Sunday 10 May 2015

If at first you do not succeed...

I have learnt something important over the few short years that I have been quilting. If I start something and I don't really like it, continuing on will not make it grow on me.

I have been wanting to make an Irish chain quilt for a while now, and thought that a dark chain would look really dramatic with my AMH Folk Song fabric. Indeed it does look pretty dramatic.


Although the dark fabric looks black here, it is a peppered cotton and is in fact a dark charcoal (I think it might be called Carbon). Like many a super model I'm guessing, it photographs really well but in real life looks quite different. The result was way too heavy/dark for my taste.

This morning when I woke up and looked at the dark chain version, I knew that I couldn't love it no matter how much I wanted it not to be a waste of several hours of sewing. In version two I used Lecien Yarn Dyed Melange/Chambray in natural which I bought a while ago from Polka Dot Tea Fabrics for another project.


It is quite a different look but I'm much happier with it. I'm hoping that the chain effect will still be able to be seen when I have more of it completed. The melange/chambray is lovely soft material to work with and it looks like a linen without the bulk. This close up up might give you some sense of the textured look of the fabric.


Off I go now to spend some quality time with my seam ripper. Joy.

8 comments:

  1. Really good to see both options... quite amazing the difference! But I agree, the lighter natural is nice, it really makes the AMH fabrics 'pop' now! And I'm sure from a distance you will get that chain effect! Linda

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  2. They both look great, but yes the lighter fabric lets the AMH shine, while the darker sort of frames it more. I don't think I would ever have the patience to unpick what I had started if I didn't like it- good on you.

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  3. I think we've all done it-persisting and hoping it'll magically improve and you're right it's usually better just to bite the bullet and get out the seamripper. The black is dramatic but I agree that the linen look is fresh and better showcases those lovely prints.

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  4. I would also have been thinking that the black chains would look really good, but when I see the photo it looks kind of heavy and the AMH prints fade away, whereas the natural linen has allowed all the bold prints to take their rightful place

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  5. Persisting with something you don't love sewing is just tedious, and takes forever! So glad you changed your plans - I love this new look a whole lot more too :-)

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  6. Those fabrics are just gorgeous.The light background is very nice with them. Enjoy

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  7. i've learned the same lesson over time and a few quilts! i feel the same about fabrics i don't particularly like. i can't get past seeing the whole fabric to see the "color effect" instead. if i don't like it, it doesn't go in. or it has to come out! i think you made an excellent choice and not just because i prefer the second version, too.

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  8. i've learned the same lesson over time and a few quilts! i feel the same about fabrics i don't particularly like. i can't get past seeing the whole fabric to see the "color effect" instead. if i don't like it, it doesn't go in. or it has to come out! i think you made an excellent choice and not just because i prefer the second version, too.

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