"When you ladies embellish your blocks, do you have a pattern to go by, or do you just wing it and say this would look good here and that there, what????????" This is one of many questions from a newbie CQer in one of my groups - she is not only picking up tidbits etc but also "making" use revisit our whys and hows. Thank you! Well, I have some input to this latest query!
I've tried many a time to "just wing it" as one says, but heck that is totally foreign and a long painful experience for me at least. I do that only with smaller pieces, but I still do a scim through books for ideas - the seam finishes are pick and choose mostly and I see repetitive of the ones I like doing - gotta change that soon. Maybe it will come to me with more experience, I don't know.
So what I've found to work for me is to make a copy of the exact size of block (basically the 8" size and larger), have the stitched block beside me too and flip through my books and even some Blogs for ideas and make a note on the paper block of various items I like and where to find them for future reference. Then I do a write up alongside or on another page of each pieced number, the design and where I reference it, the colours of SR and floss and various embellishments. I continue till all pieces are accounted for and then I cover the drawing with plastic just to keep my hands clean from charcoal and ink and start to embellish.
Here is a picture of the "plan" I made up for Adeline's CQd block, it's not exact but close. Now I'm not saying I don't change things as I go, but at least I have a "plan" and things go a lot faster and smoother for me this way.
I find it not so scary to start the embellishing when I have a paper plan or blueprint like the builders to follow. And Ohhhh the joy when it is perused over and over by friends (quilting and none) and each time they see something they missed the first go over! Yep, very rewarding along with finding the stitching very relaxing (if not under a deadline that is).
I've tried many a time to "just wing it" as one says, but heck that is totally foreign and a long painful experience for me at least. I do that only with smaller pieces, but I still do a scim through books for ideas - the seam finishes are pick and choose mostly and I see repetitive of the ones I like doing - gotta change that soon. Maybe it will come to me with more experience, I don't know.
So what I've found to work for me is to make a copy of the exact size of block (basically the 8" size and larger), have the stitched block beside me too and flip through my books and even some Blogs for ideas and make a note on the paper block of various items I like and where to find them for future reference. Then I do a write up alongside or on another page of each pieced number, the design and where I reference it, the colours of SR and floss and various embellishments. I continue till all pieces are accounted for and then I cover the drawing with plastic just to keep my hands clean from charcoal and ink and start to embellish.
Here is a picture of the "plan" I made up for Adeline's CQd block, it's not exact but close. Now I'm not saying I don't change things as I go, but at least I have a "plan" and things go a lot faster and smoother for me this way.
I find it not so scary to start the embellishing when I have a paper plan or blueprint like the builders to follow. And Ohhhh the joy when it is perused over and over by friends (quilting and none) and each time they see something they missed the first go over! Yep, very rewarding along with finding the stitching very relaxing (if not under a deadline that is).
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