Sometimes I get ahead of myself when I am making a scrappy quilt. It’s the weirdest thing. I make a few blocks, pin them up on my design wall and start seeing problems. Not only do I start seeing problems, I begin to try to resolve them.
Hmmmm, what could be wrong with this picture? (Speaking of pictures, I’d love to show you one, but this is going in a book so you’ll have to wait a bit.)
I am working with the precut Honey Buns. Those are 1 1/2” strips. Each bundle or roll contains 40 strips of fabric and one gets every piece from a line. I love the pattern. The blocks are fun and quick to make.
So what’s the issue? I’m sure inquiring minds want to know.
The fabric line I’m using has wonderful colors. Reds, blues, browns, pinks, tans and beiges make up the color palette. I put together one of my blocks using the reds that were in the roll and the beiges. It’s a very pretty block . . . until I put it up on the wall with the others that are much darker. Now the block is screaming, “Look at me! Look at me!” I can almost see it jumping to the forefront instead of melting in with the others.
I make more blocks. In one of them I use the beige with dark blue. Now I have two blocks that want to be the main focus. My eyes go directly to those two blocks. Yikes!
I begin to plan my solution to the problem of having blocks that don’t really blend. Maybe a big bottle of tan dye will calm them down. Maybe I need to put those blocks on the back of the quilt. I even chat with my editor about the “problem.”
I make more blocks. I pin them to the design wall. The problem is beginning to resolve itself. The more blocks I make using the light colors, the more they begin to blend with the rest. I can see how I can place them and take advantage of the spark they will add to the quilt.
Making a quilt that is all pulled together is one of the challenges of making a scrappy quilt. Getting all the blocks made needs to be my first order of business. Only then can I really see what I have.
Worrying about color placement at this stage of the game is a lot like sitting in a rocking chair. You work very hard rocking but go nowhere. And it’s pretty pointless to try to resolve nonexistent problems.
But then we already know that patience is not one of my virtues.
