Monday, December 13, 2010

Design Wall Dilemma

This is what is on my design wall this Monday morning.  Or maybe I should say what was on my design wall before I did a bit of rearranging.  These are my Dear Jane Christmas Signature Swap Blocks that were on my design wall.  This was the first Siggie block swap done with Christmas fabrics, so I joined.  That was 2008.  Somehow I must have had a weak moment that year, because I've found a baggie of regular signature blocks from 2008.  I still have the blocks from 2003 that I haven't looked at in years.  OK  Back to the problem at hand.......

I had this arrangement up on my design wall since before mid November.  I tried to arrange the blocks in a trip around the world setting with red and green hourglass blocks in between every block.  In a way I like it, but I think it distracts from the signature blocks.  I think the red and green hourglass blocks are a bit "in your face".  I've lived with this arrangement for almost a month now, and I'm just not sure I like it all that much.   
 So yesterday I took all of the blocks down from the design wall and arranged them like this.  I like the colorwash look, and I enjoy playing with the colors used in the blocks.  However, I don't like that center section because I think it is too white and speckled and washed out.  Now I have been known to pick the corners from someone's block where I just couldn't work with their fabrics and add some of my own on the corners saving their signature to still go in my quilt.  I've thought about doing that with some of the center blocks here: 
I do like the hourglass blocks used as a border (or maybe inner border).  As they turn the corner they change from looking like a red square in a square to a green square in a square.  So some of those blocks would still be used.

Here is another arrangement with a tone on tone white as sashing.  The blocks were in no particular order.  I wasn't exactly sure about the plain white sashing either???  
Then I tried to do something between a cross and a star.  But without about the same number of each color (and there are quite a few blue and black blocks), this wouldn't have worked so .....no! 
This is how I did my signature quilt from 2002.  I did a colorwash look, and I like the way it turned out.  I should take a photo now that it has been machine quilted and bound.  But, I would like an opinion on the Christmas blocks.  There are only 150 Christmas blocks so the quilt won't be very large with just the blocks. They finish at 4 1/2".   
So my question to you is, do you like any of the above arrangements or do you have another idea that I could try?  I am probably way over-thinking this since this quilt will only be on display for a month out of the year.  I welcome any ideas that you might have. 

Aren't you glad we have quilts to keep us warm in this cold weather?  Hope you are all keeping warm and finding some time during this busy season to stitch. 

10 comments:

  1. I like the second arragment of your blocks LuAnn.

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  2. I like the colorwash, LuAnn!! i even like the "faded" look of the center...seems like it glows from the center, and I really like that! It's more soothing than the other arrangements in which, as you said, the red and green sorta hit you in the face!! WoW! You are SOOO creative to have come up with so many options, though! I am in awe!! :-)
    Blessings,
    Mary Lou

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  3. Dear LuAnn,
    I could only say the same than Maria. It was my first idea, and I never could change my opinion.
    Have a nice week with many creative ideas.
    Take care.
    Roswitha

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  4. Those are so great! I need to join a siggie swap. I will as soon as I learn to do a siggie. LOL!!

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  5. I like the frist one....

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  6. Wow you're so clever with your arrangements. The color wash is really pretty but I have to say I like the first picture. I'm sure you'll come up with the perfect solution.

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  7. I like the colorwash look, but if you think it is too much light in the center, maybe you could stretch it out a bit so that it is more diagonal stripes than bulls eyes? That might distribute the colors a bit more. They blocks look great, what a fun Christmas quilt to pull out every year.

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  8. I like both settings. I like the first arrangement the best and I don't think it's in your face at all. The second arrangement is ok. I think I would spread out the "speckled" ones from the center and put them here and there around the quilt and try that out. I love the border. What a dilemma you have. Maybe you are over thinking it. I would make a decision and sew it together. Done is better than perfect, or so I've heard. Happy holidays.

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  9. I do like the first or the second. Those two really catch my eye.

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