Obviously, the little wall quilt above is finished, not a UFO. I'm showing you this little quilt in its usual spot, which is above one of my old sewing machines in my dining room. My original idea was to make seasonal wallhangings for this spot. I wanted to do the same flower in all four seasonal colors and rotate them according to time of year. The quilt above is my "Fall."
This paper-pieced flower block is a Shirley Liby design, on the "Sew Precise" Collection 3 disc. (I modified the pattern to suit my vision.) Here is a close-up picture of it:
For Summer, I wanted something really really jazzy and modern art-like:
Summer got finished, too. I like this one a lot, even though it's really wild.Now for the UFO part. I present Winter:
Winter is still unquilted. I have no excuse. I like Winter, but I sure am afraid of washing Winter after I'm done. I just know those white petals laundered with that dark blue batik...well...is there such thing as a blue daffodil? Probably not. But there will be once I wash it.
I think another reason I'm hesitant about Winter is that after I finish quilting Winter...I'll have to face Spring:
UGH!! I don't like this quilt at all. It gives me a headache just to look at it.
I'm not one for a pure pastel quilt. I need to "ground" pastels with other colors. But I don't know if it's just the pastels that make me dislike this quilt so much. Could it be a deeper underlying problem? Hmmmh. I'm going to go all Freudian on you here and wonder if I don't like this quilt because I don't like Spring all that much!
My mother and I dressed in our Easter outfits, circa 1964 in La Mirada, CA. My feet hurt in this picture and I did not like that hat at all.
Why don't I like Spring? I never have. It's too bright, and mornings start too early. For many years, I resented that time change thing that happens with Spring. It's still too cold outside, and Easter...ugh. My least favorite holiday. I don't like breakfast, eggs, ham, brunch, getting up early, putting on silly pastel dresses with stupid hats, uncomfortable white shoes that make your feet look gigantic, looking for eggs in cold wet grass, disgusting little marshmallow chickens, and giant rabbits at the mall. The whole thing makes me a little nauseous. The only thing good about Spring is the leafing and flowering of trees, bursting bulbs and all the beautiful flowers, which I adore, so I'll tolerate the rest of it.
So perhaps it not the quilt itself I don't like, perhaps it's the reminder of Spring that makes it so icky. It's not the poor sickening pastel quilt's fault. I should just stop whining and finish Spring and get it over with. I think dreading Spring has kept me from finishing Winter, so I should just do it, huh?
Wow. Another great quilt psychology breakthrough. I can't blame a quilt for Spring and I have a hanging sleeve hang-up. What do your UFO's reveal about you? (And "I'm lazy" is not a deep enough answer. We all have that....)
29 comments:
The easter-egg hunt, the pastel colored dresses, silly hats and enormous breakfasts was never part of easter at my parents house! It doesn't sound fun at all...
UFO's...hmmm....I don't have a lot to show. I think it's becsause I have a fear of even cutting the fabric. I'm sure whatever I make will turn out wrong, and so it's better to leave the fabrics untouched and full of potential :-) I really have to change that!
"I just know those white petals laundered with that dark blue batik...well...is there such thing as a blue daffodil? Probably not. But there will be once I wash it."
Umm... Lisa... there's no such thing as a mottled red daffodil with teensy number sixes all over the leaves, but that didn't stop you *grin* why let a lil thing like an ice-blue daffy stop you? It would certainly be wintry! *wink*
Okay, I confess in my quilterly newbieness, I do not know why you *would* wash a wall-hanging anyhow. Does it set the quilting somehow or something, like washing newly spun yarn sets the twist? Because if washing is not exactly necessary, well, any dust it might accumulate from hanging can be dealt with in the dryer on "air fluff" can't it?
The Spring wallhanging, is it too late to change any of the piecing? You could make the body of the flowerpot a much deeper, earthier blue than it is right now--especially if you could find a blue and brown print that was mostly blue--and that might anchor the quilt for you. Have you tried putting the pic in Photoshop and graying it out to check the values? It seems to me (I could be wrong, it could be my monitor doing that inaccurate color thing monitors sometimes do) that in contrast to your other three, you don't have a lot of... um.... contrast.
I think it might suit you better if it had been really soft corals and olive greens rather than pinks and apple greens, and if the background were not white (cream?). Your outer border is SO realistic that the inner pieced panel kinda fades away under the competition; coral and olive might have stood up to it better.
I did notice that this border is the only one that is so very realistic, btw; even your fall wallhanging is not so overwhelmingly realistic. Maybe that's the thing to change? Reassign those roses to another quilt, and use something more subdued for this one to let the pieced panel shine out?
Thanks for letting me challenge my brain's Art Muscles! *grin*
I agree that blogging certainly points up our likes and dislikes for us, sometimes in really surprising ways! But um, my excuse for UFOs? Sometimes I get bored, but usually I just get discouraged. There comes a point about three quarters through any project where I throw my hands up in despair because it's close enough to done that I think it IS nearly done, and it Just. Doesn't. Look. Right!! That triggers those feelings of failure that I fight and don't always win, yanno?
What clued me in to this "75%Phenomenon" was taking drawing classes. I hit that 75% point on *every* single drawing and had no choice but to finish them anyway, since I was being graded on them. It was extraodinarily frustrating until I figured out the pattern. (Those feelings of failure were SO deep-rooted that I confess it took me a couple semesters to even recognize that it WAS a pattern!) It's still frustrating, but now I know to keep going. Sometimes I think that should be my motto, "Just Keep Going" lol, because the pics that I hated the VERY most at the 75% point turned out to be the best ones when I finished them, and the same is true of my beadwork.
Best to you on the UFO and remember, if you just really don't like the Spring quilt at all... give it away and do something else, my drawing teacher is nowhere in sight! *wink and a cheeky grin*
Cath
Don´t worry! If you were living here and having a lot of snow at Easter time, you could not even think of egghunt and party hats! We haven´t any egghunt. I love spring, because Í was born in March.Tops of the trees and bushes change colour, there is more and more sunshine and daylight. What a blessing after long and dark winter with a lot of snow and frost. After that snow has gone there are more and more flowers and tine little light green leaves are seen.
Abot blue lilies: you can think your lily is an iris.
Hey, at least you looked decent in your hat...hats were ALWAYS an ordeal for me because I look bad in most hats but my sister could wear anything and look good. As for the spring wall hanging-I think it is the border that is the problem. It just does not work for me at all. Too big a print or something. Smaller print maybe?
Love the four seasons wall hangings! I'm not really a pastel person either, so I understand your dilemna with the Spring varient. Good luck finishing them up, though!
I'm always so glad I was born after the Easter hat phenomenon (at least where I'm from)!
I'm with Lynne - don't like the fru-fru border fabric. Pastels don't say spring to me. I have lots of bright yellow daffodils and deep purple crocuses coming up right now - those are my favorite spring colors.
Do you have those Color-Catcher dye magnet sheets in Kauai? Toss one or two in the wash with the "Winter" quiltlet; they trap and hold the run-off from offending, bleeding fabrics. They're wonderful. Before you know it Spring will be over and "Summer" can shine. I don't really think that your shoes and hat can be blamed for you not finishing "Spring"... maybe it just needs a life giving shot of bright leaf green!
I've never been much of a fan of spring either and I can say ditto to lots of your sentiments. Being ready to end winter now, I can only say Hurry up Summer, and hope for a pleasant spring.
Why did those Easter outfits have to be so torturous? Brand new shoes should not pinch! Young brains, still in their formative years should not have the oxygen cut off with the elastic from a silly looking hat. And the gloves . . . well, why? My poor mom wanted a dainty girl so very badly but instead she saddled with me - the child who could attract a stain at 20 paces.
UFO's - well my oldest one will never get done . . . I've used most of the fabrics in other things now. I just keep the undone parts as a reminder to make sure I know what I'm getting into before I jump in!
I love your seasonal quilts. You're famous in the quilting world so why not in the horticultural world. I can see it now on Yahoo news "Lisa Boyer propagates a new flower specium, The Blue Daffodil".
Definitely wash Winter with a Dye Magnet or Color Catcher (by Shout and available at WalMart). I was all my fabric and quilra qirh couple of Color Catchers and all colors remain where they should. The Color Catcher traps all the loose dye and then can be used as foundation for string quilts--bonus!
Yes, the Color Catcher sheets work very well. You probably can find them at WalMart.
Love the seasons wallhanging... especially the fall one. I just love the colors in it.
I'm kind of with you on the Spring--floral pastel fabric makes me gag. Consider rebordering it with a pretty batik to "ground" your other pastels. Or, make this one a giveaway and remake Spring for yourself.
As for the white petals, do you ever use those color catchers in the wash? I think they are either Bounce or Shout brand--they work great!
May i echo the color catcher suggestion. They work SO well, and if you're concerned it will still bleed throw in a couple extra. That's what I do.
My UFO's reveal I have an incredibly short attention span, and possibly that I am a completely unrealistic perfectionist. I had no idea until I learned to knit that I was that way. I'm getting better, but sometimes when I look at my work that one thing that is "off" mkaes me think it's all a gigantic failure. Like I said I'm getting better.
Why don't you make a spring that you like? If you don't like it now, you're not going to like it on your wall and then that plan is going to turn into a three-season thing anyway.
If I were doing spring (since I too hate pastels) I would make it a riot of kelly green with maybe a purple flower. Celebrate the few parts of spring you like.
I am again agreeing with you about spring. I hate getting up in the morning and the time change makes it worse!
I love bright, clear colors and spring is so pale! Maybe you could change out some of the fabrics for brighter, but still not quite Summer fabrics and then just quilt it and be done with it. Or start over. Nothing in any quilter's manual that I've seen says you absolutely MUST finish everything you start.
Why did we have to get new shoes for Easter? Where in the Mommy Handbook does it say that?
My UFO basket overflows constantly. I've begun concentrating on finishing them, very methodically, this year. Most of them are flimsies, awaiting quilting. I've got 4 of them at the quilter as we speak. Finished 4 in January, too. There are 2 drawers in my studio that are stuffed with UFO's in some form or other...Maybe this weekend, after I do the taxes, I will get to another one! You inspire me, Lisa.
Have a great weekend. And thanks for your daily blog...It's the first one I check out each day!
a lot going on in your post today, let's see:
1. color catcher, yes!
2. Easter dress/hat/white shoes, yikes! I agree, not a vision of fabulosity.
3. pastel floral, not my bag either, but you are way too hard on your little wall hanging - it is cute and best of all, it's nearly done! Of course, I won't tell either if you make a different Spring (how about a black and white graphic with a bit of color to reflect your feelings about Spring), and give that one away, or put it back in hiding.
4. Peeps bashing. Here is where I must take issue with your post today - you are knocking Peeps?? Peeps rock! I appeal to the scientist in you to check out peepresearch dot org. Give Peeps a Chance!
5. As for my ufo's, usually they are projects that have too much repetition, or colors that are too subdued. Hard to get motivated. Maybe if I eat some of those Peeps!
Love all the colors and projects. I am cheered:)
Happy Easter! we have new snow here, no easter egg hunt, but cozy knitting scarves and mittens:)
I love all your season wallhangings, they are beautifully different and pretty showcasese.g. for classes what a color choice could change in the overall effect of a (small) quilt.
Think hot pink and lime for spring, changes everything:)
Dye magnet works well, I use it for my red&white quilts (as I do not prewash any of my fabrics)
To UFOs: repetitions tend to be Ufos with me, after one or two I lose my appetite on other versions ,then I am so bored and the UFO pile has another layer.for a long long time............til next spring:)
I like the idea of the batik border .... maybe even re-do Spring in all batik's ...
I'm with you the shoes and hat thing ... I was recalling the other day one Easter when we had snow, but there we were, in our little white hats, shoes and gloves tromping out to the car thru the snow. Miss those '60's? Not so much ...
Deb
i like th one on the wall...i have visions of a seasonal wall quilt. i am starting this block of the month club from a shop in wausau and it is twelve different ones, really nice. i am going down there next weekend to take two four hours classes from this guy who used to work for hp and developed their printing on fabric program. it should be a fun day. i will also pick up my first block of the month...its on going so i guess i will pick up aprils. i gave most of my ufo's away before i moved but kept a few which i will finish up when i get my gammill up and running and back from missiouri.
Your summer flower is too cool for words. I absolutely love it!
La Mirada! I lived in Whittier ages ago. The photo reminds me of all the childhood photos of me in starched dresses and ridiculous hats. Think of the hours our poor mothers spent ironing!
I say just trash the pastel spring and make another one that you like. I'm not a big fan of the actual 'spring' season as I am allergic to trees when they are budding or leafing out. Once they are in full leaf I'm ok, so for me spring is allergy season and I just HURT. If by chance the blue DOES run into the white flower just use some Prismacolor colored pencils and make it seem like you have added shadows and shading. Fake it. Make it seem like you intended it all along.
You are quite stylish in that hat. Love the flower wallhangings.
Lisa ... I personally love Spring! I'm not talking about the actual "season," I'm talking 'bout your beautiful wall hanging, which I guess makes me chuckle, as it appears I'm the only one who loves the little guy :) I think it's lovely, charming and all that good stuff! Of course, I was quite fond of all of 'em; but being the "pastel" lover that I am, I could b/c very good friends w/your creation of Spring :)
As for Easter, here's wishing you and your family a wonderful, happy and healthy one doing whatever tradition makes you the happiest :) Perhaps you could spice it up just a tad by making your men folks wear the hats :)
Jan(South FL)
You and your Mom look so cute! Thanks for sharing you early days pictures. I think you should just go with your wall hangings. Get them quilted and move on to the next thing. I know for myself that if I stop and try and re-design I have a good chance of never finishing. That's just me.
P.S. You know how I feel about Peep's.
I personally like the Spring quilt but I can see why it doesn't speak to you. Or maybe it does but you don't like what you're hearing. It doesn't really have the same style as the other three. I'm nutty about big, blowsy roses, so the border is my style, and I can hardly ever resist adding a fabric with realistic looking roses to my stash.But yeah, maybe something more zingy would speak to you and express that Spring is more than Easter cliches.
I think you and your Mom look styling in your Easter outfits! I can remember those fun times where we got all dressed up for Easter! I know you said you don't like it much---but, you gotta admit the kids look so cute in their Easter duds!
I'll be doing Easter in my jeans probably! Seems that's all I ever wear nowdays. I have the "good jeans", the "yard jeans", the "housework jeans"---Maybe I should look for some "Easter Jeans" tomorrow when I'm out running errands. Actually I buy most of my jeans on QVC! The Personal-Fit ones. Made to your measurements. They are the best fitting jeans I've ever owned! They take over a month to make and send them, so it's not like you can decide to just buy some jeans, and have them right away---and I didn't like the measuring they make you do. So revealing as to what every inch of you really is like! But, worth the comfort fit.
Your four seasons wallhangings are so pretty. What a clever idea!
You could try those Shout Color Catchers if you ever need to wash your white flower wallhanging sometime, I just used about 6 of them yesterday when I washed some batik fabric. Wow---do they catch the excess dye!
I have some of the first Sew-Precise program disks on my PC. Now you have me curious as to what new ones are out there. Happy Easter Weekend!
Those were not spring traditions at my house either - I guess that is why I love spring - just the newness of everything and the warmth and the longer days. All those hangings are beautiful - I hope you've finished them by now. Finishing will be much faster than you think.
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