Sunday, July 14, 2013

For Better or Worse

The wall hanging of the English paper-pieced tumbling blocks is finished (and hanging on the wall in front of me/behind the computer monitor as I type).

Have you ever made something you know isn't exactly "right," whatever that is, but you finished it up anyway, for better or worse?

Yeah, this is one of those things.

I realized some things as I went along, but just carried on.  I'm okay with that because I know I'll look back in time, be it a month or five years from now, and know that I have learned since.  It's like a progress marker kind of thing.

Gee, and you just thought it was a wall hanging.  ;)

  • I enjoyed paper piecing these diamonds by hand.  It was a first for me, and I found it relaxing and a nice change of pace to do some "slow stitching."
  • I don't think I would have the patience to make a whole quilt that way, however.
  • I like applique.  Again, the hand stitching is relaxing.
  • As far as fabric choices, I probably picked the wrong print(s), the one with the parasols especially.  The illusion loses something because the eye is drawn to those big green eyeball-y things.  
  • The background is not quite right.  Too much of one color or value perhaps?  A solid may have been better.  I do like that batik though.
  • Snakeskin print binding rocks!
  • I see more illusion blocks/quilts in the future.
And so, you live and learn.

Straight-line quilting can be seen best from the back.  Keeping it simple.
* * * * *
More music to make you wanna dance, this new one by Justin Timberlake, who seems to be channeling Michael Jackson.  I like it.


7 comments:

Karen said...

I know what you mean...finish it anyway. You might consider a black or dark bias tape around your center. That may set it off :)

Shay said...

I love hand appliqueing because it is so relaxing. However you could never bang up a whole quilt in a hurry doing it ( I think at last count I'd been working on a hand sewn quilt for about a year and a half )

And yes -Ive had several projects that I knew werent quite right as I was doing them but I push on to a finish anyway . Its all part of the learning curve!

Sarah Craig said...

It's an awfully pretty progress marker!! Nice work!

Michelle said...

I really like the whole 3-D illusion going on. It seems like it is just floating in space.

I did make an entire quilt by hand - including the quilting. It can be done. I know it took me three winters to quilt it. I am guessing a couple of years to piece it. It was the first quilt I ever made. And it is on my bed now. :)

Vicki @ DottyJane said...

I have a very small collection of paper pieced hexies started. Like you, I don't think it will be a big project.

There are a few of these question mark finishes in my quilting history, too:)

Elizabeth said...

I love the quilting on your wall hanging! It is beautiful! Hand piecing and applique is very relaxing. There is something about the rhythm of it, I think. I love it.

JT is definitely channeling MJ.

xo -E

Kevin the Quilter said...

I love it when I can learn something along the way! And, I happen to like the green eyeball-y things!