The Quilting Police

 A word about self-imposed pressure.

 I do this to myself just as I did in the work world.  I always seem to have the idea that someone is watching what I'm doing and I just have to keep up.  Who would this be now in retirement....the quilting police?!

I thought of this as I reread my post about Summing Up Summer.  It seemed as if I was disappointed in myself that I hadn't gotten more projects finished.  Really I should have been so happy my hand improved and I did what I did.  I actually had a lovely summer with lots of time spent at my favourite things in the world...reading, writing, in the garden, stitching and being with both grandsons.

  But really who do I think I am.  It seems I still have to get over myself and my notions about self-imposed productivity. Hubby says it is about patience; that while I show a lot of patience for others, I don't apply it to myself. 

 That is my mini rant for today! Thanks for listening.

And while on the topic of finishings which I do love, here is Block 4 of my embroidery project.  Two more to go.  I may go back in to add something more to the large pink flower in the center.  It looks a little unfinished to me.

For my quilt project, I am not using a bundle or pack or roll of fabrics that have been purposedly matched by a professional.  I have gone to my own collection and tried to choose what I think will coordinate well in a patchwork quilt.  How to choose is not that easy and yet so important to the overall look of the quilt. I can well appreciate why quilters would choose to avoid that guesswork and go with a pre-coordinated bundle.

  I found this article on Wikihow called How to Choose Quilt Fabrics very helpful.  Years ago we were told to choose a neutral, a solid, a small print and a larger print (about scale) and I will probably, more or less, go with that old time strategy.

Over at Diary of a Quilter  Amy Smart has been dealing with this exact issue and her posts about the topic are well worth checking out.  I really liked the section on dealing with scale in choosing fabrics.
  
Oh before I forget; I keep encountering Scandi things....everywhere.  The latest is this Scandi Red Cream Fabric bundle by John Louden.  Isn't it pretty? It also comes in gray which looks very chic. This lovely fabric and many more are available at Elephant In My Handbag.