This first piece is from Scrap Quilts by Judy Martin, a great book with loads of patterns for pieced, paper pieced, and applique - if you're a pattern kind of person, and sometimes I am.
I'm only showing the center of the wall quilt because it has a hideous pink border around it at present, and I'm going to change that. I'm also going to change the darker green leaves for a more muted green. I was never happy with those leaves! Amazing how our tastes change. I'm actually glad that I never finished this because I would have been very unhappy with the results. These fabrics are so 1980s! I like to think, perhaps incorrectly, that I've grown a little as a quilter in that I am somewhat more selective, maybe even a bit more sophisticated, about color. It's something I am constantly working on.
The next three are from Mimi Dietrich's Baltimore Bouquets. I started these blocks a mere five years or so ago for a monthly challenge. The idea was that I'd make four different sets using four different color schemes or fabrics or techniques. And I did finish two of the sets! One was a monochromatic color scheme using some of the same dupioni silk you see in these blocks.
I look at these blocks as sort of a poor gal's Baltimore Album quilt but they are lovely in their own right. I've seen various blocks from this book in numerous quilts. I love the textures and I added to that with some embroidery and beading.
The little book opens up by the way:
This is my priorty UFO at the moment so I'll keep posting as I go along.
I really like the 1st block! It's wonderfully feminine. I wouldn't take out the dark green leaves. I would just add some softer green leaves into the mix-maybe over them a little - but I think you need the depth the dark leaves offer to the composition.
ReplyDeleteHow about a pretty initial in the middle, a border that tightly frames the wreath and make it a pillow or small wallhanging? Then, you can move on to new work.
I like the 3 other blocks too. I could see them set as they are in a long vertical wallhanging with some kind of pieced border. Again, it would give you an opportunity to move on to new work.