Monday, February 8, 2010

Can I make a good quilt a Great quilt?


I designed this quilt a while ago.
I am not pleased with it. I am considering a variety of ideas to improve it.

Sometimes no matter what you do a piece it just doesn't work. I'm hoping that will not be the case with this quilt.

Do I use paint, pencils or ????????????

Stamping, stenciling or screen printing on it?

I don't think it needs embelllishment with "stuff".

Could I use my Embellisher and add texture?

How about hand stitching?

Will quilting alone solve the problem?

Should I use matching or contrasting thread when I quilt it?

Is the problem value?

Is the problem almost equal amounts of each color?

Does it need more light? More dark?

Does it need more emphasis on layers? Movement?

What if I used some tulle for an overlay on part of it?

What I am doing as I create this post is brainstorming ideas - a thing I often do. As I write more thoughts and ideas come to me - some good, some mediocre and some just plain useless!
I really won't know if what I chose to do will work until I do it.

Stay tuned - it may be a while before you see this again, but I WILL come up with a solution - good or bad.

Even though the quilt still needs work it can make a great puzzle. Enjoy!
Click to Mix and Solve

7 comments:

Nancy said...

Kay, I would like to see some vertical on the left and some horizontals on the right. It would help keep my eye moving around. Like the colors and good start to getting some movement. Nancy

Anonymous said...

Kay,
I would turn it 90 degrees (from the left) so that the grass-like tentacles are at the bottom. It looks like a Mars sunset, with wispy clouds. You would need to balance out the smaller objects, but that's easy enough with stamps or beads or whatever you choose.

Evie said...

I think I would cut it then reassemble, swapping pieces turning them this way and that. Maybe it will cry out to be cut some more. First of course print the picture onto paper and have a play.

antique quilter said...

sometimes I just need to let the quilt stay on the design wall and wait till an idea comes to me ....I am sure you will come up with the right solution to take this quilt to the next level.
I like it the way it is and just by quilting it and adding texture would make me happy!
Kathie

Mary Stori said...

I jumped on to post my thoughts and see that Anonymous took the words out of my mouth! Hummm....you aren't sure about adding 'stuff'....when in doubt...bead! Seriously, beadwork can add what you (the maker) didn't by bringing in more color, texture, depth, and helping to direct the eye around the quilt. Just my humble and bead fanatic opinon.

ParisMaddy said...

Sometimes just an orientation change sparks the answer. I agree that beads maybe aren't the answer.
What about some thread sketching in bold black?
Good luck!

Chris Daly said...

And I was going to tell you how much I liked it... How about machine quilting some similar motifs throughout the quilt and then embellish the quilted fabrics with paint sticks to add more dimension.