Lots to share with you, but first, Help! Look at this black and white copy of a hexie piece. Is it my imagination or what? The hexies seem to blend together. Is it the that they are the same value? If you agree with me, what should I do about it? It's already sewn. I was thinking maybe outlining each flower with dark green embroidery thread in a blanket stitch to make them stand out. Any suggestions greatly appreciated. And here's what it looks like in color. My eye may be deceiving me or the camera emphasized the flowers. ?? Just not happy with it in real life. This piece was given to me by a friend who knows I love hexies. They are one inch hexies.
Next I have finished my first UFO for 2014 - completely done. This top was put together in 1997. It's about 35" square and is my first charity quilt for the year, too.
Oh, and a giveaway starts Saturday, so come on back then for a chance at a $25 certificate from FQS on my Grow your Blog post. See you then!
Lots of quilters are making these days what they call 'low volume' quilts. You could call it that! Or, is there a possibility of taking it apart to reset the flowers? Otherwise, you could do as you thought of, outline it with something darker. But, not too dark.
ReplyDeleteYes, I thought of "low volume" too. And I like it as it is. You should never take apart hexies. I've tried once, but I had to throw away most of the pieces afterwards. You could quilt it in a pattern that outlined the flowers too, if you like.
ReplyDeleteI think maybe big stitching or button hole the outline of the flowers may help if done in black. The problem is value, too much of the same thing. Although some people like it. I have always loved high contrast quilts, think that is why I like the graphic nature of modern quilts and antique two color quilts.
ReplyDeleteLow volume, formerly known as blendy. LOL, hate the term low volume. Seems pretentious to me. Anyway, yes, that's the problem, and, like you, I like contrast. The blanket stitch would probably do the trick. You could experiment with using bleach to remove more color from the greens. You could use fabric dye of your choice to paint in more color. I wouldn't take it apart, personally, but it is an option. Or you could finish it with machine quilting and either hang it on the wall or give it to someone who would like the blended look.
ReplyDeleteP. S. Congratulations on your finish! That's a nice looking piece, and your fmq looks good!
DeleteI don't have much to add. I agree that something needs to be done. The buttonhole stitch is certainly an option. Another one would be to take colored pencils to put color around the flowers. I suppose other mediums would work too but I'm more comfortable with using colored pencils or sharpies.
DeleteAngie,
ReplyDeleteI agree, the hexies do blend together, maybe that is why the person who did these, put them in the donation box. ha! Probably an outline would solve the problem. Again, I love the finished charity quilt!! The person who receives it will LOVE it!!
Deanna
Well there is a lot of value that is the same but there's also a lot of contrast with green and red (pink) being on opposite sides of the color wheel. Maybe when you quilt it, use a significant lighter or darker color thread on the background hexies and maybe a denser quilting to push them back a bit. Those beautiful bright flowers just might pop right off that quilt then. Love those pinks.
ReplyDeleteIt does blend and what matters most is if you are unhappy with it. What If you did a decorative stitch just outside the flowers in a contrasting thread? I would use something like a dark green, dark blue, or even a purple. If you did it just outside the flowers, leaving a 1/8 or so inch of the green I think it would be really interesting, and make it all look quite deliberate. It could also be your quilting. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteThe carpenter's star top is beautiful! And your quilting adds a lot of great detail and texture.
ReplyDeleteI think some dark pearl cotton thread in a chunky running stitch would look great, then a lighter color to quilt on the background. Congrats on the UFO finish. Your borders look great!
ReplyDelete