Ongoing Quilt Projects, Continued from the "No Appreciation...." Thread

[speckledhen]

You know, something about this has been bugging me. I'm not sure I even really like that blocks all that much with the center Carpenter's Wheel. And the reason is the light cream color in that center block. It seems too cool=toned for the blocks I'm trying to surround it with, which are definitely on the warmer side. I'm not going to dismantle the center block of course, but I may end up using those blocks with something else or I could make a new Carpenter's Wheel with a warmer color than that cream, or what I bought as listed in the cream family, but it is not a buttery cream, but cooler than that, if you get my drift.
I have 10 blocks done now and will finish the last two and surround the center and assess if it's right or not. I may be making two quilts at once, LOL.

 

[fisherlady]

I think you are right, the cream in the center is definitely a cooler tone, it works well to contrast the orange and Olive but does stand out as 'different' when viewed inside the warmer blocks.
Maybe if your center block was surrounded by a 6" border of a toning color and then another field with accent blocks of the orange and olive...

 

[speckledhen]

I think you are right, the cream in the center is definitely a cooler tone, it works well to contrast the orange and Olive but does stand out as 'different' when viewed inside the warmer blocks.
Maybe if your center block was surrounded by a 6" border of a toning color and then another field with accent blocks of the orange and olive...

I'm not really sure what to do, but it is almost like two different quilts I'm trying to smash together now. I probably don't have enough of the fabrics to make more than one or two extra of that particular surrounding 14" block so if I add another border, I'm up a creek again. Maybe I should make another center block and avoid the cool stuff or find another border block, a smaller one using another cool-ish cream fabric. I do have one. Then, use the Acanthus blocks in another way.

Here is a quilt using the Acanthus blocks alternating with Spring Bloomers blocks. 12 of the Acanthus, which I'll have, and 13 of the other, which I have to look up.
Well, it's not working. Let me save the pic, then post.

 

[speckledhen]

Here are all the Acanthus blocks surrounding the center. Hmm.

 

[fisherlady]

I like the pattern, but the cool creamy color just doesn't seem to fit....or maybe because it switches from 'points' to 'squares' that interrupts the flow.

I really like the border method on the quilt above, doing that border around the center square (maybe a tad wider) and then a final outside border of the cream with corner blocks in the same colors as the center piece....

I can picture it in my head, just not sure how to make it make sense in words, lol.

 

[speckledhen]

I'll have to think about this one. I still feel like I'm trying to make two quilts fit and they just do not quite mesh. This may be a good life lesson about being ready to shift gears at a moment's notice if something is not working, LOL.

 

[speckledhen]

I pulled fabrics, some already in there and a few that aren't, in the color families, ones that are not just a small scrap. I'm trying like crazy not to have to make a huge haul from my online source to do this, but it's feeling like I need to make another Carpenter's Wheel for these 12 blocks to surround, then do others for the one I already have with the cream fabric in it that coordinate better. It wouldn't be the first time I've been making two quilts at once. The darker brown doesn't seem to really work, though. And the botanical one on the far left has an odd peachy tone, but maybe it will look less so when it's tied to others in a block.

***I may have enough of that gorgeous dark olive green with the gold leaf motif to do one of the colors on a new Carpenter's Wheel***
I could pair it with these two, but not sure which should be the star points with the olive and which should be the background.


By the way, thanks for all your help, Karen. I realize it's not easy to do without being here in person.

 

[fisherlady]

The far left one seems too busy, maybe the pattern isn't any busier than the others but the contrast of the pattern color makes it stand out as if it is.

The dark brown is too dark to be in the main pattern, but it may be a very attractive piping or narrow border material.

The other colors are all very attractive together, though the amount of the green and brown will need to be carefully controlled so it doesn't become overwhelming since they are so much bolder.

I was at our local Wal-Mart today and was going to spend some time roaming the materials section but my son just didn't seem too keen on the idea, lol. We have a large Amish and Mennonite population around here, and there are decent sewing sections... and we have a big joann fabrics store also. Dont know if that is a national chain or not, but they have a huge section devoted to quilting at our local store.

 

[speckledhen]

The far left one seems too busy, maybe the pattern isn't any busier than the others but the contrast of the pattern color makes it stand out as if it is.

The dark brown is too dark to be in the main pattern, but it may be a very attractive piping or narrow border material.

The other colors are all very attractive together, though the amount of the green and brown will need to be carefully controlled so it doesn't become overwhelming since they are so much bolder.

I was at our local Wal-Mart today and was going to spend some time roaming the materials section but my son just didn't seem too keen on the idea, lol. We have a large Amish and Mennonite population around here, and there are decent sewing sections... and we have a big joann fabrics store also. Dont know if that is a national chain or not, but they have a huge section devoted to quilting at our local store.

All Joann stores are over an hour away so not an option. If I go into Cleveland, TN or Dalton, GA, both just over an hour, there are Hobby Lobbys there as well as Joann, but not right now, bad time.

I decided to make a new center using a blender green not far in tone from the green in the surrounding blocks, and the ginger, with the 4th fabric from the left as I laid them out in the photo above as the background. That will be more soothing to the eye inside the Acanthus blocks. Then, I'll deal with the other Carpenter's Wheel block and see what I can do with that using a tone more like the cream in the center. I need more deep golds, I do believe. But, for now, though I started cutting for it, I have to quit for the night. My back is really cranked up tight, ouch. I appreciate all your input, Karen. You're a real peach!

 

[speckledhen]

Working on this one. You can see by putting the block next to it that the blend is more soothing, though of course, the star doesn't "pop" like the other one. I can work on the first one using more cool tones to tie it in and a different block, but we'll see how this goes. I remember having several projects going at once back in the day.