Beauty truly is in the eye of the beholder!
 

I just love surfing the boards, ya'll make some really beautiful stuff and I love to see it. So, thanks for sharing all that ya do.
I bought a Jelly Roll a few years ago that I just fell in love with. It was back when Wal-Mart carried the 42 strip Jelly Rolls, at a really cheap price. Now the price went up and the rolls are only 20 strips. :-( So, I no longer buy any of them. Anyways, I loved this one as it had an Asian feel to it that my son just loves. So, I set out to make a braid quilt for him. Well, after making the first braid I hated it! Absolutely hated everything about it, the colors didn't play nicely, it was way to busy, etc,.. I ended up shelving it after making a few adjustments to it. I still couldn't bring myself to work on it no matter what I did. It was just... Blech!

This year I am working hard on finishing all current UFOs & WIPs, so far I have completed 4 of them. Yay! But this one was next in the line. I put it on the design wall and just let it sit. For days that turned into weeks. Finally, I decided to just get it done. What could I do to break up the busy-ness and make it play nicer? I worked the rest of the braids and wrote down any ideas that hit me. Once I got all the braids made, I started adding fabric and moving stuff around. ya know how we do when we are not liking the direction something is going, right? Well, this is the end result:

The first pic is the finished product, yes it actually does lay flat but my front room is too small to show that. Also, my camera is really crappy so the colors are not true. While it is still busy, I feel it's more contained than just putting the braids side by side.

The 2nd pic is the backing I made for it. I used a big print I will never use in anything and the red from the front made it wide enough to back the top. It is hard to tell but the red is a marbled red and is just fabulous! I hate to see the end of that cut.

The last pic shows the border fabric better. It is paisleys edged with a golden tan on a flat black background. All the colors in the quilt. I just quilted wavy diagonal lines across each rectangle and loop-de-loos on the border. Nothing on the red so it would stand out a bit. Moving here from a small town has sure been a real shock to me and everything I know. When making the label for this one, I just couldn't get past how it reminds me of OKC rush hour traffic! Organized chaos that makes you realize that just when you think it's gonna flow one way something changes and it goes a whole other way. So, this one is called "Big City~Slipstream" in honor of the chaos one meets on the roads here.

This quilt is still not to my liking but, recently my mom stopped over and fell in love with it while it was on the design wall. She just loved the reds and blacks, even the polka dot ones that "really grab ya!" as she says. She has been hinting about not getting any quilts for 5 years now so, I reckon this one will make her happy on Mother's Day this year. Thanks for stopping by!

I think your quilt is quite beautiful. Congratulations on sticking to it until you had something you liked, or at least, didn't hate. I think your mom will be delighted to get this quilt, and maybe, in time, you will grow to like it too. Lois

It is really nice and I can understand your mother taking a liking to it. She will love your gift to her.

you did a beautiful job with this.

i like them!

You've done a beautiful job. I really like the design of the chevrons .

I think it turned out nice. How great that your mom (who doesn't yet have a quilt - shame) loves it and Mothers Day is just around the corner.

Wow--I love it, too. Too bad I'm not your mom :)

I'm with your Mom - I love it.

I think it looks great. Your mom will be so thrilled.

I think it is a terrific quilt!

Very nice!! Lucky Mom! Your original layout of the braids is perfect for the fabrics.

Congrats on the lovely finish! :)

very nicely done!!!!

I think it is stunning!

I love the way it looks (both front and back).

I think it is quite elegant. You did a great job. Lucky Mom.

Oh no, she does have a quilt from me and several quilty things like wall hangings, table mats, holiday decor..etc,..
It's just that her quilt is 5 yrs old and as she puts it, "You know that quilt is getting kinda worn out, sure would be nice to get a new one. Sooooometime.". LoL!

I do think it turned out well, there's just something about it I don't like. I am just glad it has a home to go to! I appreciate all the kind words, thanks so much!!

I think your quilt is beautiful

Your mom will love it? It's a beautiful quilt!

They are wonderful!!!!

Wow! This is a story for the books! Well written! After all your agonizing and playing, you have come up with a winner! I am so impressed you stuck to it and completed this project. AND, you found someone who loves this quilt and will appreciate all the energy you put into it. Win win win! Congrats on making it to the finish line and for completing a job well done.

:thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:

i think it looks great. pretty

Your mother is getting a great gift. A lot of thought and work went into that quilt.

It came out great! It was worth sticking with!

I'm with your mom.......... and like your quilt a lot! Very nice use of colors and a simple, but elegant design!

This is beautiful. Your mom is going to be so happy when you give it to her.

Really pretty!!!!!!

It is so unique - very pretty - your mom will love and you will too after you know how much she enjoys it!

Beautiful!

I love everything about your quilt! It is so pretty, and it's easy to see why your mother loves it!

Delightful is the word that came to my mind when I clicked on your post. The sashing really sets it off. A top quilt IMHO.

Very pretty! You have an eye for colors.

I love it. I think it is beautiful. I especially like that those dark patches are symmetrical. Did you plan that or was it one of those happy accidents? Love it!

You did good. It is a very lovely quilt indeed.

Incredible remodeling job. I also think it is very nice, would love to be your Mom!

Thankfully we are all different. I am glad your Mother loved it. I do too.

this beholder says it's pretty, good job, sure it will make her a happy mothers day gift.

I can see why she loved it. Great job.

Creative way to accomplish a beautiful result. No one will ever know how you struggled.