Thursday 23 May 2019

Melting ice cream

Putting my blocks together on the floor it became pretty clear to me that I don't really want them touching each other - they just blend into an overwhelming mess of sweetness, a bit like a pool of melting ice cream.  In fact, the more I looked at them like that, the less I liked them and as I went to bed last night I was wondering about sticking the whole lot in a box and hiding it at the back of the garage.  

However it's not in my nature to let myself off the hook, so today I got on with adding a bit of something more, to see if I could get to somewhere I felt happier with.  The black print seems to work well
and, digging in my boxes for something with that emerald green from the magpie fabric (didn't find anything) I came across a white-based print that also seemed to fit. 
I have been playing around with combining the sweet colours and these two and don't mind the result, especially when I up the quantity of bird shirt I'm including.   At the moment I don't love it but I don't hate it either.
It seems a bit bloody-minded to buy a pile of ice-cream coloured shirts and then complain that they are too sweet, so I will stop doing that now, but I'm thinking that I may still need an extra something...

13 comments:

JanineMarie said...

I think you’re on to something. The lights sure were pastel and sweet, but those new fabric choices add movement and a sense of scale (not sure how to say that).

patty a. said...

You are getting somewhere with those additions! I also like the touch of that gold sashing in the upper left block. Still a bit sweet, but it is getting spicy. I am glad you didn't chuck it in the back of the garage! LOL!!!

Janie said...

I love a good mix of everything. That's what makes a good party, you put the loud personality in with the sweeter, quieter ones and you put the prickly in with those who smooth things out. I think opposites attract for good reason.
Have you ever been to a party or get together where everyone was the 'same', talk about BORING!
You aren't living till you live on the edge, not everybody understands that.

Libby in TN said...

That added bird fabric is perfect! And the touches of black definitely tone it down. I lover your analogy of melting ice cream ...

Ann said...

All the pastels are so sweet, kind of like the Chinese Coin top I just made. Good for a baby but not for me. However, it certainly is fun to work with these light colors. Adding more birds and the strong floral prints certainly makes yours more interesting. I am curious to see what else you do. BTW, that magpie fabric is wonderful!

Mystic Quilter said...

Looking to your last post I see where you're coming from in this one on the matter of too many pastels touching, love the post title!!! Your black fabric with the bright orange and white daisies looks so good as a separator for the pastel blocks and I see you have a central block holding my nemesis!!

Kim said...

I cannot wait to return and see where your imagination leads you.

Quilter Kathy said...

I loved reading your post today and smiled the whole time wondering what you would come up with!
Do you have any ice cream cone waffle fabric to add?!?!
Or some chocolate sauce fabric?

Linda @ kokaquilts said...

It's nice to see you working with these sweet & pastel colours. When I'm tempted to work with a lighter palette, I have found it's not so easy, as sometimes they all just seem to melt into one another! Love your additions and look forward to what comes next...

Marly said...

Kathy suggests chocolate sauce (above) and I thought immediately of a "Milk Flake" and wafers/cone. Perhaps adding those colours would change the melting ice cream into something more palatable!

Kat Scott said...

wow - this one is a challenge. If only you could find some of that emerald green or maybe some really bright white to perk up those pastels.

Mary Marcotte said...

First, I love the magpie! You definitely have a good thing going with that fabric. Squeeze every bird from that fabric that you possibly can. And the other bird fabric is just enough to create a nice theme without going overboard.

Now those ice cream colors. I just don't know. I think the black sashing works well because it picks up the black of the magpie, but I also like the other two fabrics. Maybe mix it up the way you have in the last photo. I just like the darker colors against those light ones.

I've never lost an iron. I've broken a few. My concrete floors are hard on the cheap irons I buy and apparently I'm quite clumsy. Spending a great deal of money on an iron that I will inevitably knock onto the floor just doesn't make sense. So I'll never own one of those fancy Oliso or Rowenta irons. I'm even afraid to walk by when there's one set up at a retreat.

Soma @ inkTorrents.com said...

I think it's slowly taking shape. I like that yellow leave/dark flower strips that you are using. The magpie is fabulous. Do you want to add a bit more contrast/shadow? That might take away the "melting" feeling you are getting with these blocks.

-Soma