My cabin design wall looks the same as it did a week ago. We had workmen at the Grand Rapids house painting the outside trim, and also had company. Some weeks just slip away, don’t they?
The zig zag quilt is stalled at this point, but I will have to get busy on it, as guests will be in this bed for the July 4th weekend, and the quilt will have to be moved. I am wishing the “lights” were lighter to contrast more with the darks. And thinking of replacing some lights with even lighter ones.
The painter was painting the exterior of this door, and Penny Lane was supervising him very closely from inside. She approved his work.
I thank you for your input on the small checked blocks and the diagonal setting question last week. Someone suggested outlining the small checked blocks before putting them with the diagonal larger plaid. I did that and have them on the design wall in Grand Rapids. But something is still not giving me happiness, so they are there for a while until I figure it out. Even though the larger plaid is cut on the diagonal, it is a straight setting. If I had just cut the larger print straight and then set the blocks diagonally, it would have been better, and also had no bias edging. Too much thinking, or not thinking it through. Maybe a fabulous border will make it all right.
The zig zag quilt is stalled at this point, but I will have to get busy on it, as guests will be in this bed for the July 4th weekend, and the quilt will have to be moved. I am wishing the “lights” were lighter to contrast more with the darks. And thinking of replacing some lights with even lighter ones.
The painter was painting the exterior of this door, and Penny Lane was supervising him very closely from inside. She approved his work.
I thank you for your input on the small checked blocks and the diagonal setting question last week. Someone suggested outlining the small checked blocks before putting them with the diagonal larger plaid. I did that and have them on the design wall in Grand Rapids. But something is still not giving me happiness, so they are there for a while until I figure it out. Even though the larger plaid is cut on the diagonal, it is a straight setting. If I had just cut the larger print straight and then set the blocks diagonally, it would have been better, and also had no bias edging. Too much thinking, or not thinking it through. Maybe a fabulous border will make it all right.
What is moving along at your design wall? Or are you stalled on some projects too? Please link up and show us what you are doing. Thanks! Please put a link back to this blog post from somewhere in your post, and mention Design Wall Mondays.
12 comments:
The Zigzag quilt looks good. Even if you don't go back and add lighter, it looks fine. Maybe you can add the lighter strips to the middle braids and then leave the darker braids on both sides. That would create a pretty cool fade across the quilt. What would happen if you snowballed the corners of the borders on the blocks with a darker brown/black. I'm thinking it needs something to draw the eye along the diagonals in the larger plaid blocks. Maybe a dark square in the corner of the framed blocks? Snowballing would be easier.
I think we all have projects that get placed on hold due to one thing or another. I looked to see if you wrote the size you cut the pieces for the herringbone quilt and I couldn't find anything. I like the size you are cutting them. 3 1/2" x 8 1/2"? For the plaid quilt I think all the colors of the three fabrics match too much. Maybe if the small checked fabric was a different color - I know that would be a lot to change. I am sure you will figure it out and end up with a cool quilt.
I love what you are doing with plaids in both of your projects!
The subtle light/dark in the zigzag is soothing!
I really Like your zig zag
BUT!! that other plaid quilt - I LOVE that!!! WOW!! how cool is that fabric!!
Okay, I enlarged the photo of your plaid project and stared at it on my big monitor screen for a few minutes and I think I know why it's not sitting right with you. The problem is not that the blocks are straight set and you cut the plaid fabric on the diagonal. I think the problem is that the plaid wasn't fussy cut to match at the seam lines. If you had fussy cut the plaid so that the exact same line in the pattern went diagonally from corner to corner in every block, then you would have an interesting effect of your white-bordered blocks appearing to "float" against a continuous plaid background. Because your heavy white diagonal lines in the plaids shift in position slightly from one block to the next, the effect is kind of like what happened in Home Ec class when someone cut her plaid skirt without taking the care to match the plaid on the seam lines, or if the plaid was crooked along the hem line.
If you're going for a dark/light stripe effect, then yes, replace some of those in the light column. Otherwise, I'd go with it as is.
I like it just the way it is. I see what Rebecca is talking about, but your setting makes it look "old". If you end up not liking it, just send it to me. :-)
Interesting comments on your quilts. It's fun to read what others comment on. I can see what Rebecca is talking about. Some of the bigger plaid blocks do line up and you do get a bit of a float look. I wonder if you can move around the bias blocks to get more of the lines to line up. On the other hand, you might want to get this one done and move on to another project.... then you just sew it the way it is! It looks to me that a lot of the bias blocks have the white/black line running directly from the corner.... Have fun with this one.
I love, love, love your plaids and checks quilt with blocks arranged just as they are. It looks so comforting. And it makes me think of a quilt from the 1930s or 1940s -- one of those we love, one that speaks of home and comfort. I know you're not happy with it now so it will be interesting to see what changes you make. (Could you do a narrow border in another color, red or some other color you like, and then a wider border?)
Oh my goodness how big she has grown!! I remember her as a puppy. She is a good supervisor, paying attention to the smallest detail. LOL
I'm certain you will figure it out. Your post is missing a basket block this week, I've come to enjoy looking at them.
I am loving your zigzag quitl! Just as it is.
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