Originally Posted by
sandy l
I've lost track of how many quilts I have made using Karla Alexander "stack the deck" concept. I've made them any where from a 7 1/2" block to a 15" block. They are almost like potato chips, can't stop with just one
It's a great way to use collections of fabrics that are otherwise hard to put together, or to make a quick background/alternate block that is fancier than just plain fabric.
After I cut the pieces, I went ahead and put embellishments like lace, eyelet, ribbons etc. on the pieces themselves and shuffled them into the decks. So I had some pretty tan solid but with a white lace over lay, stay stitched within the seam line on two sides and then treated it as right side up. All the rough edges were finished in seams. They were mixed in with the more textured sort of fabrics, the tone on tone, etc.
As far as the lines in the white, that is an issue. I press open and usually don't have too much of a problem, but sometimes I have to work with what I've got and I will say that not all whites are created equal. While I judge fabric on a piece by piece basis, there are reasons on why some white on whites can be less expensive than others. Sometimes using a foundation helps. Sometimes bright white batting makes a surprising difference.