What I Did With Your Advice

/ Monday 2 August 2010 /

Love Birds, originally uploaded by Shadrach Meshach & Abednego.
Thanks, everyone, for your advice. It was really, really helpful. From reading over everyone's comments,it seemed that the general feeling was that it needed a bit more than the plain row of squares that I showed you last time, but that the spiky border I had envisioned would be too much. And yet, a plain border would perhaps be too stark. So I used the remaining purple that I had to make a border, inset with some of the linen and cotton from the squares. I had to augment with this purple blender fabric. That blender fabric looks bluer here than it does in real life, where it does its job and blends a bit more successfully than one would imagine from the photo. I also saved the words to go on the back, as most of you suggested.
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I do worry that the quilt top looks a bit like a hobo parade, and I have to confess that I think it just misses the mark. The fact that I am working to a desperate deadline and that I was restricted to the fabrics I had on hand (LQS is closed on Sunday and the civic holiday today) are more explanations than excuses.
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Oh well.  I keep reminding myself of the magic that happens once a project gets quilted, bound, washed, and dried, and comes out all crinkly and any harshness or starkness is somehow soothed away.  Please keep your fingers crossed for me! What I do like about this is the wonderful linen panel in the centre. I have another one that I kept for myself - the same print but green instead of purple.
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After this one is all quilted, I'll think carefully about lessons learned and then try again. I do love how these fabrics show up against the sunlight.
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And here's another question for you. I think I would like to start a hand piecing project, but NOT hexagons. I am utterly saturated with seeing hexagons all over the blogopolis, and I just don't feel the love. But I do see the appeal of having a project that is portable and I would like to build my hand piecing skills. (Not hand quilting - I like the durability that machine quilting gives.) Can you give me some suggestions for a hand piecing project? Cathedral Windows, for example?

12 comments:

{ Sarah Craig } on: 2 August 2010 at 22:34 said...

Hi, Lesly! First of all, love the quilt! That is a very unique border and I think it will grow on you - it's kind of like looking at modern art..... And you might try Spun Sugar Quilts' giant pincushion tutorial for a hand-piecing project- it's a really cute and easy large pincushion, all hand pieced and easy to tote around to games and such. It's big enough that you can fussy-cut some of the pieces if you have neat fabric. I've just finished one and plan to make several more for Christmas presents!

{ Thelma } on: 2 August 2010 at 23:07 said...

I just stumbled across something new today, clam shells, are you familiar?

Check out this blog,
http://mylifeinquilts.blogspot.com/

I understand your desire to be able to do handwork, sometimes it's just not practical to be sitting at a sewing machine.

I think you're being a little hard on yourself, that is one lovely quilt. Great job!

{ Unknown } on: 3 August 2010 at 03:41 said...

Yes this works - it's just stunning - and I love the small sections of random piecing in the border sashing - you could do something similar in the binding strip too - you can check out what I mean on this DQS9 top (http://www.flickr.com/photos/35368186@N06/4779459439/in/pool-316080@N24/)- just an idea

{ Heidi } on: 3 August 2010 at 08:23 said...

I think it turned out beautiful and perfect. The border is just lively enough, but not to wild.
Great !!!

{ elle } on: 3 August 2010 at 08:38 said...

I think you've nailed it. Yes, darn inconvenient to have that holiday yesterday. I needed batting! 8^)

{ Metanoia } on: 3 August 2010 at 08:47 said...

I really like what you did with the border.

For my hand piecing suggestion - diamonds. I really like the idea of diamonds more than hexagons but I still thing it would work well for hand sewing.

{ Quiltstory } on: 3 August 2010 at 10:28 said...

Ahhh! LOVE this quilt!! Gorgeous!! We would love to feature this quilt, or ANY of your quilts!! Hop on over to our blog, Quiltstory, and let me know if you're interested!

{ Jessica } on: 3 August 2010 at 10:48 said...

I really like how this top turned out, and now i'm glad i didn't comment on your post asking for advice because i liked the spikey border idea (hehe). as for hand piecing.. I also don't feel love for hexagons, but they are everywhere. I even started a project with them this summer just to see if I could jump on the bandwagon, but I wasn't loving it. I find much more satisfaction with Eng paper pieced DIAMONDS, in star formations. (check out my blog, that's all I've been doing most of the summer..). So so portable, quick piecing (mine have 1.5" sides) and very gratifying. the color/fabric combos are limitless. I even made a video to show how I do it..

{ Lee D } on: 3 August 2010 at 10:50 said...

the quilt is lovely, I like the colours so cheer and bright, yet rich! I am working on hexagons, and love doing them! I can do a couple during a TV show and feel like i get something done if I don't get to the machine

{ Lindsay } on: 3 August 2010 at 14:39 said...

It looks fantastic; I love what you chose to do.

{ Claudia } on: 4 August 2010 at 11:42 said...

It looks great, Lesly, and once you've got it quilted, I think it will really bring it together. It looks like love birds meets Gee's Bend. LOL

How about an Hawaiian quilt. My sister started on one and I'm sorely tempted to drop all my projects and try my hand at this - maybe just starting with a pillow to see if I like it.

{ Rene' } on: 4 August 2010 at 16:01 said...

Lesly, love how you finished this quilt! It really does the beautiful center panel justice. As for a hand sewing project, I recommend the embroidery color wheel project Amy at Park City Girl did a while back. It's not hand piecing, but it is a fun, easy and portable project. I made my small one into a mini wall quilt and am working on a larger version.

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