Of strips and snoods
Ladies and gentlemen (okay, so -men is ambitious), I need your votes! Saturday was sunny and glorious, and I spent a happy hour in the back garden cutting fabric strips for the Bend-the-Rules Lap Quilt. That was the easy part. Now I have to decide on a pleasing arrangment, and for that I could use your practiced eyes.
Exhibit 1:
Exhibit 2:
Exhibit 3:
Exhibit 4, which is just like 3 except I’ve removed the little pedestal of the sage green to the strip second from right:
Exhibit 5:
If you have a suggestion to improve the quilt beyond what I’ve proposed here, let me have it. The backing is the sage green (which has wee polka dots, as you can see better in the original picture below).
The binding will be mostly the Amy Butler at left, since I still have so much of it, unless I decide I don’t like the edges being so dark.
I worked on my little sundress yesterday, too, which means I ripped off the skirt and cut about six inches off the side so there wouldn’t be as much fabric to gather. It was way too Baby Doll for my figure. Now it’s better, but it still needs a zipper and a hem and a cute button for the ribbon ties that aren’t long enough to tie.
But the knitting continues predictable and satisfying:
I finished Ana a good two weeks ago, but I’ve been waiting for natural light and a photographer. The hat isn’t as yellow as the afternoon sun made it in these shots, but you get the idea. I don’t know about “boho chic 4 ever,” but I think it’s a good argument for bringing back the snood.
Posted: April 27th, 2008 at 3:48 pm
That is a gorgeous Snood, Sarah! I love the subtle variations in the color.
Posted: April 27th, 2008 at 3:55 pm
Wasn’t yesterday pretty? I’ve been scheduled in the shop both of the gorgeous Saturdays we’ve had this year. At least I rode my bike both days as a result!
I like exhibits 1 & 5, but what I’d recommend is #1, but flip the floral with the neutral.
Posted: April 27th, 2008 at 3:56 pm
Oh, sorry, that was unclear. In #1, in the left-most strip, flip the floral with the neutral (in perspective of the photo here, put the floral “on top” and the neutral below).
Posted: April 27th, 2008 at 4:21 pm
The snood looks great! I vote for #1, as is. It caught my eye right away!
Posted: April 27th, 2008 at 4:42 pm
ok, hhmmm, i’ve looked at them a couple of times and i can’t decide! totally in the same boat with you 🙂
ana is so cute. sigh. i might just have to break down and buy a kit!
Posted: April 27th, 2008 at 4:55 pm
Ana looks fantastic! A great hat for short hair… (*scurrying to look up the pattern and search the stash…)
For the quilt, I vote for #5. It has, to my eye, the best mix of color and a very organic/not-contrived layout. (That is to mean: not too symmetrical, but still balanced. I like that in a quilt.) The combination of fabrics is wonderful; a good blend of light/dark and big/small prints. Yup, it’s gonna be a good one!
Posted: April 27th, 2008 at 8:29 pm
Number 1! It caught my eye immediately, and the others I felt sort of ho-hum towards.
Posted: April 28th, 2008 at 2:40 am
I vote for #5. Love the hat too! Can’t help but be relaxed when you wear a hat like that.
Posted: April 28th, 2008 at 5:11 am
Your quilt is going to be be very nice! My quilting teacher taught us that a little imprecision is good, so I think you could close your eyes and pick a random layout 🙂
I remember the lovely Ana hat you made for the store a while ago. If I wasn’t knitting Spring items, I’d go buy a kit right now…
Posted: April 28th, 2008 at 5:31 am
I like number one… but this seems to be a process where there is no wrong answer. I love those.
Posted: April 28th, 2008 at 7:30 am
Exhibits 3 and 5 are the ones that really jump out at me. As does the snood–I loved the design in blue, but knitted in green (my favorite color) I feel the urge to run out and knit one right away, regardless of the fact daytime temperatures have been approaching 90 for over a week.
Posted: April 28th, 2008 at 7:59 am
Um, I like #6 with the green bits broken up. It’s so lovely! I can’t wait to see the finished quilt!
Posted: April 28th, 2008 at 8:27 am
You were able to quilt out in your garden? How wonderful! 1 and 5 are my favorites.
I can’t wait to see the sundress.
Posted: April 28th, 2008 at 8:33 am
The fabrics are so lovely that it’s hard to come up with a “wrong” combination. I like #1 best, though.
Posted: April 28th, 2008 at 10:07 am
I love the hat!
Posted: April 28th, 2008 at 12:35 pm
Go with Number 1. And the hat is great!
How do you cut fabric out in your back yard! Saturday was nice, but still! That’s talent. I’d get a breeze and end up slicing something in half that shouldn’t be!
Posted: April 28th, 2008 at 12:52 pm
I definitely need to get a kit for Ana. It looks like a great hat-like garment for those of us with shorter hair.
As for the quilt squares, I couldn’t decide. I like most of them a lot and have a slight preference 4 and 5, but nothing even vaguely concrete to back them up with.
Posted: April 28th, 2008 at 12:59 pm
I like them all but #5. You totally look so cute in the snood. My daughters would love those!
Posted: April 28th, 2008 at 3:51 pm
i loved 1 right away and after a quick glance through he previous comments, it looks like that was the general feeling. do you think it is because it was the first exhibit? hmmm. still i love it and the snood. snood, fun word to say. might have to cut all my hair off so i can knit one.
Posted: April 28th, 2008 at 5:39 pm
Dark binding is good for a quilt; that edge gets handled a lot, and dark binding doesn’t show the dirt as fast. Besides which, that narrow bit of dark fabric is so visually satisfying. At least to me.
Posted: April 29th, 2008 at 3:24 am
The quilt is going to look so cute when you are done. I vote for #1! I might just add another little piece with the pale flowers at the top left though. I’m no expert by any means, but that’s just my suggestion! : )
Posted: April 29th, 2008 at 9:00 am
My favorite is #4. The small change you made from #3 really makes the difference. I also like #1. And I love that hat!
Posted: April 29th, 2008 at 2:21 pm
If I am not too late, I vote for #1 as well. Something about it looks more balanced to my eye.
I’m amazed at all the crafts you are doing at once! What is your secret?? 🙂