I need your honest opinions
12-11-2014, 10:07 AM
#31
Junior Member
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Laurel Hill, NC
Posts: 105
Sheep and Lady Bugs
I am making this quilt for a dear friend and have run into a couple issues. I gave the friend the fabric requirements and a pic of the quilt....she bought all the fabric. The first problem is that there is very little color to the fabrics, so that I have a hard time seeing any definition between the grassy hillside and the sky. A couple of the fabrics are white with blue/green dots, so almost no color. I have plans to fmq in yellow rays for the sun, doing grass blades for the green area and something that looks like clouds in the blue. I thought about adding a couple of lady bugs in the green area, so in the pic I just laid a couple in the lightest places. Will the lady bugs be too much color, drawing the eyes away from the sheep? The customer has given me complete freedom to do whatever I think....that could be scary! I think the sheep turned out great, using sherpa for the sheep and making the ears floppy. Sooooo....I am open to hearing any suggestions that will give this quilt a better visual appearance. TIA, Rose
fabric so the fabric just shows solid from a distance.
12-11-2014, 10:17 AM
#32
Super Member
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 1,660
I like the sheep very much. Modern looking. It does need to be outlined so you can differentiate between the white parts of the sheep and the ground and sky. I think that's why some people think it's alien looking.
I too would do flowers instead of ladybugs. I believe if you choose the right thread colors to quilt with you can really define sky and ground. I wouldn't worry about quilting grass in. I would just make sure the whole ground area is quilted with the green thread.
Its rs going to be a great quilt. Not necessarily what you or I would choose but your friend will like it.
I too would do flowers instead of ladybugs. I believe if you choose the right thread colors to quilt with you can really define sky and ground. I wouldn't worry about quilting grass in. I would just make sure the whole ground area is quilted with the green thread.
Its rs going to be a great quilt. Not necessarily what you or I would choose but your friend will like it.
12-11-2014, 01:34 PM
#35
Power Poster
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: SoCal
Posts: 11,921
Yes this! Keep it in the very soft pastels. In the past people made quilts with all very soft pastels. I also think outlining the sheep might be helpful.
12-11-2014, 04:04 PM
#36
Super Member
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Texas currently
Posts: 1,222
I'd try to use a darker green thread and make about 3 passes between the grass and sky, then add the grass blades with the green thread. The way the sheep looks slightly cross-eyed makes it look like he should be staring at a bug or butterfly that landed on his nose. Maybe add a tiny one there, instead of large lady bugs?
12-11-2014, 04:13 PM
#37
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: South Alabama
Posts: 711
I like the lady bugs. With the intense black of the sheep, I think it can handle brighter colors on lady bugs and/or butterflies. I think if you quilt the area around the sheep so it's fuzzy parts puff up even more, the sheep will show up better. Adding the grass, etc. that you described will help also. It's a darling quilt!
12-11-2014, 04:22 PM
#38
Super Member
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Hampstead N.C.
Posts: 1,870
The quilt is darling. I would use a soft red with black dots, or stitch in some black dots to the lady bugs. A little black for the bugs would tie it with the sheep. It does need some contrast and outlining the sheep and the quilting of the sky and grass will help you achieve a separation of sky and grass. Choose the quilting patterns wisely for the grass area and a different one for the sky area. Swirls for the sky would look nice and something with vertical lines for the grass area would work. This quilt may not have the fabric you would of picked, but it will be a lovely quilt. Your work is wonderful.
12-11-2014, 04:28 PM
#39
Member
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Cambridge, MN
Posts: 63
agree the lady bugs need to be smaller and perhaps a lighter shade of red since the majority of the quilt is palest pastels. maybe a honeybee or cluster of small flowers would not be as distracting. I do see a deliniation between green grass and blue sky so once you define the 4 major elements ..ground, sky, sheep and sun...with FMQ it will very nice!
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