Wednesday, October 3, 2007

"H" Quilt Progresses

Thanks for your comments encouraging me with this project!

There really aren't that many more seams to fill in. Re-immersing myself here, I've remembered that I have been repeating seam treatments in different areas around the "H", in the effort to unify the central section and also to echo the repeating elements of the fans and black corners.
This is actually a pretty formal design. (No wonder it is so challenging for me.)
So as I've been adding new seam treatments I have been scattering them in threes or fours around the different "quadrants" of the center section, to stay consistent with what was happening before "H" went into hibernation.
I'll show the four sections so you can see what I mean....

This is the lower left. The zigzag trim with black stitching, gold beads within the patch, and use of black stitching in another seam you will see elsewhere. The whole thing needed more black, and I've been emphasizing that.

Upper left. More gold beads within the patch, and more of that funky checkerboard trim that Martha Green gave me long ago. I've used every inch of it.

Upper right. Martha's trim is here in two places...plus I added that gold trim in the upper right section of this picture. I want to pick up more gold throughout the quilt, too.

Lower right...Martha's trim and the little gold filler beads are here, and you can just see the black rickrack with gold herringbone thread that I put elsewhere on the quilt (but which isn't in any of the detail shots in this post.)
The bottom line is: repetition and rhythm are crucial to keeping this crazy quilt somewhat "organized" visually.

Here's an overall shot. I keep thinking of that old board game, "Chutes and Ladders". Remember how all those different red chutes looked going down the board in their curves, on top of the grid of the game and the straight lines of the ladders? The center section reminds me of that.
(That game used to scare the heck out of me! All those kids crying with broken dishes around them at the bottom of those long chutes....now of course I think it is kind of cool.)
Anyway, the unsolved problem looming quickly is how to treat all those fan blades. Waiting for divine intervention on that one......

7 comments :

Esther Gregory said...

hi Allie,

I like your blog, lots of pretty pictures. I also think it's hilarious that Chad is the prom king. Max and Chad certainly are different... heehee

Heaven said...

Wow, I just happened upon your blog your work is incredibly beautiful!

Possibilities, Etc. said...

Well - the fan blades are beginning to move in an orderly direction!! It will come to you. It's looking good!!

Marty52 said...

Le sigh... (I'm channeling Pepe Le Pew, here) superb as always!

Threadspider said...

Superb. I missed all your blogging about this last time around. It reminds me of the very best of those Victorian crazy patchwork pieces. Love it.

Debra Dixon said...

Aw, snuggling up with an old needlework project. . .what could be better? (well, maybe finished!)

JoWynn Johns said...

I think all the ric rac is very effective. I note, too, your use of herringbone in ribbon. And is that orange velvet I'm seeing? It's all so beautiful!