Hmmmm . . . .

You know how sometimes a quilt is just going along swimmingly, and then, right when it’s really too late to do anything about it, you have serious second thoughts?

Yes, well.

I think I’m good with this (I’m just not sure).

What I loved . . . the bargello pattern one of my friends designed, the gorgeous Ricky Tims hand-dyes, the foundation as it was sewing up. 

And then the hesitations: I originally had the outer border so that dark purple in the upper right was in the lower left.  Then at the last moment, I decided I was going to change the orientation of the quilt so what I thought was going to be the top (and which currently is) was the bottom.  But by the time I was ready to quilt the border, I decided I liked the first orientation better and so the purple is upper right.  I’d really be happier if it was lower left.  But, okay, so be it.

And then, I was really happy as I was part way through quilting the border.  (Free motion flames! – Yeah, Terrie!)

Until I finished . .  .

So, here’s what I wish I had done differently: balanced the spine so that it was symmetrical.  When I was quilting it, I thought I wanted the more free-form line.  In retrospect, the mutlitiple stitching over the spine really highlights it.  I wish it formed a symmetrical frame.  And I wonder if the quilting is calling too much attention to itself – and fighting with the piecing.  Hmmmm. . .

Am I losing it?  Over-thinking it?  Right on target?  Heck if I know.

Meanwhile, hey, my free motion skills continue to improve.  Not so I’d impress a quilt judge or anything like that – I had some problems with thread tension, over-stitching a few areas, and those stitches are not even.  (Call me a stitch de-regulator). 

But it’s definitely progress!  So, there it is.  Here’s a couple close-ups of the stitching.

 

I don’t think you can tell from the photos but I used a gold metallic thread so there’s some glitter here as well.

What definitely makes me happy though is the color.  That I am totally happy with!