I saw the class advertised in one online course as "Jane was Nuts" I think Jane was talented. She worked with what she had. I personally don't like the idea of half circles. I do like Mistea's idea about sashing or how would half squares (cut on the diagonal) look. You could tone it down by using one plain and one flowered. Or two different flowered with a plain circle.. or any combination of the above. But I'll say again I like it the way it is.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE it the way it is, it is gorgeous! You do sound like quite the flexible gal with that first paragraph and all - he he.
ReplyDeleteI will agree with everyone else and say that I love it the way it is. I'll bet it was a lot of fun putting those circles on the squares. Did you have to make a lot of changes or did it just work out so wonderful?
ReplyDeleteI like it just how it is!! This is awesome! I am working on a wagon wheel quilt right now with just the wildest craziest colors/fabrics I could find. Your quilt reminds me of mine in that way. Way cool!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for al your comments!
ReplyDeleteSo, it seems pretty much unanimous to leave it as whole circles. I woke up this morning , deciding it needed to be cut in quarters.
Now I'm confused again. I need to take a couple of days to think about this ...sigh.
I'm not going to read the other comments and just give you my first thought. Then go read and see what the consensus is.
ReplyDeleteMy first thought is, while busy, cutting them in 1/2 gives you options to create some flow in the busy. (Don't know if that made sense.)
I think quarters will give you the same dilemma but halves will allow you to exchange colors in the layout so there is less chaos.
If that doesn't work, then a thin sashing is a great solution but I'm always the type who only wants to do sashing if it was in the original plan. hehe
okay, now that I've read the other comments... I do want to add, I like it with the whole circles as well. I might rearrange the layout a bit but didn't think it needed to be cut and was answering your question of whether you should do quarters or halves.
ReplyDeleteHere's the thing that always helps me decide, I use the picture to help. I don't look at the quilt itself again, I print the picture and keep a check on it and see if I still feel it's too busy, or laid out right or is good as is.
It's your quilt so at the end of the day, if you envision quarters, do it. Just remember, the quilt is already smaller due to fabric and if you cut further, that means a few inches smaller yet on each side.
Good luck figuring it out.
I wouldn't cut them if it were me. They look beautiful all laid out that way. If you cut them in half, the circles will not be circles when you put them back together. So, if you do that, what if you make one "oval" vertical and the next one horizontal so they laid out like a flower petal? Or, what if you cut them on the diagonal instead of either vertical or horizontal? Lane
ReplyDeleteThe only way to keep them circular is not to cut them at all.
ReplyDeleteI love the sashing idea.
I also love the "take a few days" plan, I often find that when the time is right, the right idea will come to me.
Lane and lw....of course you're right. I'm slapping myself on the forehead here. If I cut them in half of course they'll be oval!
ReplyDeleteI keep looking at this and changing my mind. It needs a few more days of thinking, I'm thinking.
Personally, I LOVE the busy fabric, but that's just me. I also really like the idea of the sashing. You could do a solidish fabric and that would make each little squares it's own block as well as making the quilt a little bigger. That's my two cents on the issue. Good luck deciding!
ReplyDeleteAnna
Hi Anna! I like the fabric too. I think I've worked out what the problem is from continually looking at this quilt until I'm practically blind.
ReplyDeleteBut I'm not going to announce the solution.I'm just going to unveil the top when it's finished.
Thanks for dropping in.Always a pleasure to see you here .
If I'm not too late . . . my philosophy is 'go big, or go home.' It's already busy, so go for it -- cut those babies into quarters and really busy it up. It'll be fabulous once you've finished.
ReplyDeleteI'm just so impressed that you have so many beautiful circles. I haven't a clue what would be best to do with them.
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to see what you're going to do, but I actually think it's pretty freakin' awesome as is!
ReplyDelete