Not Feeling It

Whilst making this quilt a little while ago I kept seeing in my mind's eye a little corner of another quilt. It was red and grey, I knew it had white in it somewhere, and it was squares made into crosses. I couldn't quite get a visual on the whole thing but I thought it would take shape once I plunged in.

I started it immediately and was a bit excited to be using only solids - a first for me. And as I started cutting I was thinking 'yep, this is so right, this will work, this will look good'.

And then I laid out the squares and felt a bit flat.



Something about it reminded me of a high school project. I googled red and grey cross quilts and found a few that were almost identical to the one I was making. I hadn't consciously seen those quilts before but who knows, maybe Id stumbled across them and they had lodged in my mind. Anyway, I liked them on the internet, so I pressed ahead with this one, thinking (hoping) that once it was sewn together it would take a better shape. But the pieced top didn't float my boat either. I asked Craig, who has generally excellent taste.  He made a sort of face.

Nevertheless, I know that the actual quilting can bring something out in a quilt, inject some life. I departed from my recent stippling and went straight lines either side of the ditch. It's a quilting method I've loved on many quilts I've seen but again I'm not sure it works here.  Perhaps these squares (6 inch) are just too big? Perhaps the visual austerity would have benefitted from some stippling? Perhaps that one grey that leans toward tan is just wrong?

But I'd come this far, I reckoned I'd better finish it before judging. Maybe the binding would save it?



I adore this binding generally and I think it does help this quilt but still, the quilt doesn't quite work. Maybe the love will grow? Does that ever happen, or is it more likely that my current indifference will harden into loathing?



Maybe I can't do solids? I've got another quilt (and it is still not Lily's quilt) lurking in my mind. It is all solids. I was so excited when I got the idea that I immediately purchased all the fabrics I needed but it is solids again and I've lost a bit of confidence now. Perhaps, without the gorgeousness of prints to distract the eye, a stronger, better aesthetic than I posses is required to successfully work with solids. What do you reckon? Feel free to rip into this quilt, I'm not precious and could benefit from some insight.