Have you picked up the latest issue of $100,000 Quilting Challenge? Have you read it? I have. There is an interesting statement by the winner (Wendy Hill) of the Innovative Piecing in this quarter's issue. I quote:
- "Trust your own voice and develop your own color sense. Your choices might not always be the same ones that others would make, but that's okay. Sometimes the one fabric that needs to be there 'doesn't appear to belong.' "
Back already? Good. The blue (bordering on turquoise) fabric is the one in question.
At the retreat, more than one quilter commented on that fabric. It is a solid and solids are a bit difficult to work with and it doesn't seem to go with anything in the other fabrics. As I was auditioning fabrics to play with the frog fabric this one jumped off the stash shelf and said "pick me!" It doesn't seem to 'go' with the other 2 fabrics, but the color is actually used in the frog fabric. I believe it is Jinny Beyer (correct me if I'm wrong) who tells quilters to really study a fabric (and the selvage where the color dots are located) and you will find all kinds of different colors used. So just because it is not a dominant color in the focus fabric doesn't mean it won't play well with the others.
I smiled at the quilters who questioned my fabric choice and said that once I put the blocks on the design wall, and since the top is not together yet I still have the option of changing out that fabric. I don't mind redoing if it will fit my vision.
Which gets us back to Wendy Hill's statement:
- "Trust your own voice..."
AMEN!! Well said, and it needs to be repeated over and over. Those "mismatches" are sparks, not errors. They make a design, and they make it all yours not a cookie-cutter.
ReplyDeleteAmen times 2! If we didn't trust our own instincts and listen to our own voices then why not all sew quilts from kits assembled by someone else? This reminds me... I posted about the Charm swap group that I'm in. This month we swapped greens... a lovely, varied array of greens. One gal kept muttering to herself, under her breath, as she picked up the charms... "None of these GO TOGETHER"! *Ahem* it's a charm swap!
ReplyDeleteIt took me a while to learn to listen to myself. When I realized that I had quilts that were just not exactly how I thought they should, I knew I had to quit listening to the people who could not see my vision. It's sometimes difficult - but always worth it in the end.
ReplyDeleteThat turquoise will pop the quilt ... always go with your gut feeling! Besides, it's your quilt and you can do what you want! :o) Will check back to see what you ended up doing with it.
ReplyDeleteI thought you were going to say you were offering $200,000 for your quilting challenge! LOL
ReplyDeleteIt's your quilt, and you should be able to use whatever color you desire. It's a matter of taste. Some people would rather use the dominant color and others would rather pick out and highlight the ones that are hiding in the background and bring them center stage.
I have tried to doubt myself and the little voice inside convinces me to go w/my first choice and it is always right!!
ReplyDeleteI couldn't have said it better myself. I never believed fabric could talk, but trust me, it does.
ReplyDeleteIsn't tourquise a neutral?! I think when a lot of quilters start out they want everything to "match." I'm working with some beginning quilters and bring a grab bag to meetings that they can rummage through to try and expand their sampler quilt fabrics. I love it when one of them steps outside the comfort zone! Good for you for sticking by your fabric choice.
ReplyDeleteooh I LOVE the turquoise! You go girl! I like to use my 'out of the box' color choice as an insert (I have seen it called a 'flange' also..sounded to high falutin' for me tho!) in a border or at the binding. I will give you a link if you want to see a picture...
ReplyDelete