Friday 2 February 2018

Back to the beginning

Several thoughts have occurred to me.  

The first is that my practice of never buying more than 1/2 yard cuts fits very well with my habit of working with relatively small units.  If I try to make bigger blocks this might cause me some issues.  That's not to say I won't give it a go, I'm just giving myself a mental warning.

The second thought is that I have made several quilts already where I mixed up different sized versions of a block, like this or this, so it might be interesting to try to move beyond that in whatever I do this time.  Though I'm not going to beat myself up  if that seems the best idea when I get down to it.  This leads me to think I am definitely going to throw at least one large scale print into the mix this time around and I have been trying out some combinations of shirts, large-scale prints and whatever else I can find.

This was take one:
 
The black and green print might be hard to work with and I'm not at all sure I want to make a whole quilt that's just those two colours, but what if I added in earth tones, like this


This might work, though the balance is not right at the moment (too much black for me) and I'm not absolutely sure I would  like a quilt in these colours  - an extra challenge or a step too far?

Or I could get a bit more cheerful - something like this.


Hum...not sure.  And maybe I won't go with either of these, but I need to make a decision of some sort and I can't starting thinking about where I'm heading until I know what I'm taking with me.


16 comments:

Judy said...

That's a great way to play with color, to lay out the choices, and then view them over time. It's interesting how the addition of another color changes the whole dynamic of the quilt.
Have fun playing!

Wtrstone said...

Thanks for sharing your musings... I find this the hardest part of starting a quilt - even when I use a pattern.

Robin said...

I really like the first mix of fabrics. But, it doesn't matter what I like, it has to please you.

Janie said...

As Kaffe Facett would say, 'Glorious Color!'
Have fun Kaja.

Julierose said...

Love that Black & Blue large print...your quilt muse will strike you soon i am sure...hugs, Julierose

helenjean@midgetgemquilts said...

I love the way your colours all blend well together then you have a pop, sometimes, yellow, sometimes grey, or even grellow, but just enough to well, pop

Quilter Kathy said...

All lovely collections, but I do love the first photo!!

Mystic Quilter said...

So interesting watching how you harvest the fabrics needed for your next project. I do like the collection in your second photo but agree that perhaps using a lot of the focus fabric could overwhelm the other fabrics. I also find addition of the soft coral pieces appealing. Difficult decision - I've certainly begun two quilts going in a different direction to my usual way of choosing colour and then became unstuck. So, we shall wait and see which way you go.

audrey said...

It's really interesting to make choices with fabrics at the start of a quilt. Love the idea of mixing in a larger print. Once in a great while I will purposefully use a colorway that feels a little uncomfortable to me, but like you say, sometimes it's a step too far.:)

Ann said...

So interesting to see where you start. I like the second group better because you have several larger (or obvious) prints. The first appears more like one print with a bunch of coordinating solids. May not be explaining properly.
You will amaze us however you develop these.

Ann said...

Correction: the last group.

Cathy said...

Oh, I like all the combos. But what do I know? I usually know where I'm headed but don't take much with me and acquire things as I go. That way I avoid decisions, decisions, decisions!

Quiltdivajulie said...

" but I need to make a decision of some sort and I can't starting thinking about where I'm heading until I know what I'm taking with me." --- one of the best process comments ever. I have my fabrics and a plan for the challenge but not enough time yet to begin. That is really quite a bother!

Sandy Panagos said...

I like them all, but my money is on you doing up with an entirely different combination!

Yvonne from Quilting Jetgirl said...

I personally really love the first grouping with the additional earth tones. I look forward to seeing what speaks to you!

patty a. said...

The fabric in the second picture is an interesting combo. Just the hits of earth tones could add that bit of pow to this quilt.