Saturday, January 19, 2008

Center of Carolina Crossroads Finished!


First, a clarification. My DH thinks I may have offended Bonnie because I like this layout of HER pattern better than her original. Since I know Bonnie, it never occurred to me that she would be offended. I think if someone took their CC blocks and made a jacket from them or a bed canopy or made 2 separate quilts from the 2 sets of blocks, she would think it was great. The truth is that we all like what WE like. While I like the block units, when they were put edge to edge, I found myself not liking it a whole lot. I needed the definition of the sashing for my greater enjoyment. I think Bonnie would be happy for me. I am quite sure she wouldn't like ALL of my quilts.

That leads me to a question...

I have (miraculously enough) added a poll to my page. What makes a quilt catch your eye? When does a quilt grab your attention? I think color is the primary thing for me. If it doesn't have "my" colors, I don't look much. I have seen some quilts made from the same patterns as mine in non-Joan colors, and I didn't like them much. But make that puppy in dark country colors, and I'll like it a lot more. Such is life.

Secondly it is the overall quilt pattern. I don't like large pieces, but they do have their place. After piecing the inside of the CC quilt, anything over 1-1/2" square constitutes LARGE, LOL!!

Lastly for me is the actual quilting. Don't get me wrong...it is important and must be done well, whether machine- or hand-quilted. But when I initially spot a quilt or see a photo, the quilting is mostly hidden.

I'm curious as to what you think.

This center measures 71" square. I'm debating about borders now. I'm taking a break from the machine since I've been on here all my free time yesterday and today. I'm thinking of a thin inner border of cream or creams depending on how many scraps I can round up, and a wider border of ONE black.

~Joan

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Your husband is very sweet.

Tell him that Bonnie has happily posted quilts (other designs) that fellow quilters have changed a bit.

She's very gracious, and seems quite happy to show off all the alternatives.

I really admire your quilt top - and I agree that it shows off the blocks very nicely.

I found your version while surfing about, because I wanted to see if there were alternatives out there to Bonnie's finished version.

Thank you!

Leah Spencer said...

I have to agree with the color thing. I find myself drawn to three "basic" types:
-brights with black background
-country colors
-all out scrappy quilts

And it certainly reflects in my quilting!

I'm personally thinking about skipping step 4 and not doing my version on-point. But currently I'm distracted by another quilt that involves brights and blacks. :)

Quilter Kathy said...

Your quilt is amazing! Great job!
Your DH is very considerate to think about Bonnie's feelings, but I'm sure she would be delighted to know that you LOVE your finished quilt.
And I just now posted my question about the number of pieces in the quilt to the group...thanks for answering my question so quickly :)

Quilts And Pieces said...

Oh Joan, I love your version! It is wonderful!

Bonnie K. Hunter said...

I am not offended in the least!I love it!

Bonnie

Jeanne said...

I bet your DH is happy to know that Bonnie is not offended. I think your sashings are wonderful with your blocks. There's so many choices to make when sewing a quilt. That's why we'll never run out of patterns.

ldahospud said...

When I look at a quilt, it is the graphics of the quilt that grab me. While I admire landscape and art quilts, the ones that make my heart stop are the ones with strong repetitive design, and I'm very drawn to quilts with a limited number of colors (even if there is a range of patterns, hues, and tones in the same color).

When someone uses a dramatic color, like with your black, it makes the pattern stand out very boldly and is all the more fascinating to me. I really love your color choices and your take on Bonnie's fantastic design.

MARCIE said...

Changing someone elses design is what we quilters do best! That is what makes it yours. Your quilt turned out great and so did your very large family! :0)

julieQ said...

I love it so much!! Would you do me the favor of looking at mine on Juliekquilts.blogspot.com? You will be surprised at the similarities in the way we put them together. I would love to hand quilt mine, but life is getting away too fast, and so will have it machine quilted, after all, we want to use it this century!!

JulieQ

Kairle Oaks said...

I think your quilt looks stunning, Joan. You've put so much time and work into that quilt, you should finish it the way that you like it best. It makes it your own!

Helen in the UK said...

Congrats on your finished mystery top :)