Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Playing Around


I wanted to make a red, white, grey and black quilt for someone who loves red. This quilt included many many many HST's. I had an idea and I drew it out...




Then I made HST's and HST's and more HST's. I don't mind the repetitiveness of this activity as it is systematic and organized and produces a lovely pile of pretty little squares when complete. As I may have mentioned before, this type of activity fits well with my personality!


I used many different gorgeous print fabrics and did not plan for which went together. I was really trying to let myself go for the scrappiness of it all (Ha ha, I say now in retrospect).



I was super duper excited to begin playing with my squares. I popped them up onto my design wall into the pattern from my sketch and went 'ohhhhhh'. I went 'ohhhhhh', not in a good way. Boring. Messy - definitely not organized. I felt like my eyes had no where to rest. Man o man - I really have a hard time with scrappy. Why is it that I LOVE and ADORE so many scrappy quilts out there - yet I cannot feel it when it's mine??!!! I took it down so fast I actually did not even think to take a picture to share!


I did enjoy the play the ensued though. It's amazing how many designs these HST's can be rearranged into. I had no idea! I played and I played...



And I played...



I liked this diamond one, but felt it still did not offer enough rest for my eyes. I realized here, during this stage, that I liked the diamonds - especially with the backgrounds of each diamond using the same fabrics. I was getting somewhere.





Go bigger. I decided that bigger might help with the busyness of all the different patterns in the fabrics. I liked these new, bigger diamonds a lot.




Then I put my 2 ideas together, bigger diamonds - with fabrics in the center and backgrounds that match and YES! This makes my eyes and heart happy. This is the design I am going with. It has meant there has been some (MUCH!) stitch ripping and re-sewing to make enough HST's with the same fabrics for each block, but it is by far worth it as I see the design grow and I know it is the 'right' one.



I love how the design process is dynamic and flowing. It is interesting to me to see what I start with and what I end up with. I love that I can keep going when something doesn't please my eye - until I find just the design that does. These steps in the design of this quilt have been a great learning process for me. Now that I am settled on the design, I have begun to think about the quilting - always my fave part!


Hope you are all having a fabulous week in sewing and such! Linking up with Work in Progress Wednesday at Freshly Pieced.

~Lisa





17 comments:

  1. Good on you for sticking with it until you found something that you love. I must admit that I liked a few of them on your journey, but agree that the final version is the best!

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  2. Love the result you came out with! Good on you for discarding your original design and try to work out a solution, even though it meant ripping and re sewing.

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  3. Fantastic! Thanks for sharing how your ideas grew - and you are right, playing is an integral part of design (and fun!)

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  4. It's awesome how versitile HST's can be! I love your sketched design too.

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  5. That last one is my favorite. HSTs are one of the best things out there for versatile design, especially when using warm/cool or strongly contrasting colors.

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  6. Ooh! I love this! The final diamonds you went with look great! I'm hoping to make a quilt with this color palette, so this has been very insightful.

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  7. This is really pretty. I love the colors that you are using. So many pretty black and white fabrics. I love HST's because you can do so much with them. I don't mind sewing them but the trimming-oh the trimming. Great job!

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  8. What a cool pattern for HSTs! I think it will be a very nice scrappy quilt!

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  9. Love the colour combinations. Can not wait to see what you end up doing with this.

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  10. This is a beauty. I love the colors and scrappiness!

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  11. Great sketch and beautiful color combo. This will look beautiful either way you put it together.

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  12. I love those big diamonds. so pretty and not a cluttered as a really super scrappy quilt can be.
    E

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  13. I quite liked your starting sketch, but i love your big diamonds!

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  14. I love the versatility of HST. You can do so much with them. I love your design, it is going to be a fabulous quilt.

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  15. This is going to be so nice- my son loves red, orange, and black together and I have to admit I have been struggling with the thought of making a quilt in those colors- but add a lot of white and grey and I think it's gorgeous! Thanks for the inspiration!

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  16. Good luck getting this one finished - it will definitely be worth it in the end!

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  17. I love your original sketch but appreciate that the reality isn't always as we expect it to be. The design you've decided to go with is a winner :)

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