Out of my comfort zone
 

I am making a quilt that is out of my comfort zone...not because it is too difficult, but because of all the colors in it. I have always known that I don't really like the scrappy look for myself, though I do like scrappy quilts others make.

Well, I fell for a quilt I saw here that was scrappy. I am in the middle of it now. I started off liking it well enough, I am just putting blocks on the design wall at the moment, but when I added 8 blocks to the design wall last night, now all it looks like is chaos to me. I like it when I take a picture of it, but here in real life, not so much.

What do you do when you are in the middle of a quilt and aren't sure you like it? I am sure I will keep going, but I haven't cut out the fabric for more blocks yet. I could make more blocks of the same fabric, and I think that would make me like it more. Just not sure.

Thoughts? I have 42 blocks done and need 22 more to make the quilt the size I want. I will attach a picture.

...5 minutes later...and now I think I may just put it up and worry about it later. It just isn't "speaking to me," as they say. :)

Dina

If you start with the top block on the left & look at the rows on a diagional they all line up until you get to the bottom right area. You pattern is off starting with the 2nd row up from the bottom, 3rd row in from the right. Some of your blocks in the bottom right corner area are turned the wrong direction. Swap or turn them & then it should look fine.

Although I'm like you in that I love other quilters scrappy quilts, but have only made one myself, and I did like it, and I think one of the reasons that I don't make more, is the fact that I have so much yardage to cut up. LOL I love your quilt though and the design, but if YOU don't like it, I would just put the blocks together that you've already got done, and finish quilting it and give it to either a charity, of which there are plenty of, or give it as a gift to someone you know.

I think your colors look fantastic. If you feel like you don't want to continue making blocks finish your top with what you have. Then get it quilted and I think that you will be in love with it. Once you get over that initial hurdle I think that you might grow to love this look

How about sashing between the blocks to pull them away from each other a bit. It might add some "order" to the quilt. It would, change that secondary square. On the lower right hand part, the next to the last column, you have three blocks all turned the same way (the paralelogram's long side is horizontal), and I think it is pretty. Maybe fool with the layout a bit and see if turning them all the same way makes it feel less chaotic to you.

Those are beautiful fabrics.

I just finished a mystery BOM that didn't really like. I just kept plugging away since I had made all the components for it. I did end up ripping apart one block because it REALLY looked out of place, and added an extra border on the top & bottom. Then I put 2 more borders on it to help tie in the colors. In the end it turned out OK, and remember someone will find your quilt perfect for them-time will reveal who will be the ideal recipient. I think your pattern & colors are great.

Thanks, I see that now. I fixed that. (I have been playing with these a lot to try to make it so I like it.)

Dina

I will play with that idea. I think I simply have to find some place for my eyes to rest....

Dina

It is lovely! The three columns on the right do need to be "straightened" as they are off from the pattern. Often when I am in the middle of making a larger quilt I do not like the fabric/patttern etc. any more. It is as if I get saturated and can't see the original picture any more. I would say push on and do the next 22 blocks or so or just use these blocks and make a lap quilt. It will be lovely. Just be sure to separate the pinks and purples just like you did in the picture.

Perhaps if you arrange the blocks differently, in a pattern of color, that might make it more to your liking.

Start with the greens in the diagonal, then migrate to the blues, then to the purples and finally the pinks. Just glancing the blocks you have, I think that is doable, even if you have to make a few more blocks of a few colors to balance it out.

Also play with the orientation of the blocks. You might like it better if they are oriented the same way.

can you pull the like shades/tones together in more of a rainbow effect to tone down the random scrappy that is bothering you?

edited to say Susan was posting while I was, great minds and all :)

The pattern is brilliant, the batiks play well. I'd never make another quilt if my working wall was taken away, for me it is as much a tool as the sewing machine.

You can do it! Working out of our comforts zones, ALWAYS have us doubting our work. Play with layout.... like colors in a row or groupings, darker to lighter, etc, ... just play. When you get to something you 'kinda' like walk away and let it rest, coming back later to see what you feel. Scrap quilts can be a challenge. I am working on my 5th (or is it 6th) and I still am asking myself... if it will work. I just keep going. So far I love the finished quilts. Sometimes it's the borders that puts them all together, or the quilting... one never knows. I figure the worst is that it is my 'utility' quilt, for the picnic, races or car quilt. Or it could be donated.

I love the colors and think it will look great when finished. In addition to the bottom right that needs a fix to the layout, I think what might be throwing you off is that the last row creates 1/2 the design. I am funny about things being symmetrical, so if it were mine, I'd take that last vertical row and add it to the bottom, which would create a more symmetrical design and really show off the "rings" that the individual blocks form.

If you still don't like the look, add a solid inner border of the same fabric you used for background and an outer border that isn't too busy. That will help tone it down for you.

It looks like you used watercolor-type Batiks, i.e., Hoffman or similar in most of your blocks and a handful of Batiks with a 'stronger' - much more contrast - print some other blocks. For example, Row 1, 3rd from the right (you have 3 of these blocks), Row 2, 2nd from the right (2 of these blocks) and Row 4, 2nd from the left (2 blocks). What if you replaced those blocks with others using watercolor Batiks? Use those 7 blocks on the back of your quilt!

Maybe using a variety of watercolor Batiks throughout your quilt might give it a better look.
Just my humble opinion - - - -


Jane

Thanks for all the good suggestions. I have just put Angelia's suggestion on my design wall, and this may work. Here is a picture of it.

Dina

I think it is lovely but I am a scrappy lover.
Once you have all the blocks done, maybe you could add a border of one solid color.
Lots of times a border tames the chaos...it 'corrals' all those different colors and makes them part of the whole. Worth a try.

I like that! You might even get away with a batik cornerstone where the sashings meet, if it doesn't "busy it up" too much.

Another good idea! Thanks. I am going to leave this on my design wall and walk by it several times today. I could make it one row longer...

Dina

Rearrange the blocks to make "flowers" using 4 of each color. Then put sashing between the flower blocks.

[QUOTE=jclinganrey;7043378]It looks like you used watercolor-type Batiks, i.e., Hoffman or similar in most of your blocks and a handful of Batiks with a 'stronger' - much more contrast - print some other blocks. For example, Row 1, 3rd from the right (you have 3 of these blocks), Row 2, 2nd from the right (2 of these blocks) and Row 4, 2nd from the left (2 blocks). What if you replaced those blocks with others using watercolor Batiks? Use those 7 blocks on the back of your quilt!

Maybe using a variety of watercolor Batiks throughout your quilt might give it a better look.
Just my humble opinion - - - -



Well, you are good! This is exactly what I did. I started with a layer cake of batiks and then decided I didn't like the rest of the fabrics in it. So I added some that I already had, some that are more jewel colors. May not have been the way to go. :)

Dina

I like it, but I am missing the color yellow. If you add that, I think it will represent a full spectrum of colors. The new arrangement with white sashing looks great!

I was thinking those white squares in the center of each motif need some charging up.
add snowball corners there
add pinwheels there
use a constant color there and in corner stones for unity?
If you use a white square for the corner stones, then add corners to each of the four sashing that meet them would give another pinwheel, so tiny and cute.

we added those kind of corners in clue 2 of bonnie hunters mystery this year
http://quiltville.blogspot.com/2014/...on-part-2.html
pretty easy to do!

here is a sample from one of my quilts doing the pinwheel effect on the sashing so it pinwheels.
Sometimes when chaos reigns, you need to add rather than take away :)

The easier way, might be to join the blocks in sets of four.
That way you can make sure they are all in the right position.

Then put them together on the design wall.
At this point, you can move them around into different positions, and can turn them 1/4, 1/2 or 3/4 turns to get a different look.

I like the way this is looking ... Keep in mind that sometimes the individual blocks just don;t look as nice as once they are sewn together. You'll start to see that change, if you join them in sets of 4, and I think will feel better about what the end result might be.

It looks great now with the sashing.

I love this block. What is the name of it? I need to make one!

Maybe group the blocks into like colors of four and add sashing to the four blocks. They may take on the look of flowers.

It is from a pattern called Picnic in a book called Scrap Basket Sensations by Kim Brackett. I saw the quilt here.

http://www.quiltingboard.com/picture...d-t258334.html

I like her quilt way more than I like mine. The block is not hard to make, though it does take a lot of them if you go for the size on the pattern. I am aiming at a lap sized one.

Dina

When I look at the quilt one way I see that 4squares make a flower petal and when I look another way I see that 4 squares make a circle or snowball. Dashing could highlight either one of these patterns and give the quilt and your brain some order. I love the colors and appreciate how the white fabric sets them off. Hope you will finish because someone else will love this quilt!

I'm working on this same quilt. I love it and I'm not necessarily a scrappy fan. It's hard for me to do. I have taken the scraps from the cut-off corners and made tiny pinwheels. Not sure what I'll do with them but they sure are cute. The block is easy and fun to do. But --- I'm only half done. I appreciate all the suggestions for layout.

I'm with you Dina, I just couldn't get into the other design you showed first, but I really like this one. Keep going it looks great.

Yep and that may change the look (in her eyes) completely!

Oh, pretty! I like it! But if it's too busy for you, -- although it would spoil the secondary patterns and therefore, the look -- you could tone it down by adding sashing between blocks.

I agree. Once you turn those around like the other blocks, you'll be fine. I think that's where you're having trouble. Beautiful quilt. Love the pattern!

Going to be great when finished. Gorgeous!

I think your CHAOS, comes from your lower corner. Feather3 is correct, if you change you lower placement I think you will not feel the chaos. Sometimes when we work on something we miss the mistake. You've done a very nice job. Be very HAPPY that you know how to use you design wall. Your design wall is your friend (when I started quilting I didn't use a design wall - belive me I learn the hard way).

Yes, you are all helping me rethink this, and I really appreciate it. My current plan is to not sash until I add the 8 blocks I just finished. I will make sure all the blocks are positioned correctly. Then I will move some colors around if I need to AND audition a few borders. Maybe in the process I can come to terms with it. If not, the sashing will work for me, but I want to LIKE the original pattern. I know I did really like the pattern after I saw the quilt on this site, because I went out of my way to get the book the pattern is in. So, hopefully, I just need to do some serious playing and take pictures of my results so I can know what I really want.

I have, however, fully established that I should leave the scrappy patterns alone. I can admire scrappy quilts, I just can't make one...or at least enjoy making one. :)

Dina

I like this a lot..

Here is my current plan. I like it enough to do it, though I will leave it up and walk by it for a few hours before that decision is final. :)

Thanks for all the help.

Dina

OMG! It speaks to me! It's lovely. Keep going! If you still don't like it when it's all pieced together, offer it for sale here on the board. I'd buy it, (depending on the size) and I'd love it, too.