First... some pictures that are a bit old and should really be of a now-completed quilt and hopefully it will be soon... especially since it's a gift for Melissa. She's already seen the top which has since been signed by the members of the mom's Bible study we were in together before she moved and the names are now all embroidered (an idea I borrowed from her!). I just need to finish it off so I can mail it to her at her new home in Colorado! Anyway, pictures!
Next...
A fun little mug rug for Dex to bring into work and keep on his desk...
And...
The original sketch for my solid quilt design, followed by...
... the plan! I actually drafted a scale version to make sure I cut all the pieces the right size and such, although next time I need to remember to write the measurements I need to cut, not the finished product! I also think I need a bigger cutting mat (hint hint, Mom) for those bigger sections of fabric. It's a little tricky having to fold the fabric to fit on my mat to cut to size... but I managed. Here's some snapshots of the process...
The first two are the color combinations for the front and back, respectively, the third is my pile of strips and other fabric. I thought it was kinda pretty! And now...
... the finished top! I really like the way the greens work together and with the grey, the blues could use a little help. They just didn't gradiate as well and had more grey tones, especially in this picture! It looks a bit better in person, but not quite as well as I would have liked. But I think Two has already tried to claim it seeing as he was hugging it and wrapping himself up in it. I'm not sure it will be his, however, seeing as the back is much more feminine.
Those are the little pieces of the back waiting for me to sew them all together. And...
... the finished back! I must say I'm a bit in love with this side. The pinks and yellow just work so well together! The solid colors came from the Dusty Kona Cotton charm pack, the grey is the Kona Medium Grey and yellow is Kona Daffodil. The print is an Anna Griffin I have been hoarding in my stash and it was just too perfect not to use. It's pretty much a crib-size quilt, 36" by 44" or so. Now I just need to pin it all together (I even got batting today!) and quilt it.... which is now my dilemma. I got a grey thread to use, but I cannot decide how I want to quilt it! I really like the large pieces of negative space, but they're too big to not quilt at all. And I'm not sure I want the grey thread on the yellow fabric, either. I've also been thinking about staying with a very geometric design versus a more organic theme to soften the overall look. There's also the potential issue of not having a walking foot yet! I've done a little free motion straight line quilting (if that's what you would call it) and it's worked ok, but I'm falling far too much in love with this one to mess it up! Another dilemma I am now faced with is this... I planned on binding the quilt with black. Just plain old stark black. Now that it's all together, I think it's probably a little too stark and harsh. But it would also act as a very nice "frame," which is where I got the idea in the first place. The last problem I have is naming the quilt. So far I've only really come up with "Hermaphrodite" and "Androgyny" because the front is rather masculine while the back is quite feminine. I don't particularly like either of those names, and I think it needs one.
This turned into rather long post, but I had a lot to share! I hope you enjoyed!
YAY! Both projects are looking GOOD! Nice mug rug, too!
ReplyDeleteMumsy agrees that a black border might be a bit harsh. Would a pink from the back work as a border? Pink and grey combo is always lovely as are pink and green (a Mumsy fave, so I'm biased ;-)
OR the lavender-ish shade (front) for a border??
If pink or lavender was used for the border, would that color work for the quilting? Tie vs quilt? Sashiko could be stunning, but time/labor might prohibit...
As for naming: I perceive the front as a calm/reserved mood; the back lively/giddy.
Lecture from Mumsy: Beware of being sexist b/c of colors... The front does not necessarily strike me as overly "masculine" IMHO.
{{{HUGS}}} ...and keep on progress-ing!