Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Trouble, oh we got Trouble . . .


Right here in River City! With a capital "T"! That rhymes with "P". And that stand for Paprika......well I think The Music Man thought "P" stood for Pool......but you get my drift!!

Paprika.....remember the lovely 19th Century Reds fabric and Fons and Porter pattern I picked up at "The Road to California" show?

Here's the picture I took at the show. I wasn't in any hurry to get to it, but knew I wanted to make it this year. I don't have any particular deadlines on any of my projects, but it must be my Accounting background that makes tend to go FIFO (first in first out) when it comes to my projects. I do my older ones before my newer ones. But Lesly/Pickle Dish also fell in love with this quilt and asked me if I was interested in doing a sewalong. I had so much fun with Toulouse I said sure, and switched from FIFO to LIFO (last in first out).

Here's the jumbled mess currently on my design wall.....for some reason it just doesn't look good to me

So I unscrambled the light blocks, each individual block has the same fabric, but the blocks are made of different fabric. A controlled scrappy. I like it. I left the dark blocks scrambled, I don't like that.

So I unscrambled the dark blocks, better but not great......

This is block 'B".....I love it..nothing to change here.

This is block "A", how the pattern calls for it to be made. I don't like the center.

So I tried something else, I don't like this either . . . . .

So I tried this, and I don't like this either.....too much red maybe?

This is better, but I'm still not over the top with excitement....

So what's up? What am I missing? I feel like the problem is the center of block "A".. but maybe not. Maybe the problem is me..... and the quilt is fine. But I'm just not loving it.

I'm going to get my hair done this morning and when I get home I'm so hoping someone has left the perfect solution for my quilt. And I hope it's not put it in a box and forget it!!

Thanks!!!

14 comments:

  1. Do you really not like the centre of the dark blocks? Oh no! I love them! But maybe if you try the same HST pinwheels that are in the light blocks? Seeing your pieces up the design wall makes me want to get started SO BAD!

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  2. You'll figure out what works best for you - just relax, walk away from it and then revisit it. Everything will 'click'.

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  3. I agree with Darlene...walk away...come back later and look at it...How about the 4 patches in the A block with just 2 fabrics rather than 4?

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  4. What about substituting a print in place of the stripe that is in the upper left corner? Maybe the same fabric that is in the lower right position??? Can't wait to see what you decide.

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  5. All the blocks are 4P centered from the top photo. Is that maybe why the solid center and others don't look right?
    No matter what let it breath, you breath (and be spoiled at the salon) and it will come to you.

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  6. Maybe the square in a square, but with lighter corners. Another idea is to use the pinwheel from block B center in block A too! Great quilt by the way!!
    Blessings,
    KT

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  7. Oh my goodness, are you kidding me? All your variations are great, and I think you should switch things up and use them all. Controlled scrappy is the way to go, without a doubt, but I really like the variety that having different centers of the stars will give. Besides how fun to make the blocks! You won't get bored.

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  8. I love the original design. The quilt has so much going on in all the fabrics that my eye couldn't find a place to settle in the last picture of the quilt. But you'll figure out a way to make it your own, you always do, and your quilts are always terrific!

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  9. i love the last block center
    maybe you just not loving the dark 4 patch centers, too scrappy for you?
    this last one still gives you the dark but adds a bit of lightness too...
    walking away and coming back a few hours later really helps
    you will figure it out, if not pack it up and send it to me
    I LOVE it!

    Kathie

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  10. Well, I happen to like scrappy, so I really don't have any advice that you would like, anyway. You have to make the quilt pleasing to YOU, above all else. Hopefully stepping away to get your hair done will give you some perspective. It's going to be a beautiful quilt!

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  11. I think the difference between your quilt and the original picture is that you have all the star points as the same fabric where the original picture has each side having a different fabric for the point pairs.

    Would that help?

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  12. I have been through a similar process recently with a quilt that I didn't see eye to eye on! Keep asking the quilt "what do you want from me"!?!? Sooner or later one of you is going to give in :)

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  13. It will come to you...just stand back and keep looking at it! I can't wait to see what you have come up with :)

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  14. When I look at the picture you took at the show, it seems that it is the placement of the "red" fabrics that are different. The original picture seems to have the red fabrics surround the center block, but not part of the center block. Hope that makes sense. You will figure it out, your work is fantastic and I enjoy reading your blog.

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