Friday, December 19, 2008

Cottage CQ...Surgery

It's funny how design decisions will reveal themselves slowly on a long-term (and experimental) project like this.
There was one section on the grassy area that didn't feel right to me, and hasn't for awhile, but I wasn't sure what it was or what to do about it.
Then this morning, bingo, there it all was in my head, so I decided to act on it right away.

It's the light colored grasses with the bullion seedheads. They stick out too far to the right.

I put a piece of tracing paper in place to see if the solution was to straighten out that edge and instantly thought, "Oh yes that's it".

I pinned the new fabric patches in place and whipstitched them on, right over what was under it.

After carrying over the French knotted flower motif from the patch to the right, I decided the background fabric was too light. Prismacolor pencil to the rescue.

Then some yarn got couched along the new seams, creating some more of those "seam driven motifs" I've been trying out with this project.
Surgery complete!

I did add the same couched yarn treatment to the other side.

I like how this reads so much better. Those vertical seams forming the oval will eventually have cording couched over them to define them...

Nothing like designing on the fly. But it's getting there.....

18 comments :

Anonymous said...

Wow! It's amazing how that little maneuver just balanced things out so nicely!! I love what you are doing with this Allie!

Marty52 said...

Yup, much nicer... the oval is more pronounced and will help frame the house nicely. Have a wonderful Christmas, Ms. Allie!

Kay said...

What seems to be shaping up is a black and white picture inside, or framed by, a colored picture. Right? It could be considered a sort of past and present idea. So what you just did made that concept even clearer--at least to me.

Kay said...

Well, I went and looked again, and what I said doesn't quite hold up. But still there's more color in the outer section, and you have defined the boundary.

I also love the improvisational aspect of this: a little new stitching, a little patching, a little paint. Wonderful. So much more fun than matching points (which is what I've been doing).

Debra Dixon said...

Such a cool piece--whether you changed the sides or not--I like both ways!

Magpie's Mumblings said...

Beautiful work Allie as always. I love what you do and thank you for showing how you re-design things to make them work better.

Deb Hardman said...

Wow, I love watching your process! It's really amazing! It really is better, & I hadn't realized it wasn't perfect to begin with!

Christine said...

Alison, it's been so fascinating watching this develop. I love that you don't hesitate to show every step in your creative process, it helps us with our own work so much. I like designing on the run, that's what I do all the time, LOL. I'm not a sketch book kind of person, much to my tutors' horror. Not that I can't draw well, just seems to stifle my process too much to commit it to paper first.
Looking forward to seeing this one completed.
Hooroo,
Christine.
http://missmuffettwo.blogspot.com/

Anonymous said...

Ah...

I continue to stand in awe of your skills!

CJ STITCHING AND BLOOMS said...

Hello Allie, Merry Christmas to you and your family. And thanks for all the wonderful tutorials and inspiration you have given all of us through the past year. Much appreciated. I think all your stitching is super and when the Beach Cottage CQ is completed it will be another work of art. Hugs Judy

Candi said...

You never cease to amaze me at your ability to give the eye's something lovely to behold! How you do things is wonderful and I learn soooo much from you. Thank you and Happy Holidays.
Hugz:)
Candi

Possibilities, Etc. said...

I didn't notice the "discord" either on the grass - but it does look better - of course beautiful. Cheating (creative license) is good when one is very clever!

Barbara C said...

Very clever design intervention: I assume you left the original stitching in place before you covered it over. The right side blend much more now.

Paula Hewitt said...

i couldnt see the 'problem' until you fixed it! its a great wip - enjoying following its progress very much!

Anonymous said...

I liked the fact that it wasn't a straight line through there. Now I like the fact that the new part seems more in shadow, with other pieces around it. I think I would have just made the stitching on that part darker threads, but it isn't my piece. =) All of it will make a fabulously beautiful piece when you are finished.

Anonymous said...

It is fun to watch you work thru these things and how your mind works. Wish mine worked that way.

Hugs

FredaB

Vicki W said...

Uh, wow.

talia said...

Wow, that is so amazing! Absolutely gorgeous! I hope to learn how to do landscape piecing one day. You are so talented!