The Block Mama gets sliced and diced:
Then the parts are shuffled:
Then they're sewn back together 9-patch style. This is the Four Corners block from the book.
Some green ones, the negative version:
And the green block:
Fast and easy, and the blocks are ready to lay out on the wall so I can sew them together.
Ugh! How can such a perky color as coral end up looking drab and dull? Part of it is the photo, taken indoors on a grey rainy day, but that's not all. The colors are blending together to create a blurry khaki mess, with insufficient value contrast and nothing to brighten it up.
I need to rethink where I'm going with this because this isn't working.
Linking up with Sew Fresh Quilts
I love the block and the idea of slicing and dicing. I'm sure you'll come up with a solution to brighten this quilt!
ReplyDeleteMy suggestion my not be real creative, my instinct would be to sash the blocks with the coral. The pizazz may lay in the quilting, and be very specific with the center block, maybe truponto?
ReplyDeleteHow about a coral-bordered "mama block" in the middle? That should give some life to that dull center, and maybe balance the whole quilt? In my mind's eye it does!
ReplyDeleteHm, I see what you mean about the contrast when it's all laid out like that. Each fabric is lovely, but together the blend isn't quite right. I think it's actually the original focal fabric that starts to lose it's oomph at a distance? Coral and green do mix to khaki, alas. Perhaps like Lesley says, a sashing would help. Something really dark and contrasty, like a deep forest green? Or maybe good old white/cream?
ReplyDeleteI'm often a bit disappointed when I see a photo of, say, a quilt back where I've used a big chunk of some super cute novelty print. Happy pink flamingos on light blue! And then from a distance all the birds and blue mush together. But in person it still looks fine. So maybe some of your unhappiness is actually about the photos and not the in-person fabrics?
I like the idea of another coral bordered block in the center - a giant nine-patch effect. Or, if you have enough fabrics, replace all of the negative blocks (green) with more of the coral blocks so the green doesn't detract from the coral.
ReplyDelete