Monday, November 22, 2010

Advice Needed


I need some advice.
I am designing some cushions and am using wrought iron designs from my travels as the inspiration.

I have played around in Photoshop to get the outline.

Transferred it to fabric and appliqued it on and then quilted.

Now I can't decide if it needs more quilting eg brick/stone outlines in the background or just leave it simple. It is really just a cushion and meant to be easy to reproduce.
What do you think?

12 comments:

Leah said...

Hi Lisa,

I'm voting for more quilting personally. My dad was a blacksmith and I always felt like iron was too hard and need a bit of fiber to soften it up.

Another idea if this is a class sample and you want to keep things simple is to leave this one as is and down the road make another and add some extra quilting. This would give students a way to see two different options with the same pattern.

I really love the design and can't wait to see what you do with it!

Cheers,

Leah

Kate said...

Hi Lisa
I love what you've achieved! and without comparing it to the original it's fine. However, here are some thoughts - the original has more texture in the background - maybe you could use a different fabric, or quilting, or paintsticks or stencils - just a shadowy feeling of texture would be enough I think to replicate the roughness or shape of the bricks. The other way of looking at it is that the original photo had more depth - both the scroll on the window and the lightness of the window frame brought that part of the image to the fore - this was translated somewhat into the sketch but has been lost in the cushion cover. The cover may need something to bring the scroll work to the fore (eg trapunto or outline quilting in a light colour - not really sure what the solution could be). Or, you could add a kind of shadow of the scrollwork, slightly off centre, using paintsticks? that could also enhance the dimension of the piece. I notice that you've combined the window frame and the scrollwork into one pattern - maybe what will make it look better to you is to have a slightly lighter colour of fabric for the window frame part of the pattern...Don't really know - just some ideas....

Jane Monk said...

Quilt it to death I say Lisa... I would like the textured look more quilting would bring to the design. Looking good though!
Cheers
Jane

jacaranda said...

Hi Lisa, I agree, looks a little bland without any quilting to define what it is. I love the iron work you have done, beautiful. But it need something in the background. Whatever you decide to do, it will be spectacluar. Cheers Jenni

Fran C said...

I would quilt the background with a brick pattern that would really enhance the fretwork.

cj said...

It is lovely! I vote for more quilting.

Rebecca said...

hi i think you should do more quilting to set the design.

Sonia said...

Hi Lisa

love it. I'd like to see the window shape behind the wrought iron quilted to signify that it is actually over a window. Have to agree that more texture would accentuate the ironwork.
Sonia

camcas said...

definitelt brick/stone pattern quilting

Lisa Walton said...

Thanks so much for all your comments - you have voiced what I was thinking so quilted bricks it is for this one. I really appreciate your comments.
Lisa

Jenny Bowker said...

I like the idea of quilting it in the way you wish then brushing it with Siva sticks to change the colour of the bits that stick up.

Unknown said...

Well, I like to be original but I see eveyone else agrees with me this time :) Quilting - it needs something to intergrate it - its a bit 'plonked on' at the moment though its going to look good.