When I was designing gardens I found if I slept on a plan for a day or two a problem would resolve itself and the design would flow quite quickly afterwards. I learned not to force the issue (fine if you're not on a tight time constraint).
I don't do a lot of garden design any more but this method still serves pretty well to resolve quilt design issues, as evidenced this morning...
- a month or so ago ...BTCT appliqué blocks pinned to the design wall after class and direction/opinion requested from my quilt tutor. She steers me towards pieced sashings.
- Not convinced - I'll think about it, I say. Work gets busy ...project gets shelved.
- a month later, last Sunday afternoon, quilt books strewn open across the floor, I am looking for inspiration for an "interesting arrangement" for said blocks;
- Nothing springs out so I give up in disgust - not happy;
- 4am Tuesday morning - wide awake - no point staying in bed so up and make a cuppa. Roy Pilgrim's book "Blending the Old and the New" is looking at me from where it was left on Sunday;
- lightbulb moment...out comes the graph paper - it's quickly cut up into bits and rearranged...
- design sorted, very happy....now I can move forward again....a little more appliqué, a few pieced stars.
What's your method for getting through quilty road blocks?
PS. Check out the Hand quilting button in my side bar...some pretty nice quilting going on.
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11 comments:
Loving reading about your process...I find it is best to take a break when I hit a road block too! Love the saying at the top of the blog!
Nice to hear that someone else solved problems while sleeping. Sometimes I just wake up and a design solution is so obvious That I wonder what I have been doing in my sleep!
That' s my way too. I also love going to sleep with a quilty problem, because then i can finally focus on the subject without being distracted.
Graph paper...love seeing someone else still using it. There is nothing like a block of graph paper, some sharp pencils, and a big cuppa tea to tackle quilting block!
How fun and exciting to have a fresh new plan!!
I let mine rest or ask for opinions.
You work is amazing. Just found your blog. I leave my project on a wall and look at it from time to time until I have that "light bulb" moment also. I don't ask for opinions, want my own inspiration.
Nancy in Montana
i've definitely discovered that i can't force anything, but if i don't pull the pieces out occasionally and 'think' through it, I never seem to get to the lightbulb moment. sometimes it takes a looong time for me.:)
I do the same thing. I've been known to wake up with a solution. Now falling asleep, that's a little trickier when I'm working out a design dilemma.
Just added the hand quilting button and a link. I look forward to checking out the other quilts!
Most problems can be resolved this way...not just patchwork! Your design looks much more interesting and original.....look forward to seeing it finished.
I usually hit the books and look for inspiration. I love the idea of cutting up the pieces on graph paper, I'll remember that one, great tip thanks.
I'm contemplating some pieced sashing for BTCT. But that's a long ways off for me.
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