Do you ever get an idea and are all excited and then crushed when it doesn't work? That is what happened to me on Saturday. FINALLY I had a day to sew and then felt like I had to make 10 things in that time period. The Penn Oaks Quilt Guild is having a raffle of sorts at our next quilt show in 2013. So I decided to work on mine They are small, 16 x 24 and totally doable in a day. Silly me!
I drew my lemons and leaves and was very happy with them!
Selected my fabrics. I even found a hand dye that had a little green in the yellow. Kind of like real life ones.
Tediously cut out a bunch of lemons and leaves....I like to cut the centers out of the fusible so they aren't so stiff.
Loved the shapes and colors, especially the dots
I just didn't like it all together. Maybe in a smaller piece, it just felt like too many lemons. I do like the colors together.
All was not lost, I did come up with something and will show you once the binding is on!
I do think I have to "allow" myself to do this more often.......Change something if it is not working instead of plowing ahead, just because I cut up all those lemons! I will use them for something else I am sure, but their original use was not working.
What do you do when something you are making is not working?
Kelly
Nothing draws me in like a good post title! ha ha
ReplyDeleteI usually force it for awhile and then when the pain subsides, I walk away and revisit the problem.
Is is wrong that I really like the lemons!?
No one is going to believe this, but when I get stuck or think I have taken a very wrong path, I show it to my husband Jack. He has a great eye and has really helped me get over the hump on some projects. And is honest enough to tell me he thinks I need to reevaluate the whole project - in a very kind way.
ReplyDeleteI think the lemons are cute. When I get stumped or discouraged by a project I just put it aside and work on something that makes me happy. It's unbelievable when I come back later to that unfinished project I know exactly what to do and it usually turns out great!
ReplyDeleteMake lemonade, of course! :) Thanks, this was NOT boring, we've all been there...that's why we all have ufo's! have a great day~
ReplyDeleteLemon yellow is never boring, especially paired with that awesome aqua! I'm seeing this as a background piece and you appliqueing something adorable over the top of those lemons....keep going!
ReplyDeleteI like the lemons. I usually put it aside for a few weeks, uh days and see if I like it better. Of course by the time I get back to it I've forgotten the original plan!
ReplyDeleteI put it in the naughty corner for some "time out" and come back to it later (sometimes much later) with fresh eyes!
ReplyDeleteThey look like the lemons under our tree when the cockatoos have picked every single one and they only take one bite. I like them.
ReplyDeleteI have to go away and think for a while when something doesn't work then I usually come up with the solution. Sometimes I ask somebody else, like DH, he sometimes has an idea.
normally I walk away and come back the next day or two and look at it again
ReplyDeleteI really LOVE what you did with the lemons on that fabric as the background WOW
raining lemons , but really what I thought of was when life hands you lemons make a quilt and I could see it all quilted wonderfully into a great little quilt
hmmmm
think about it
Kathie
Some how I missed this post. I love your lemons. Maybe a little foliage would help. The polka dot ones are also my favorite.
ReplyDeleteThe naughty corner??? I love that. It made me guffaw.
I missed this post last week. I LOVE your lemons! I know it sounds crazy but I love the little drawing "arrangement" on the fusable paper. It's small but cute - maybe add another lemon where the scratched out leaf is. The blue background is perfect!
ReplyDeleteWhen I get stuck with anything I put it down and come back to it later. Your thoughts are fresh and you're looking at it with "new eyes".
I nearly missed this post... I'm glad I found it. I like the lemons!! I wonder what it is you don't like? Maybe there needs to be a bowl in there but still with lemons overflowing - I like the abundance. Or treat it as a Kelly-Made fabric and cut it into some smaller pieces and use with other fabrics. I put things away if they're not working or ask Phil for opinions. Thanks for the great tip of doing just the outline with fusible to stop it getting stiff.
ReplyDeleteI love the lemons. The fabrics you chose are spot on (pun absolutely intended). Right now, your design is visually dense. Perhaps editing it to fewer lemons would be more appealing. How about adding a cross section slice for variety? Don't give up on this sweet idea!
ReplyDeleteOh, I can't help myself... "Make lemonade!" LOL
ReplyDeletesorry, i love the lemons! but i agree that it's important to be able to change gears and do something else if a project makes you unhappy.
ReplyDeleteI like the lemons too. I totally get that sometimes the 'vision' just isn't happening. You were right to just stop rather trhan pushing a project you weren't happy with.
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to see what you did do.