Thursday, June 10, 2010

Unfinished Project of Horror, Part 2



So, here's how it started--I had been having fun thinking about Stack-and-Whack quilt blocks, as I have mentioned, and was thinking in the back of my mind about how one might make Stack-and-Whack star blocks. I even made a few sketches and attempts, but didn't get too far, so when I was thrilled when I saw the project in a magazine!

I even had some fabric in mind-- prints from our epic series of Bright Color Quilts, which seemed to be never-ending. I'm afraid between us this is quilt #6 (plus maybe #7) from those original prints--Ibu seriously overbought, then I added, and I was becoming sick of them.
(PS, all those scraps have gone back to Ibu's house and I wash my hands of them--and she has plans for another one or two small quilts, at least!)

I'm afraid the whole project went awry from the beginning and I just couldn't tell at first. I scaled up the pattern from 9" squares to 12" squares, to use some pieces I already had cut--I see know that smaller would have been more pleasing. I'm not sure why I thought 25 blocks would be a good number--it's seriously overboard, but I suppose I thought I should just include all of the prints and be rid of them.

It started out fun to see the random combination of patterns as I sewed my way through the stack, but some of the blocks came out seriously un-cute and almost disturbing, and I had to put them away and think over the problem. I got them out a few times and put them right back in horror, asked Care what she thought, and put them away again. (She was horrified and recommended ditching them immediately.) She did, however, put her finger right on the problem--it's the print she ruthlessly called 'the vomit print'. This is seriously demoralizing, as I myself actually chose and bought that one.

So I suppose it was the combination of the random factor with the prints I chose that was the fatal error.

As you can see above, some of the blocks are perfectly acceptable. And some give me the willies. And the common factor of all the creepy ones is, indeed, the vomit print. It has contaminated all it touched. Which print is it? I'm sure you can tell.

(Wait, wait--these block seriously remind me of those '3-D Magic Eye' pictures!)

And its combination with the other major 'what was I thinking' print, those wavy stripes (or the seasick fabric) is seriously unfortunate. Should have known. Some of the seasick blocks almost work, though--they're only slightly bilious.


AND the daisy print--what was I thinking?

I am now back again at the (fatal?) point of thinking I can make it work if I just keep tweaking it, so I'm taking the blocks when I go to see Lol and Katie, two people of taste and discrimination, and beg their additional input and assistance. Maybe between us we can lay out at least one decent small quilt among all the blocks--if we don't get too queasy.

I'll dig out that article and post the name and issue.


6 comments:

  1. Why not frame all the blocks in navy blue or black to tone down the wild combinations?

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  2. My eyes! My eyes! heehee

    I agree - a nice solid black or navy oe maybe even an off-white might tame the brights a bit.

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  3. I like this idea!! I hadn't considered isolating them with borders. I'll audition some. Thanks!

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  4. woah. that made my eyes roll back in my head. borders would probably help immensely!

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  5. I think the 'vomit' stars are not too horrible, but you should definitely throw out the squares that have the 'vomit' print for the background.

    And I agree with borders, I think white though. Good Luck with this. I'm very curious to see how it turns out.

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  6. You know, it does look pretty bad, but as an 9-12 year old girl I would have loved it (and my sisters would have been so jealous). Maybe is there a place in your community where you could donate it to a young girl who would just love it? I would just keep the stars as is, frame it in white and then add maybe a very simple yellow or pink border. I really think a young girl would love it as is even though it makes our heads spin.

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