Anyhow, I was busy tidying up my stash today - I needed to buy FOUR more fabric boxes to put it all in (I really, really, really need to stop buying fabric. Is there a support group out there for me?) - when I noticed my EPP blocks. I decided to put them all put on the floor together and see what they looked like. Guess what they looked like?
Fabric vomit. And not in a good way. Aggghhhh - after all that work too. So do you know what I did? Are you sitting down? Do you have a stiff drink?
I culled. my. EPP. blocks. Three of them. Gone from the quilt.
I know, right? Culling hand sewing is some kind of quilting crime.
The lesson learned is that even when you're making a scrappy quilt, there needs to be SOME sort of coherence to it. This is what's left. 16 blocks.
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| Eye twitching EPP |
I'm going for a sort of pinky, bluey, lineny colour way now. The three really dark blocks are gone. And there seem to be an abundance of polka dots. That's natural I guess. Polka dots are awesome. But the fabrics I have picked out for the next blocks are a lot lighter so that it doesn't look too overwhelming.
I'm going to do eight more hexagons and then the half hexies for the sides. Rather than doing a whole quilt, it's going to be a panel for the centre and I'm going to sash around it in white or a low volume print. I'm not sure which. I seem to change my mind about what I'm doing with this each month. The only thing that is consistent is that every time I look at it, I decide it's going to be smaller. Heh.
Right, I'm exhausted after all that. I'm linking up to Hydeeann's EPP party. It was like hand sewing karma when I pulled put my ipad and realised she had put her EPP post up straight after my EPP crisis. Come and have a look (well, after you've given me a little pep talk about how my quilting life hasn't come to an end from removing some blocks).
25 comments:
wow, I love, love, LOVE the way it's looking all together!!! seriously. that culling may have been painful, but it must have paid off because they looks so charming in this colorway. you can just save those extra blocks for your next project in a different colorway or send them to me for Christmas. ha! whatever, i'm sure you'll find something brilliant for them.
there must be support group for us somewhere and I don't mean an enablers group, either. =) i'll google it. good luck with your sorting. I've been cleaning up my bawthroom area all week and it is getting better. but there are so many shelves full of stuff I bought in the beginning of my sewing fascination that I just don't think i'll use now. =( i'd do some charity sewing with them if I had the time. maybe in about 20 years when the kids are all gone? we'll need an old folks home that will take us and our fabrics at that point, won't we?
happy Sabbath!
Your layout looks wonderful! I am glad you only had to remove three sets You know, tweaking your work is just being in the middle of the creative process. What would you have felt like if you only saw the rouge blocks after sewing the whole thing together?
I love how the pink fabrics in the sets pull all of the sets together.
If you find a "fabric anomynous", please let me know. I need help too! ;-)
Esther
esthersipatchandquilt at yahoo dot com
ipatchandquilt dot wordpress dot com
These are gorgeous, and they're so much work.
Would some neutral sashing help? Maybe with coloured cornerstones?
Well I think it looks lovely now. And Jess at The Elven Garden is doing Fabricaholics Anonymous starting next year - no new fabric for the next 6 months and then reevaluate. I don't think I can go cold turkey like that, but you should check it out...
Your EPP is looking great - maybe you could use the culled ones on the back so they are not wasted. No fabric support group here - only enablers!
Just because some didn't make it on this squad doesn't mean they'll never see the light of day. You could turn the extras into a lovely cushion for moi for example :-) The ones you've got there look gorgeous.
they look fantastic. And like Hydee said you can just use the darker ones for another project :-) I am definitely signing up to fabricaholics anonymous next year. I dont have stacks of fabric but I have enough to keep me going for 6 months at least without buying anymore. Just need to stock up at Christmas time before the new year begins :-)
Looks fab now
That's not a crisis, just a bump in the road. You can consider those blocks that were removed from this quilt as the beginnings of a new project (as though any of us needs more projects!)
Your EPP looks amazing! I'm sure it was terribly painful to take out blocks that didn't work, but using them on the back was a good idea!
:) Kelly @ My Quilt Infatuation
The hexis look lovely & scrappy - I too have had a serious destash over the past few weeks! It's a good thing to do now & then, I don't feel so overwhelmed every time I walk into the spare bedroom now! and hopefully I can things quicker!!! L
I think the ones that are left look great! Very vintage-y.
Love your EPP and don't give up in those blocks, they may still fit in. I like to stand back several feet to see what everyone else will see and sometimes when I lay everything out on the floor it looks so much better. A design wall would be great too, but I have no room. Using them for the back is a good tip too! Visiting from In hand linky party. Happy sewing,
Gorgeous absolutely love them!!!
Oh boos! Well now you have a plan and I'm sure will be happy with the outcome! Looking forward to seeing how you get on :)
Having plucked those three blocks from your quilt, you now have three charming, handmade blocks to be made into the most thoughtful gifts ever. Pincushions? A table runner? Set aside for a swap gift in the future? Hooray for you!
Your hexie blocks look lovely. Always hard to cull - take a deeeep breath now! - and those you did cull could be useful for something else......
As to the fabric.....I've long given up on trying to stop buying! I Just Love Fabric!!
havent the time to review all the previous comments, but my thought is to put those culled blocks on the back...
havent started in with the hexy craze, yet, but the bug has bit, and as soon as i finish my last two embroidered blocks, epp will commence. hope mine will work out to be as nice as yours is so far!
thanks for the inspiration
Looking forward to your additions to this stunner! And I am curious about those you 'culled' (I had to look this up!)
Wow -- they're gorgeous! It's so interesting to see how you're putting them together. Mine are still in just the star stage -- I can't decide whether to use all different fabrics to connect them, like you did, or have some common background -- I love both looks! And I completely agree -- polka dots ARE awesome!!!
I love the pink colourway you're putting together and I'm not particularly a pink girl. The variety is wonderful!
oof. i can't believe you sent some of those blocks out to pasture. but good for you for having a vision and sticking to it! maybe you can use the other three for another project.
Your blocks looks beautiful. Maybe a triangle sashing between them might break up the fabrics a bit and help you like them more.
Wow...love those blocks, especially the pink and turquoise one at the top! I wouldn't worry about having to get rid of a few it's all part of the process.
It looks SO great! I might have needed a stiff drink to cull three blocks :) I'm excited to see how the rest of it comes together. Polka dots ARE awesome!
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