Good Morning! We’re wide awake here with Kismet blasting her words. She is one loud parrot (Amazon) but it is funny with her saying things like: “look how cute you are” or “how you?” With that last one she takes the “you” in the phrase and drags it out so it becomes “how youuuuuu?”
She likes “here you go” and “bad parrot” or “good girl” and “step up.” Lordy bee, “step up” is a favorite. Can you hear the broken record rhythm a two word phrase like “step up?” might lend itself to? She gets fast with it, too. Likely these are some of the tactics used for torture.
I personally feel tortured which is why I made an early morning executive decision and sent her to her previous location… into that back room. If you wanna know the truth, I think she likes that prime window spot way more that she does me.
Everyone was so great with their ideas for my 16-patch blocks I thought I do a few mock-ups and share.
Nothing jumps out at me. Well, one thing does. I’ve chosen such a strong contrast between light and dark. I didn’t try any medium fabrics for a setting. Lord knows I have some great fabrics in my stash that might really work. I should have thought of that earlier but it just came to me. And now I’m sooo sick of these blocks!!!
Hmmm, I am digging the blue at top left. Very pretty…very engaging blocks. Must make some!
Well, we all have an opinion, but in the end it is yours that counts. For me, I think I like the lower left setting, with the blue and cream alternate blocks. I do not like the additional rows of cheddar against the cheddar of the blocks. Too much cheddar. I love the blocks and you will get it right. One of these days you will say “THAT'S IT”!
Well hey….anyway you go with these….they are certainly making my motor hum!!!
Oh too many choices! I can't decide. I think I would let it age awhile and then try again. Or do what Cathi said. But that's just me.
I like the ones with the solid setting blocks best. I think the one with both the blue and cream (or is that black).
I like the large photo showing the alternate block …. except I would change around the colours so that the dark is on the outside sashing and the cheddar is the centre square and the corner stones. The just red doesn't do anything for me …..
I like your variety of seeings. With all those different variations, if you haven't found THE ONE, maybe it's time to put it away for a while! Oh, what I wouldn't give to have someone say “look how cute you are” to me! lol
I like the mix in the corner – but I was seeing a line of blue & a line of cream instead of the checkerboard…. Clear as mud?
I am also seeing a zigzag – so that the pieced blocks are of set… (If that makes any sense at all…)
Oh my – sooooooo many choices! I am totally discombobbled(sp?) now! Maybe it is time to put the lovely little dears away for awhile and forget about 'em for the nonce. You'll wake up one morning and have the perfect setting solution.
I don't have a parrot, but my smallest weinie woke me up verrrrrry early this morning by licking my arm, licking her sister and licking her foot. I kept hearing the slobber sound and kept telling her to go back to sleep, but after an hour of telling, pleading, and then begging, I gave up. So here we are, 3 portable heaters and me! Good Morning!
I have 2 thoughts to throw in the pot. 1)just sash each block, add cornerposts and sew em together or 2) take em off the wall and “file” them for the time being. Sooner or later the answer will come to you.
I like the red and black hour glasses. Your parrot makes me smile. Can see how that phrase might drive you batty though.
Medium might be the way to go….the setting in the large picture, and the one in the bottom row second from left, with medium centres, or even pieced centres, pinwheels would look good in the centre of the framed square.
Great Quilt, but hey, where's a photo of the parrot??? I've been reading (ok, sometimes skimming) your blog for a long time, and …no parrot pictures! You know I love the quilts, but a parrot??? now that's interesting.
Or … are you pulling my leg?
Okay, I'm really liking the dark blue alternate blocks and would probably like a red one but I'm guessing you're really not liking the whole alternate block idea–no matter what color or how you try to fancy them up. So are you ready for another comment from the peanut gallery? What if you used the dark blue or red and made sashing? Yup, sashing. About the width of your cheddar… And use some of your cheddar to make cornerstones. I think sashing with cheddar cornerstones would look l-o-v-ely. You'll look at your design wall and say, “Look how cute you are!”
~Erin
Those blocks are so great…..I really like at least 3 displays but I'm not going to say because I don't want to confuse you….LOL…I got out of that one, didn't I…….hehehehe
I'd take the blocks off the design wall, carefully, and put them in the same room as the parrot till I felt like messing with them again.
Problem solved. You're welcome!
How would that framed square look with a cheddar center and a blue frame? What you need–another idea.
Clever of whoever taught the parrot to say “How Cute you are!”
I'd be so tempted to just set them together on their own and then add a couple of borders — one a light medium and one somewhat darker.
humor me, take the half red/half blue blocks and spin one so that the red is on both sides of the 16 patch.
Top left corner for me! Love the black!!
Step it up sister! Step it Up!!!
Out of all the photos you show, the one that makes the most impression is the second picture on the left side. The combo of red and blue is very striking to me. Maybe just don't look at this project for about a week then come back to it! You might need a break from it. :0)
I'm not sure the light setting does anything for the 16-patches. Kinda ho hum. The dark is very striking but then I'm a big fan of dark backgrounds. That may be a bit too dark. The red is cool but so far the various settings are a bit busy and distracting. I dunno…the patch blocks are just so wonderful on their own it's hard to find some companions for them. I'd lean toward a really simple setting with just a touch of red to show them off.
Karen, When I read about your parrot I immediately thought of that bird in the book & movie “Little Dorrit”. The bird's owner was always telling it, “Quiet, Bird!” And also, I have a friend who owns a parrot named Freddie … who was always asking, “Where's Grandma?”
Your quilt blocks look sooooo nice. I always enjoy seeing what you're making.
Random thought here…what if you just put your 16-patch blocks together? Maybe they'd look better on their own? Like I said…random thought! LOL