Friday, November 3, 2017

Take Shape

Well, I really hated this quilt when I first finished the quilt top. It was a beautiful fabric line (Take Shape by Art Gallery Studio) and a beautiful pattern (Jagged Edges from Rock Solid), but somehow, they don't work together!

I had my qualms while I was cutting and piecing it, but I ignored them. When I finished the quilt top, I realized something ... it was just not working! Unlike the last quilt top that I hated, I really do love the fabric this time. But with this pattern, it's just not a good marriage, and I realized that too late.

I was so unhappy with it that I almost put it in my quilting graveyard. But as I was getting ready to do that, I realized that I need to finish this quilt, because I had in my hand a great piece to practice on. After all, I get quilter's paralysis sometimes because I'm afraid of choosing the wrong design and messing up a beautiful top ... but I cannot possibly mess this top up any further!

And quilting did improve it. I knew I had to introduce as much contrast as possible to save this quilt, so I used a lot of dot-to-dot designs with feathers.

In the negative space, I quilted big, showy feathers, and surrounded it with my favorite fillers. At that point, I no longer cared what was appropriate for this quilt, I just wanted to have fun ... and I did!

Well, after quilting it, not only do I feel so much better, but I actually find that I rather like this quilt. The fabric is gorgeous, and though this really isn't the best pattern for it, it's a hard lesson learned. Contrasting quilting motifs I used help to pull them apart a bit, at least, and I just love touching all those feathers!

So ... it's not such a bad quilt, really. Maybe it just needs a little love.

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Linking up with: Crazy Mom Quilts, My Quilt Infatuation, and Powered by Quilting.

13 comments:

  1. What great quilting. I love your swirls and pebbles. They have such great shape.

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  2. The quilting absolutely makes this quilt! I like the variety of fillers you used and I also like the big feathers. :)

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  3. Your quilting looks so perfect! And I think the whole quilt is beautiful :)

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  4. Your quilting is a GASp....I had to wait a whole week to use this, I thought of it from last week's post. I'm glad you gave this quilt a chance because it was beautiful before you quilted it and now it's beyond beautiful. Your quilting adds another dimension and definitely competes and complements with the fabric prints. If you still weren't happy with it, there are probably a whole bunch of us who would be willing to love it for you.

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  5. Good save! Shows what a difference some quilting can make - I am sure you will find a good home for it.

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  6. It's so funny how our opinions give us paralysis. I really liked the quilt top! The quilting is superb. You are a natural! And I totally think you should finish the other one you don't like just so you can "practice" too. I would just sew the orphan blocks together as is (no sashing or borders) and donate it. Finished is always better than perfect!

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  7. Fantastic save! It's beautiful, Liz!

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  8. Your quilting looks great! I think that large dot fabric would be hard to use in any pattern because the discontinuities between the piecing stands out so boldly. Large florals kind of smoosh together when pieced, but not large geometrics. Perhaps our techie brains really want to smooth out each circle? :)

    I'm glad you shared this piece. The quilting completely saved it, a great lesson. And it's really useful to me to see what you probably didn't like about the initial combo of pattern and fabric so I can internalize that lesson...

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  9. I think that the quilting really does add an extra dimension to the finished quilt. I really like the quilt!

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  10. Quilting makes everything better! :) You did a wonderful job with it, and I'm glad you like it better now. Even if you don't like the pattern/fabric combo, just seeing all that luscious quilting texture will make you want to cuddle up with it!

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  11. While I definitely think the quilting adds a lot, I actually love the top regardless, Liz!

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  12. You have true quilting talent. The quilting on this is just lovely!!

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  13. Your quilting is FABULOUS!!! I love it so much! And some quilts just need a little love. it's awesome!

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