Today I put my Dear Jane blocks on my design wall -- rows A through J. Rows K, L, and M did not fit.
Next, I removed all the off-color blocks keeping only the pastel blocks for rows A through J.
Finally, I rearranged most of my pastel blocks into a double trip-round-the-world (TRTW). With Dear Jane blocks, the color changes get lost in the busyness of the many block patterns and varying quantities of the background fabric. I discovered by accident that a double TRTW makes the color arrangement more apparent. If I had more blocks, I think I would arrange it with the palest blocks toward the middle. Right now, that hot pink block looks out of place..
One thing I'm clear about, I would keep Indianapolis in the center with the four stars around it. What do you think I should do with the rest of the quilt?
- A: Keep all the blocks. Use Jane's arrangement.
- B: Keep the pastel blocks.Use Jane's arrangement. [I would find another use for the non-pastel blocks.]
- C: Keep the pastel blocks. Arrange them in a double TRTW.
- D: Something else.
PS. In her comment, Two Dogs and a Quilt suggested a treatment similar to this Baby Jane quilt by Bernadette Grimont. I've been planning to skip the triangles but had not yet found an idea for a border that I like. This is the first I've seen that really appeals to me! Is it my imagination or is the sashing wider on that Baby Jane than most others? I've been considering a wide sashing because it would provide some visual relief from the busyness of this sampler quilt. Of course, that would make the quilt larger. I think that would be good; I'm not sure.
Now I'm going to get very analytical. In the Bernadette Grimont's Baby Jane, 3 squares in the border cover 4.5 inches (the width of a DJ block after it's set into a quilt top). That means that the sashing on Bernadette Grimont's Baby Jane is 1.5 inches. Wow! If I did my math right, that means the sashing addes 21 inches to the quilt width -- and that's before any borders are added. Is that correct?
7 comments:
Minka, they look beautiful! I would keep only the pastel ones for this quilt. I bet you can figure out a good use for the others though. And as for design, hmmm. I like the TATW style, especially with your blocks. Either Jane's or the double are nice, or do it like Jane's bit change the blocks around if some of them seem too close to each other. You really are doing a wonderful job! Love Stacy
The pastels are beautiful together. The randomness of B appeals to me, but so does the order of the TATW. For B, you might consider what I'm thinking about for my random purples, which is adding setting blocks in the sashing or in the border to tie-in all the colors of the blocks. Similar to this one: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bridgettt/2197307627/. Either way you choose this is going to be very pretty.
I like the pastel blocks and the double TATW. Or the pastel blocks and Jane's arrangement.
Two Dogs and a Quilt,
Thank you for that idea! I love that border and how it pulls it all together!
I li the pastel blocks with the pink in the middle.
The blocks look great! I like random layout with the pastels because it helps you focus on the individual blocks. I know there's a lot of work in each one and I think it's nice to appreciate them as individuals.
I'm not a quilter, but that doesn't seem to stop me from sashaying in with my two cents. I choose Door Number C because:
1 you seem to want the quilt to be pastel
2 I like the pastel squares together myself, it seems less busy-busy than the pastel and brighter colours mixed together
3 You certainly aren't tied to Jane's scheme--what worked for her may not work for you and vice versa so follow your heart. You happen to have a terrific textile heart.
4 I agree the TATW is *much* more noticable if you double up the squares.
I also like that quilt Brigitte did. I think it's restful and relaxing and peaceful to look at. And quilts *are* for sleeping, aren't they?
If the larger sashing adds tons of space to the quilt, um, maybe you're closer to finishing than you thought. {;>)
I'll be interested in seeing what you do with your unincorporated squares. I was going to say "left over" but that didn't sound right. They're little works of art.
I wonder what they'd look like on a wall, each in its own wee frame, all the frames the same. Does that sound crazy? I just really do think they are small works of art.
Sherry
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