Working it Out

When I get to this point, I really need to see the little four patch diamonds to get a feel for where this is going.

Actually, that's not quite true. I need to see the background of the little four patch diamonds to be sure.

I had thought they would be this flowery digital print. I was so convinced I bought two yards of it before I knew for sure.

But I wasn't really impressed when I set the four patches next to the light prints I used for the medium sized diamonds.

If I used darker pinkinsh medium diamonds, I didn't like that much either.

When I tried them with a mixture of both light and other pink medium diamonds I liked it even less. Although I frequently go over the top, this was just too much. It's a big jumble. My problem was really two problems. The background of the four patches was too busy, and many of the light prints, while charming, just added to the mixed up feeling. A little off kilter can be OK, a lot is not. (It's a juggling act.)

 One of the things I like about these diamond quilts is that the diamonds disappear into each other, and then reappear as if they are playing hide and seek, but you still see diamonds. As you can see in the quilt above, Diamond Jubilee, the background of the four patch diamonds is important because you want it to disappear and let the rest of the colors and diamonds shine through. The medium size diamonds in this quilt don't compete against the big prints either.

 There's a lot going on in this version, Dark Majesty. But it isn't really over the top. I'm not 100% thrilled with the way the dark fabric in the four path diamonds sticks out, but had I transposed them and made dark vertical rows of diamonds, I would have liked it even less. Still, though, those dark diamonds give the quilt a kind of rhythm that works.

I think this version of the Diamonds, Jewel Box, works very well.

I'm not looking for your suggestions. I know what I want, and I'm willing to work to get it. I'm not even sure if I made too many PINK four patches (which I will show you tomorrow), because that may end up biting me in the butt also. You never know until you try, but YOU MUST TRY!

You must also THINK. Writing this post has helped me figure out what does and doesn't work for each of these quilts. I now have a sneaking suspicion I'm still getting it wrong and I have a lot more four patches to make before I get this right.  Argh.  We'll see...