One of the things I have noticed about a lot of quilt (and other) art, is that many pieces could be improved with some judicious cropping. I have been sorting through small pieces and preparing some to display at the Open Studio event that happens in a couple of weeks. When I showed that less than wonderful piece of the
Santa Barbara Mission tower awhile back I speculated on some possible crops to improve it. Today I went for a pretty radical one and I think it improved it greatly.
I also had a small study I had done for the Nasturtium piece.
I think this crop improved it.
It is always disheartening to cut big hunks of fabric and stitching off your work, but it usually makes it better. Same with photographs. I wish I could better anticipate those things. Better planning. Better sketches.
Today's over dyes.
Oh yum. I'd like about four more of those red and white stripe shirts.
I agree with you.
ReplyDeleteToo much bordering is not usually a good thing.
That nasturtium crop takes it from "a bit blah" to "hip hoorah!" and I love the overdyed stripes--so much energy right there.
ReplyDeleteI'm loving your over-dying. It's making me want to dump a bunch of fabrics in a dye pot!
ReplyDeleteAs for the little quilts, I think it's better to chop off a bunch of stitching and get to something you like than to leave it alone and never be happy. Looking at that little nasturtium piece in both it's incarnations, I really like how it extends beyond it's borders. Perhaps there is a kernel of something there that would help give some life/excitement to your architectural pieces (my first thought is corners or spires extending beyond an edge or border).
Hmmm, now I'm thinking I should go through my stuff and start chopping/cropping away! Love those stripes!
ReplyDeleteOops! Clicking on the link to the original mission tower quilt takes me to the Quilt National site.
ReplyDeleteWhen I look at the original mission quilt, I think the column details below the red-orange roof draw your eye away from the tower itself. Cropping reduces that roof to secondary status.
Dot
Yep, those colors are nice. Can't wait to see what you come up with for all these stripes.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful colors and I love the quilt square pattern itself! I LOVE to quilt and would love to have some input - check out my blog at sewuniquelyyours.blogspot.com and have a wonderful day!
ReplyDelete