Thank you Pam for starting this blog. I have adored Kim McLean's work since the first time I saw her Ark quilt in a US quilt magazine. It was sometime later, at the Houston festival, that I saw her Tiles quilt, and, of course, her Roebuck Revisited. I was also fortunate to be at festival the year Kaffe had his first quilt book out, and a related special exhibit of his quilts. Wow. So, now, I've finally purchased a McLean pattern (Roseville) and collected a staggering amount of Kaffe/Jacobs/Mably fabric, and I find myself frozen with panic over cutting into these gorgeous prints. I've studied Kim's originals on Glorious Color minutely, and repeatedly, along with drooling for months over Janet, and Cathy's amazing creations using the very same fabrics.............but, I'm finding it very difficult to begin with that first block. I'm not afraid of color, and choosing fabrics for each block is my very favorite part of the process, yet something about these large, wild, prints has got me hesitant. I just need to take a deep breath and tell myself that reality can go hang! Heretofore, leaves should be green, and animals are NEVER blue, except...............they can be if I want 'em to. I'm afraid of being WRONG. That's my embarassing secret, ladies. I don't want to make a mistake.
Okay, that's enough introductory whining. I'll shut up and get something together to show you all before posting again. If anyone else has experienced these sorts of feelings about reproducing Kim/Kaffe's work, I would be grateful to hear about it. Otherwise, you all please keep up your inspirational posts, with your lovely photos, and I hope to be a "working" part of the group soon. (If I only had a Valium!) Michele
I look forward to your first block!! Some of those fabrics are almost too yummy to cut, but I KNOW you can do it LOL.
ReplyDeleteCrispy
You make me smile, Michele. : ) I have some very precious to me fabrics on my shelves, and somehow Kim's patterns 'grant me permission' to cut into them. The first time I did it I thought I might faint, or barf. My husband said, "What's the worse thing that can happen? "You won't like it and you will have to get more fabric!?" He's a keeper!!! There is NO wrong. It's YOUR quilt. I don't know about you, but there are NO Quilt Police in my studio. Have a glass of wine, pull out your fabrics, be thoughtful and have FUN...just CUT a few pieces and see how it goes. I am wishing you much joy and luck!!! ; )
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ReplyDeleteLook at the fabric from a bit of a distance, say 5 feet away. Assess the color, not the pattern. It doesnt matter if the pattern is huge scale or small, it is the color that will matter when you cut into it. Choose the colors that you want to place in your block and as they say in the Nike ad, JUST DO IT.
I have been collecting fabrics for some time now and feel I have amassed enough to get going(well more than enough for several Kim McLean patterns actually). I am making Hearts and Romance from Kaffe Fassets book. Kim has used a lovely lemon background but I have decided on a deep lavender. I keep doubting my choice but saying that I will stick with it. I think it may look like a gypsy quilt with all the colours but I think it could work well. Time will tell. I shall look forward to seeing what you come up with.
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Michelle, thank you for buying the Roseville and you must have had lots of fun with those fabrics. The first block is the hardest - I find that too. Start with that oak leaf block in the corner, it is simple and go wild with the leaves - they don't have to match, in fact they look better if they don't. I love the shells in the that bright pinks - how about starting there? Then grab another 3 equally crazy colours and before you know it, you'll be on a roll! I tend to cut the pieces for all the blocks in the one go over the whole weekend, that way you don't really think and go on instinct, try it. This quilt is really colourful and you'll find that all the boys'fabrics will go just fine. Trust me, this method does work!
ReplyDeleteI go crazy when Liza's fabric parcel arrives, I think: Yay I'll use that for the bird or whatever especially since I've never seen a bird with that kind of feather. The important thing is to have fun and you have that smile on your face when you're cutting!!
Love to see your first block cut out. Cheers, Kim McLean
You made me smile too Michele, welcome to the slightly obsessed appliquers group!!! The info from the ladies above is wonderful, I'm sure once you have started on your first one, you won't be able to stop. Kim's patterns and Kaffe's fabrics are all rather addictive! Can't wait to see what you come up with.
ReplyDeleteBeen there, done that Michelle! I'm such a fabric cutting fobe that I often don't even unpackage the FQ bundles because they're too pretty. I found that if I cut a stencil and audition the fabric before I cut into it I am much less stressed. That way I feel like I won't be wasting the fabric since I know what I'll be getting after it's cut.
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Michelle, loved you tale of woe about starting your Kim McLean. Also loved the comments it received. I've been in the same boat, patterns on freezer paper, stacks of fabric, and me, standing there unable to make that first decision. I've never had this problem before. I'm going to wish us both well, and I'm pretty sure that what Kim says is right. Once we've made that first cut, all will be great.
ReplyDeleteHere's hoping.
Kay
LOL..that's the way I was when I started Kim's Princess Feather. I don't think you can make a wrong choice..when you have a good design? I just tried to keep my colors somewhat evenly spaced throughout and that helped me make my choices. Like Liza said..choose by the color. On the plus side of working with these fabrics that are special and new to us...it makes us keep working along at a good pace because we're anxious to see what the final quilt will look like! :)
ReplyDeleteI'm way behind on my blog reading, but I wanted to say that I get the same way at the start of EVERY project. Sometimes even at the start of each new STEP of every project. My friend and I (she has the same problem)call it "tharn", which I think is what the rabbits in Watership Down called it when they were paralyzed with fear. Hopefully, you're over it by now. I'll keep reading...
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