Wednesday, April 20, 2016

A Challenge is a Challenge

The quilt I am working on is taking longer than expected.  I have a very rough sketch, but the actual choice of fabrics, placement, and method of construction is being decided in the moment of construction.  I've never worked like this before so it is certainly a challenge.  

Challenges are one way to grow, and I do believe in them.  BUT I wish they (or at least this one) weren't so time consuming and difficult!  It had seemed fairly straight forward in the beginning, but it isn't.  

Right now I am still working on the background, or I should be.  Today I found myself distracted by 
shadows even though I had decided to start with the lights and only adding darks after the lights were established.  Every now and then, I'd find myself picking up darker fabrics and trying to create a shadow.  Then I realized, I was merely trying to add depth to something that irritatingly flat instead of continuing with the basic instead of chasing the chicken that was crossing the road.

Next I became enamored with one of the foreground elements.  Heaven only know how much time I spent figuring out how to make them look realistic.  Background, I reminded myself.  Stick to the background.

By the time I had to stop for the day, I had two thirds of the background in place and fabrics chosen as possibilities for the rest of it.  Nothing is fused in place or sewn down yet, though. My goal had been to finish at least laying it all out today.  

Well, I have to take the stand that all of those distractions will help me later on.  I hope.  It's certainly not progressing in a linear way!

And that's why it's a challenge.


1 comment:

  1. I think it is extremely challenging when you make up your own "pattern" and then try to really make it. There's absolutely no guide lines - not a photo you can tweek - it's all just in your head. And everything takes much longer than anticipated. Keep going and you'll get it done in time! I have faith!!

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