I'm after some opinions; I've got this special quilt to this stage, but am not sure where to go next with it. I'd rather hoped that it would speak to me once I'd added the borders, but it's been silent so far. The main problem is that the tree doesn't stand out enough with everything else (so I don't want to further overpower it) although I will be adding a few small mauve birds to it.
So, what should I do in the big open areas? I was thinking of some sort of feather design - symmetrical in the large area at the bottom, then freeform in the rest. Or does in need applique? What sort of shapes/colours?
And how can I make the tree stand out more? I wiull outline quilt it in a slightly darker thread, but I doubt that'll make a huge difference. HELP!
8 comments:
Hi Emma. I love your quilt. I just read on Patsy Thompson's blog, patsythompsondesigns.com that to give her appliques more punch, she outlines them with a heavyish black thread. Black might be too dark for your tree, but maybe the same idea in a really dark brown would do the same thing? As for the open spaces...hmm... quilted leaves that look like they fell off the tree? Can't wait to see what you decide. Melissa
Consider using a permanent fabric pen in a darker color or fabric paint to deepen the hue of the tree. I do this all the time if I just don't have the right color fabric!
I think the tree needs to be bigger and darker. I would probably get rid of the green rectangle border.
Hi Emma, were there falling flowers on this one or was that one different? I can't see them here. I'd consider some much brighter falling flowers falling all the way down to the bottom of the quilt... I know those Borders too you forever, but if you're really not happy I'd take the centre out and put something different in and border the tree with smaller Borders so it is more a focal point (it does look a little lost size wise). I'm not mad on white and cream together but some falling flowers to tie it all together may do the trick. :) hope this helps...
Working with what you already have rather then making suggestions that require you to undo stuff I suggest adding something to the tree's to help it stand out more, be that echo quilting in a darker thread as previously mentioned or adding appliquéd birds/leaves/flowers. This will add colour and draw the eye inwards.
With regards to quilting the large border area's. My eye see's depth, (like those sketches you see in interior design books of rooms with a small far wall??). The tree panel is the far wall and the purple borders are the walls and roof of the room. Could the quilting emphasize that receding walls and roof shape? ( mitred corners when you quilt the borders). This quilting, combined with some colour added to the tree would really help draw the eye to the 'far' wall, aka the tree.
In the border section right after the tree, I see rays. They can be stitched straight, radiating from the tree outwards to draw the eye outward, making the quilt appear larger. You can then focus more intricate quilting on the outside border. OR, instead of straight line rays, I see wavy rays. Design rays somewhat in keeping with your scalloped border. The rays could also alternate between a wave and straight line. In the first border section, I think I'd use thread that's tone-on-tone with the background... but I might have to audition a few thread colors before deciding for sure. Hope this gives you something good to ponder. Thanks for asking.
I love the outer border with the flower at the bottom.
Maybe paint sticks or similar to darken the tree fabric?
I imagine the tree shape being copied/enlarged/echoed in the quilting of the larger white border - sort of like a sketch of the tree that has a wiggley cut out bit of paper placed on top of it and then a detailed 'photo' of the tree placed on top of that - so you get the effect of three layers, the small tree being the top layer.
Then I'd put put the birds in so they look thike they are flying from the wiggly cut out paper onto the tree - sort of coming to life.
Does any of that make sense to you?
It is sort of like what you get when you pack up your craft stuff, and end up with a few works-in-progess stacked on top of each other.
what about quilting the tree roots? continuing them down further like they are reaching down to the centre of the earth...
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