Design process musings

One of the quilts that is currently in process is my tea towel quilt.    I've been stumped for a while on how to work with the block ideas that were going through my mind because nothing was gelling.    And i have to admit that a lot of the problem was the fact that I tend to be very much bound to precise, symmetrical designs.   Designs that I can create on the computer and then make.    But this quilt just has not wanted to cooperate with that kind of perspective and style.   Nothing like having a quilt that wants to throw a "temper tantrum" and not play nicely.

As I've started making blocks, i started to baste them down the interfacing that I'm using as a base at the moment.   And my first layout is pictured to the right.   However, while I like the blocks there was something that just seemed to be missing (yes - other than the rest of the blocks needed to fill in all that white space....).  

After thinking about it for a while, I decided to put in the River Thames.   And will be putting a little boat on it to represent the boat I was on for a river tour.  However, putting in a river that winds through the quilt top in a similar manner to real life isn't something that can be done in a planned out, graphical manner.   So I pulled fabric out for the water, and plopped it down on top of the quilt in roughly the direction I wanted the river to start flowing.  Being brave and daring (or was that desperate because the dratted quilt wouldn't cooperate?), I took my scissors and started free-from cutting the river out being careful to not cut the towel and blocks that were underneath it.


What I ended up with is a meandering river that I'm happy with.  The third pic here shows how the river looked right after cutting.   To get the curves and turns in it that I wanted I'm going to have to use 3 different pieces of the blue.   I'm planning on using a wee bit of fusible web underneath the river, and then just straight stitching the fabric down leaving the edges unstitched.  






After cutting the river, I unbasted the blocks that were under the river and moved them out of the way.   I will be putting pieced blocks in and around the river, but didn't want the flags or the silhouette block under the river.   In playing with the layout this evening I've also decided that the quilt is demanding that not all blocks be placed at right angles to the tea towel.  Hence the flag that is placed at an angle.

I think I'll be much happier (and have a much "quieter" quilt) if I don't leave the quilt as a plain rectangle.    I may even end up cutting it and moving sections around a bit in the layout.   Haven't thought about that for sure though.

Gratitudes:
1. I received word today that the conversion of my teaching license from initial practitioner to practitioner has been approved, which means I'll be eligible for a contract for next year.

2. the weather here has finally warmed up!