Decisions, Decisions

 

A few months ago I finished piecing together this quilt top, a little (24 x 30") wall hanging made in a modern, improvisational (meaning no pattern and no measuring) style.  I prepared a back and layered it for quilting but then didn't know how I wanted to quilt it so I put it aside. 

One of my "while Ben is gone" projects was to finish this piece so I put it up on my design wall and thought about the various options for quilting it.  

Playing around on a little sample I had made from leftover blocks, I considered an overall pattern of diagonal lines....

...but decided all those lines would distract from the graphic impact of the piece.

I tried interlocking boxes using a variegated thread that changed from brown to black as it was sewn...    

...and liked the blocks but not the thread. 

Finally I decided to do an overall open pattern of interlocking boxes in a plain white thread.  It turned out pretty well. 

Then I had to decide how to finish the edge of the quilt.  A traditional binding was too, well, too traditional.   I liked the idea of a corded edge but had never done it on a piece this large.  So I decided on a faced edge, one where a facing on the front is pulled around to the back, leaving a smooth clean edge.   Here's a detail. 

Here's an overall view of the finished work.  

My studio was now in shambles but I had finished the quilt!  Instead of cleaning up the mess, it was time to make decisions about some home decorating projects. 

This morning I met my designer friend, Lotus, at the tile store to pick out tile for the 1st floor bathroom and for the front porch and foyer.  I love tile stores!  It was kind of sad to think this most likely be the last time I'd need to shop at such a wonderful place, since we're nearing the end of our remodeling projects.  

For the bath we picked out large white subway tiles and a glitzy glass accent strip. We're thinking about the larger gray tiles for the floor, but haven't decided yet.  

 For the porch, large porcelain pieces that mimic the look of slate but have none of the maintenance problems.  

 I think it will look super!  It won't be installed for another three weeks or so, and the bath isn't being tackled until the end of December.  But at least these decisions are made, and that's a great start.