Ugg. I love / hate the design process.
Here’s a short version of a story I’d like to tell more elongatedly.
I made a weaving, rectangular, quilt design in February that matches current decor perfectly.
“Eh it’s boring”. That quilt is still in pieces, ready to be put into rows, ready for me to decide a clever weaving border for it.
… Then there’s been my recent smaller square quilts that I’ve been doing … in addition to the hurricane quilt that hasn’t been touched since I’ve been trying to baste it to remove the oil stain on it (might not remove it all the way, it’s starting to add more character to the hurricane story I’m building around this quilt).
and more … “eh, squares are really just not my thing”, “I’m not digging that color”, “can’t you put in some more exciting blocks” ….
hmm …. okaaayyyy ….
So I was working on the alternate blocks on electric quilt for my latest quilt, Exothermic Wonders, current version that you’ve seen below.
This is what I started with. the variation I liked the most of what people also liked the most.
But I ran out of black & so did the store. So I got some lower contrast, darker orange /red-orange fabrics for alternate blocks, and I finally put the fabrics into EQ7 this weekend, thinking as long as the blocks are fairly low contrast, there is still the main design.
Here’s one version:
But here’s the version I liked even better that that one:
I was working out how much fabric would I need for the alternate blocks as I was designing them, so I removed the outer borders from the electric quilt design, which, I have had completed for at least a month or two.
And finally, from over my shoulder:
“Hey, I like that!” “I could see that quilt if you take out the pink ones because they’re too distracting, but I like that.”
And this was said without the borders, so I quick put the picture above on the screen and say, you mean this one?
“No. I don’t like the borders.” “Do it without the borders.” “Well, it’s your quilt, and you can do it how you want, but I like it without the borders – too distracting.” “This new design is simple – more symmetrical.” “The borders look too much like the quilt on the inside, same style”.
So if I listen to this request, I get a quilt that is ACTUALLY wanted, but then … not large enough.
So I need to make more of the middle blocks (that are done & have been sewn together since July, & cut since April), and then, what the heck do I do with all the borders that are also already done? I suppose I could do the back with them, or have a bonus quilt from it?
That, and to do the alternate blocks the way they are, I require more fabric anyway. But I DO like the stability of the alternate blocks as they are. (Actually slightly lower contrast than what’s shown here also)
So here’s my new design, assuming I don’t revert back to the border one.
Which I do admit, I like (right now). But this means a lot of paper piecing for the alternate blocks. Hopefully I’ll like the end result.
Tried putting the borders as alternate blocks, and I almost liked it too, less work, but more scrappy, and I do like how non-scrappy these alternate blocks are.
(sorry about the poor quality, it looks better before I post the design, don’t know what’s going on with that).
