Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Sewing to unwind

Last night, I disappeared into my sewing studio to create. I was wound up from a fantastic, yet frustrating, basketball game, and just needed to unwind. I have plenty of ongoing projects to work on, but there was black thread in the machine and I was in the mood to do something new and unstructured, so i just started sewing strips together and cutting out freehand flowers and leaves.

Here's the quilt I had in mind as inspiration:
I don't know whose quilt this is - I must have seen it online somewhere and saved it for inspiration. If it is yours, please let me know, so I can give credit where credit is due. If it is yours and you want me to remove it from my blog, please let me know and I will gladly. I think it is wonderful, though, don't you?

Anyway, this picture is saved on my laptop, which I had left at work, so I didn't have the photo to use as a guide last night, just my faulty memory. Here's what I came up with: (note that nothing is sewn together besides the strips; everything is just laid on top of a folded piece of fabric on the floor)


I finally left it there last night and went to bed to read for a while. Today, of course, I am exhausted from only getting 5 hours of sleep, but I'm curious to see how I feel about it when I get home tonight. What do you think - is it worth pursuing? I think I like the three columns of strips like the inspiration quilt, how about you? What about the flowers - I couldn't remember how the original was made, which is why I made them the way I did, but then I was at a loss as to how to place the leaves. Also, I was thinking that the applique and the scrappy columns would not go from end to end, but they do in the inspiration quilt. Which do you prefer?

If I follow through and make this into a quilt, I'm thinking of calling it "Stripes and Scrap-plique".

8 comments:

Em said...

Erin, I love the dark background that makes the colors pop! Go for it!!!! What book were you reading?

The Cozy Quilter said...

Hi Erin

I think I like 3 strips instead of 2--How would putting the 3rd strip across the bottom, still with some black in between it and the other two columns? I see the bottom pieced row going across the bottom of the whole quilt--ie under the appliqued section as well. I'll be watching to see what you decide to do.

Gail

Quiltluver said...

I recognize the photo from one of the quilt shows I went to, and remember blogging about it. I just can't remember which show it was! For my 2 cents, I like the 3 strips instead of 2. Karen

Anonymous said...

The dark background makes those colors pop for sure. I'd do three columns. Your flowers are you so don't change them.

Char said...

I like three colums also. I agree, nothing makes colors pop like black.

Lane said...

Hey, Erin. I think I like yours better. It's more orderly, from the strips to the flowers. I've gained a new appreciation for order. Take care. Lane

Anonymous said...

I think 3 columns would be nice but like the layout you have with the black border all around. Can't wait to see finished top!

Kim said...

I like it too......needs another column of strips and I do like when a vine is involved if the flowers and leaves look like the are growing from the vine. but you sure got a lot done in one sitting! It will be a terrific looking quilt.

Happy sewing