"Skill-Sets": My Set In Seams Extravaganza!

I have been working on this for a few weeks...maybe a month.  It's called "Smitten" from Jen Kingwell. I am calling it "Skill-sets" since I wanted to make it as a way to become very comfortable with set-in, or 'y' seams. After making this quilt I no longer have any reservations about sewing them anymore!

I wanted to use fabrics that were in my stash, and I am blessed to have a collection 1930's prints. Many are Marcus Brothers brand fabrics from the 'Aunt Grace' lines by Judie Rothermel. I had been saving these prints for years. The look of this quilt is far from my 'comfort zone' and, truth be told, it is just a bit too "cute" to be 'my' style. Vintage 30's prints have always appealed to me though - with their happy colors and  whimsical designs. They make happy to look at. I just have never used them much in my quilts.
What I discovered in working with these prints is that there are not many high contrast fabrics in 1930's reproductions. They are mostly medium to light values. Of course, I had to use some of the brightest, and perhaps darkest, that I could find in my stash. I still struggle with the 'low volume' look I guess. 
I came close to trashing this quilt as it hung on my "decision" wall. I played endlessly with the placement of the pieces until I found what I thought was a decent balance of color and density, but I still was not impressed and I felt sure that I would be burying this quilt under a pile of tops. DH said that he thought I would like it when it was done. I hated to waste the effort and so I hung in there as I stitched it all together. When it was put together I had to decide on the set-in sides pieces. Nothing worked to my satisfaction until I held up black! The black magically settled the busy-ness of the quilt and brought the eye in and provided a resting place. I was so much happier with it. I may keep it after all. 
I managed to pair rainboots and umbrellas. Cats on aqua with hula-hoops, black cats with Halloween pumpkins on a cream background. Pairing these happy prints was great fun. All in all, I am happy that I carried on and finished this quilt. It was more colorful, in the end than I had thought it would be, I no longer fear set-in seams at all, and I did some decent problem solving along the way. This quilt provided a great many lessons - perseverance (I DID get bored of those set-in seams!), patience, problem-solving and the need to carry on despite ennui and dislike all were good lessons!

  • How do you carry on when you are working on something that is not coming as you had hoped it would?
  • Do you generally complete projects or do move on to something more pleasurable? 
  • Do you try to find ways to make a "ho-hum project better?


Comments

  1. Marie, I love the black border. I makes everyone play together well in harmony. I enjoy looking at the whole and then focusing in on "favorite" blocks. Well done!!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. When I have a project that isn't working I do the same thing. It will sit on my design wall until another idea comes to me to make it better. I love the black border. Don't give up on it...

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Thanks for the visit! I’d enjoy hearing what your thoughts are!

Popular Posts