Well, it has been awhile, but the arm is getting better, so I have worked on some ore blocks, just a little bit at a time so as not to cause a set back. Here is what I’ve gotten done of the Patchwork of the Crosses in the past few weeks:
Here are a few starts, all from the same fabric. The large one and the one under it are both the same fussy cut, just one pointed in, the other out, and look at the difference in the design! This is such a fund project. Now I have to try to get more variety in the way I place things, to get more illusions…and to also get more daring in what fabrics I place together, I tend to try to pull colors from within the center cross and use them. Lucy Boston didn’t have that problem, fabrics went where they went with more attention to the illusion created than to the colors. You may have to enlarge the photo to see the designs in the crosses.
I can see a wonky section that I may replace, another that I am debating about. I have read that part of the charm of the original was the imperfections, and I do think it is charming……in HER quilt. Not so sure I like it in mine. I love looking at some old quilts, and indeed, a large part of the charm is in the ‘primitive’ nature, the cut off points, the seams that don’t quite match, the odd-colored patch where there just wasn’t enough of the original fabric to complete the block, so something else was used. I enjoy it in those quilts, but it makes me so uncomfortable when it happens in one of my own, not charming at all, just poorly executed. Anyone else have that problem? How do you ‘get over yourself’ when it happens?
Hope to get to work on the caterpillar quilt for the soon-to-be- grandchild, it is all ironed and prepped for cutting, but I just haven’t been able to do that.
Meanwhile, go on over to Patchwork Times to see what many other quilters are working on, it is inspiring!
6 comments:
I love your POC blocks. That's on my list of things to do.
First, Those blocks are awesome. Goodness so much precision piecing. Well done!
And second, I totally agree with you about the difference between the "charm" of their imperfections and my mistakes that must be fixed. And Nope! There's no "getting over myself" when I goof up. haha Gotta fix it if I can.
Can't see the "wonky section" (spell check kept changing that to monkey section)!
I love quilts, but as you know I can't sew a stitch, myself. I showed you the old quilt that I bought--just because I liked it--certainly not close to looking "professionally done", but many stitches by busy hands. Who would cast something like a quilt out of a family? I wonder, often, about the lady who made it, and wish she knew that someone loves it and has it displayed so prominently. It's the center piece of my room.
Then, there are my Mom's quilts. Mom left pins in many of them. (The kids were afraid to sleep on them--and I howled many a night when I found one). Her stitching was as crooked and off kilter as it could be, but it makes them all the more dear to me--and, I'm glad that I let Lizzie and Jack sleep on one when we camped (it was an early quilt--we never did find a pin in it). She would have liked that.
Now, where is that "wonkey section", again?
Wow, beautiful blocks! I'm not seeing the wonky section. I try to live by the galloping horse rule, if it's not going to be noticed by someone riding by on a horse, I don't fix it. Since we know where all the mistakes are, we tend to see those and not the quilt. Sometimes I get over it and sometimes I don't.
I love the Green Knowe books. Have you read her autobiographies? (With much about the house as well.) I knew she made quilts but I didn't know about POTC. I'll need to pay more attention to InkLingo. Are you familiar with the ALA Biblioquilters? Participation is open to anyone who works in or with libraries -- and retirees count! Our collaborative efforts are auctioned at the ALA Annual Conference for scholarships. Email me for info.
You have some beautiful blocks there...Hope your arm continues to improve....
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