Friday, April 1, 2011

Here are my favorites.........

I will show you my finalists in the audition.  I still haven't decided the final answer.  Here are my 3 favorites of just plain squares of batik fabric. 



This is my favorite of the pieced blocks that I showed to you.
I had to try one more fabric with this layout though and it is in the final 5 also.

I have 27 of the larger pieced blocks and 21 of the smaller pieced blocks which I made several years ago.  This will be a small quilt, around 40" x 50".  I may need to make a few more blocks for the layout I have drawn up.

I want to thank all of you for playing along with me on this.  You may have learned something from me, like there isn't just one way to finish a quilt; experiment.  You also learned I have a vast batik collection, but you already knew that, right?
I learned from you why you liked certain combinations and it was very interesting to me. 
This one will go on the back burner while I sew all of the triangles together for the Kaffe Fassett fabric quilt I was working on last week.  I need it off the design walls.
Thanks again everyone!

37 comments:

hetty said...

I always learn something when I go to your blog. All of your final choices are fantastic and would all make a nice quilt. But if you used the smaller pieced blocks as well as the larger ones, you could get them out of your UFO container and put them to good use.

*karendianne. said...

This is one of the things that makes blogging a blast. I appreciate how you take the time to audition and share! You're setting a good example for those of use that don't take much time to audition fabrics or play. I'm working on that aspect of my personality though. Really. I am. All the best to you this day my friend. Enjoy the peaceful triangle sewing. ;)

Unknown said...

Number 1 and the last photo are my faves. Yes, I agree we do all learn a little from each other. Quilting bloggers are fantastic!

Gene Black said...

One reason I always read your posts is to see what new things I can learn. That and I love the colors you use.

JoAnne said...

Love No. 5 and that would get those old blocks out of the UFO bin. I really enjoy your colorful posts each morning.

Kat said...

I had fun and I learned a lot.
Thanks Wanda !! :)

Brita said...

That did it! Just those big old alternating squares didn't do the trick. By using the smaller ones and just framing them kicked it all up a notch and a half! Now, I think, any of the fabric choices would work beautifully. Yes, I do learn a lot from your blog, and it just reminds me of the joy of playing with colors!!

Nancy Near Philadelphia said...

I like #4 and #5. I wouldn't have thought of doing that. I so appreciate your process sharing; I've grown as a quilter because of it.

CharlotteP said...

This was fun, thanks Wanda! My favourite is the pieced block on the squirls... you'l hardly notice the piecing on the squirls, but the spirals would look obviously sliced. The solid bubble alternates looks great too (and a lot less work!

HollyM said...

If you still want an opinion, I like the plain spiral squares and then #3 the plain batik.
I don't care for the pieced alternate squares though I'm not exactly sure why. I think it's because they are too similar and seem to distract form the other squares.

Karen - Quilts...etc. said...

I like the second one and the last one :) you are getting a lot of opinions again. This asking for opinions on blogs can be really helpful I know a lot of you gave me great ideas earlier in the week when I needed some.
Karen
http://karensquilting.com/blog/

jovaliquilts said...

I was out of town and am just catching up. I like the last one best. Since we're sharing the whys, it's because the swirls are such a nice foil for the angles in the blocks, but they are not distracting (the way the squiggles in the photo above it are, to me at least). I'm not so crazy about the layouts with plain squares, because it feels like the fabrics in those are trying too hard and I don't know whether to look at those or the pieced blocks.
Thanks, this was fun!

stitchinpenny said...

I loved the experiment and have loved the swirls since aI first saw it. I vote black and white swirlq even though some of the choices are soothing, I like the vibrance the B&W offers.

Selvage Quilter said...

They are all exuberant! :)
I think I like the first and last ones best. I love this kind of a post where we see the design wall auditions. Your batik collection is impressive. Beautiful.

Bonnie H said...

#2 or #4 would be my picks....thanks for sharing with us !!

sosarahsew said...

Wanda, I like the last one best. The blocks all appear to be floating. My second favorite is the the seconf picture with the bubble batik... but anyone could make that quilt with the alternating blocks. This needs to stand out as a Wandaful quilt!
Sarah

Pat said...

The framed blocks really make the quilt rather than alternating blocks. Just another opinion!

CapitolaQuilter said...

The newest option is my favorite.

Browndirtcottage said...

OOOHH I LIKE the 1st and the last the best....jus' cuz I like black/white fabrics!! They look as good as your Zebra dishes!!
This is going to be a FAB quilt for sure!!

Anonymous said...

You selected my favorites TOO !

J~MT

Elaine Adair said...

I've often thought that our ever-expanding UFO stack would not be growing, if we took out our unloved UFO projects and PLAYED with them a bit more, and changed what was our original direction. Some of my own favorite quilts WERE my most unloved UFOs, until I clenched my teeth, and changed what was my original direction, or values, or layout.

This was fun - thanks for taking the time to show all your examples. Reading the comments was even BETTER! 8-)

Linda at Roscoe's Ma said...

Reading your blog is like going to a daily quilt class! I love it! You are a wonderful teacher. I like all these layouts but my favorite has always been the first one. It'll be fun to see what you decide!

Julie S said...

Wow! The last one is phenomenal! The HST quads create an optical illusion! Love it.

Thanks for sharing your design process. I certainly learn a lot from your blog!

quiltmom anna said...

My vote is the second and third version but it is a hard choice. I do like it better with fabrics that have some print/texture rather than plain ones. I thought the plain ones would make the pieced ones stand out but that was not the case. In some options I found the blocks between too much so that they either distracting or seemed to class with your lovely pieced blocks.
It is always interesting to audition fabrics before you put them together. Sometimes one is sure it is going to work and when they get it put together it is just blah.
Thanks for sharing your process Wanda.
Regards,
Anna

GerryART said...

Thank YOU, Wanda.
It's nice to exercise my brain once in a while.
Hugs,
Gerry

Anonymous said...

I like the second choice. It makes the hst blocks look like there are floating.

Unknown said...

I love the spirals - both as alternating blocks and a frames for the two sized. Yet, I also like the 2nd one..and the third. Ok, the are all good. But My favorite is the spirals. Solid colors for the alternating blocks was boring. The spirals bring life to the quilt.
Mary

Anonymous said...

I vote for the last one! Hannah

Marge said...

I love layout #2, The fabric brings out all the colours of the pieced blocks. Just my favourite!

Cheryl's Teapots2Quilting said...

I love the fabrics you picked out. What a great quilt this will be when you finish it, no matter what layout you pick. I really like the spirals. They make it pop.

Doreen K. said...

Thanks so much for sharing. Learned a lot. I like the last one the best.

paulafrances said...

I ALWAYS follow your blog~ but I don't always comment... Thanks for sharing so much process, it has helped me to process!

I like the circles fabric, still. I liked it from it'a first intro, but I like the other choices too. I think the less space for the circles the better, but they just appeal to me. However, with this post I see that it might be for themselves, not for the "whole." It helps me so much to see the thought progression!
Paula

Vicky F said...

Hi Wanda,
As always, you know best. But just for fun, I like 1 best, 3 next, and then 5 (I just don't like to see so much of the swirls hiding, I guess).

You have made a very good argument for not making up your mind about settings, borders and such until you run through your paces of tryouts. Very worth it.

Thanks.
Vicky F

Pat said...

I have a friend who owns a company called Personal Preference which is exactly what I think about your different backgrounds for your quilt. It is all personal prefverence. I still like the top one best.

Sheila said...

They are all beautiful. There are so many possibilities. I'm partial to the blocks with lots of color, but I'm open to the b&w now. I learn so much from your blog. It's like an online classroom. It's Makes me think.
i read your blog every day. Thank you for sharing.

Cathi said...

The choices are all fabulous. I think if I had to choose, it would be between the third and fifth photos!

nancyc20 said...

LOVE the black with white twirly circles! I'm getting out some batiks and trying it!!! :)