Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Jumping the Gun


Here is the big, hot mess that graces my kitchen table this morning. And while I have all of your rapt attention, I thought I'd whine about it to someone who might care - or at least sympathize.

I was so inspired and excited by all your comments I decided to give a go to a pattern I had been contemplating for the Bohemian for a long time now, the Drunkard's Path. I used the template for the Joel Dewberry Deer Valley pattern found on the Free Spirit website. I'd seen so many other great circle quilts like these ones here and here that I thought it would look great with these big, bold prints.

Well guess what? I hate it.


I got pretty excited that I was able to pull off these curves fairly successfully my first time and made this test block. It wasn't near as difficult as I had feared! So I got a little rotary blade-happy. By the time I started laying some things out I was totally frustrated. So much so that Mark ordered me to go relax with the New Moon DVD he brought home for me and my knitting (which I also screwed up).

So what to do? I have a plan, I think. I do want to do a circular quilt at some time, but not with these prints. I am thinking a more calming pattern will take some of the busyness away and a nice neutral solid (linen?) will bring it all together. I am a bit heartbroken I wasted the only fat eighth of red circle dots I had, but I think it is time to just let go of this debaucle and move forward.

After all, there are more important things in the world to lose sleep over, right? I guess if this is my biggest worry of the day I am one lucky girl:).

And if anyone has a similar story to share I'd love to hear it!

19 comments:

  1. oh - I'm so sorry...I've done that before too - cut out all pieces, started making the quilt, and then didn't like it at all! Hopefully someone has some more red circle dots to send you! If you want to trade for the cut- out circle pieces , let me know....

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  2. I am sorry you were dissappointed... I know the feeling to have a vision and the end result be different? One suggestion, if you have a design wall, hang it on there and look at it from a distance? It might give you a different perspective? Or take a photo of your one block, crop it and then copy a whole page with while rotating it some? I think it looks nice though.

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  3. I could cry for you! I love it though. I like the business of it. But I know how you feel. I made a string quilt out of my FMF recently and the more I look at the unquilted top hanging on my closet door, the more I hate it.

    It would look beautiful if you made a grandmothers flower garden, and that way you could use the cut out pieces. You can even re-piece some together to get big enough squares for your paper hexes. A solid, like the kaufman carolina chambray in natural, or some essex linen blend would work really well as the 'path' around the flowers. Don't despair!!!

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  4. Drunkard's path is a bit of an obsession of mine as well. I agree that this looks a bit overwhelming, but fear not! I think adding some kind of neutral is a great idea -- why not just take all of your pieces and pair them with the neutral, so each block is one piece pattern and one piece neutral? This is how the Drunkard's Path version I did is constructed and it really tones it down. That way none of your cutting is wasted and all you need to do is take apart the blocks you've sewn and reassemble them with the neutral. My drunkard's path, if you're interested: http://www.amyalamode.com/blog/2009/06/09/quilt-11-bouncing-baby-blanket/ . Good luck!

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  5. I feel for you! But I agree with Amy (and came over to leave a similar comment!) I think keeping the center circles you've already cut and pairing them with a neutral would be really great! Maybe something a little like this -- http://www.flickr.com/photos/9274797@N08/4457738886/

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  6. The prints are sooooo lovely, and all want to be the centre of attention, which is probably why it looks so busy. Adding a neutral fabric is one way to go, another would be to pick some of the colours from the prints and grab some solids in those colours, then you could alternate your circles and surrounds so that you have a print circle with a solid surround, and then a solid circle(various colours) with a print surround. I think that would look great, and the solid fabric would give the eye a place to rest so that you wouldn't be overwhelmed by all the competing gorgeous prints. I can't wait to see what you do with the circles, the Bohemian fabric is sooooooo yummy! Good luck! :-)

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  7. I think the problem with Bohemian is that there is very little 'light and shade'. No real difference in 'values'. They are almost all really busy prints.

    There are some great ideas in the comments above. It might still be salvageable!

    And you have just convinced me to try a drunkard's path block. Really...it wasn't that hard?

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  8. Awww shoot. I do stuff like that all the time. I just get so excited and I don't want to wait or do it the "right" way or be patient or whatever, so I end up ruining it and having to buy new materials and start all over. Actually - this happened a week or two ago when I was making a skirt out of a vintage sheet I'd been saving FOREVER, envisioning this perfect skirt I was going to make. I was talking to my sister on the phone at the same time, and I was really mad at her and giving her a tongue lashing about this thing she's been dealing with, and at the same time I was trying to alter this skirt - and I kept HACKING and SLASHING at it, hardly knowing what I was doing, and suddenly I held it up and it was practically a miniskirt!! I seriously almost cried. Fortunately, I found a way to save it (added a drop waist in another sheet that matches perfectly) and really love it - and am in fact wearing it at this moment.

    Whew.

    I sure hope you discover something you love as a way to use your cut-up pretties! Oh, and it sounds like you have a good man on your hands. :)

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  9. Oh yeah, and my sister listened to me and is now the happier for it, so I guess it wasn't all in vain. :)

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  10. First of all, I am in love with your husband. Brings you fabric when on business trips, makes wine and pulled you away to relax last night! I love the big pieces that showcase the fabric and think pairing with neutrals would be great. Or perhaps pick another pattern taking into account the lack of difference in color values of the prints and still have large chunks showcasing the fabrics you love. Pull out the circles in a few months and see if you are feeling it, add the neutrals and you will have two quilts with the fabrics you love.

    So sorry you had a false start with this one!

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  11. Aw. :( I would say adding a solid or two (brown and linen?) to give the eye a place to rest among all the patterns may help. Maybe a smaller throw or cushions instead of a large quilt? Or sashing the blocks in a neutral instead of having them all run together? It's not unsalvageable!

    When in doubt, leave it on the design wall for a week, and live with it. Inspiration will strike when you least expect it. Good luck!

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  12. I completely understand your frustration and disappointment. I have been there and have even come close to tears over fabric that I have loved....and lost. If it makes you feel any better (even though I know that others loving something doesn't really change the way we feel) I really love it. I looked at the pictures before I read (I was so excited over the circles, I just had to look) and my first thought was....OMG I LOVE IT!!! I can see how you would feel it is a bit overwhelming in the pattern...but that is what I love about the bohemian style. It doesn't follow rules of balance in color or pattern....and sometimes the most busy bohemian patterns that you can find are the most spectacular. Maybe just step back for a day and let it sink in before ripping it apart (so much easier said than done)....it may grow on you.

    I had my sister come look at it and she loves it too!!

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  13. I'm with the others. Just replace them to where you have some solids intermingled -- like one is crazy backgrounds with a solid circle, then the next is crazy circle with a solid background, etc. I think it would look super cool that way and you could salvage your pieces, too.

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  14. I'm sorry that the trial run did not go well. But perhaps the you could salvage the test block by cutting it up and repurposing it. Combine it with some solids into a potholder or a mini doll quilt. Make the big square into smaller ones and you might like it better paired down.

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  15. When I first saw this I thought it looked terrific!!! I understand what you mean about it being busy. I've had that happen too, getting all psyched up to use certain fabrics and then it going right into the scrap bin!

    Maybe the trick with this line would be to use more of certain prints, the ones that are less busy like the green filigree print and less of the other busy prints. It will help it to sort of showcase the busy prints...if you were aiming more towards using the entire line as is? I know with the drunkards path I did it was all about how your eye flowed through the quilt. Oh and I thumb tacked batting right to the wall to use as a design wall, it really helped give the drunkards path a perspective! =)

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  16. I understand how frustrating it can be to be ready to use fabric you love and it not work out as planned. However, I always love the business of other peoples quilts but when it comes to mine I feel like you do...sometimes it isn't until you finish it and stand back that it is something you like too. I am too chicken to waste or gamble special fabric to take the chance. I think some solids would be nice to accent the beautiful prints. Lol, I know the knitting mess ups too.

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  17. I'm so soryy, you totaly have my sympathy!
    And after all that time you spent collecting it!!
    I think it looks great, but I know that doesn't necessarily helps.
    I think the idea of using solids and colors alternating is sounds cool!

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  18. dang, i so know what it feels like to be soo excited and then it bombs...you'll rebound...and it'll feel good when you do. i do hope you can make it out to fabric crush...it'd be so fun to meet. (and cupcakes too!)

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  19. I have to say it looks great and I love the look with those exquisite fabrics1

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