To finish or not to finish
In 1992 I took my second Nancy Crow workshop. It was at the Museum of the American Quilters Society (MAQS) in Paducah, KY. We were to bring our favorite block pieced in black and white in 2 sizes. I took Lady of the Lake which is only 2 triangles for pattern pieces. When we got there we were supposed to design a block with those pieces, which we could subdivide into other pieces. I worked and worked and worked trying to get a neat original block (exercise 1). Finally Nancy said she wasn't happy with what I had (and neither was I) but I needed to use it and go on to the second exercise.
With this second exercise we were to take all neutrals, black, gray, beige, and white and create other values within the same design as the first one which was only black and white.
From there we progressed to color using exactly the same values as in exercise 2 and colors we wanted.
I pull these pieces out every once in a while and look at them and try to decide whether to finish them into something. And then sometimes I think they should go on the back of a quilt, and some days I wonder if I should do anything at all with them.
With this second exercise we were to take all neutrals, black, gray, beige, and white and create other values within the same design as the first one which was only black and white.
From there we progressed to color using exactly the same values as in exercise 2 and colors we wanted.
I pull these pieces out every once in a while and look at them and try to decide whether to finish them into something. And then sometimes I think they should go on the back of a quilt, and some days I wonder if I should do anything at all with them.
12 comments:
I think they would look super on the back of a quilt or hanging. Wig.
I still like brights the best but I suppose working in black and white is a good exercise in design.
UGH - I can tell that you put a lot of effort into these...
To me they would be good as a back... (Can you see quilting them as wall hanging & doing anything with them? At least on a back, they have use...)
These are the struggles that I go through...
I just sent another "less than successful" top to be used as a back to my long armer....
A complex process.
When I looked at the 3 different blocks I found that the most successful of the 3 was the one with neutrals. I'd just put them on the back of a quilt and then forget about them.
They are fabulous. You should do something with them.
Contemporary~ like that of a Picasso work of art.
J~MT.
What a process to have gone through and then to be left with UFOs that bother you... I like the 2nd version the best of the three and could definitely see it as a finished contemporary/abstract piece. Perhaps you could donate the 1st and 3rd to someone who would quilt them for a local nursing home or another local charity?
Such cool blocks.
I like the one with the neutrals the best! It seems to work. Hang it up and think about it for a while. The other two? The suggestion to donate sounds good. Get the maybes out of your life and move on to the things you LOVE!
Well I love them all! I couldn't do it!
I think these are amazing! You could do a beautiful quilt of just the black and white or you could develop a pattern for all three. Maybe black and white in the center followed by the tan bordering it and end with color? Play with it.:)
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