When design decisions go wrong

So yesterday my monthly envelope arrived from Australia for the Amitie BOM, the Circle Game.  Since hand sewing this BOM killed my hands over Christmas, I've taken to using the Amitie fabrics and creating my own circles for the quilt and what better circle than my beloved LynneBobSquarePantsMadeCircle.  So I happily cut and sewed, whistling a happy song and gasped at the beauty of what I'd made.  I even wrote in my comment on Flickr: "Mostly, I think the rule is you're supposed not to say how much you like something you made but I have to ignore that rule for this block which is so beautiful I might have to carry it around with me for a few days."

LynneBob RoundPants for the Amitie BOM

The next stage in every Amitie BOM block is to piece the circle into the background.  Again, happy whistling and sewing, so pleased with my clever, clever self, pieced the background, pieced the circle in, turned it over to press - GASP - oh no, my circle has vanished!

Now you see it ... now you don't

Now, short of starting all over again with this block, which I may just do this morning as I love it so much, do you, the clever brains of quiltblogland, have any creative solutions to this design debacle?

Oh and by the way, my lovely nutty friend Rhonda, Quilter in the Gap, has just started to put podcasts up on her blog and the first one features me.  Now I confess I haven't listened to it yet but plan to whilst sewing on Monday - at the weekend there is too much hullabaloo in this house for me to sit quietly sewing and listening to Rhonda.  If you listen to it, come back and let me know what you think!

Comments

  1. Lynne can you unpick the center circle and use a different border fabric rather than the polka dot? That way you aren't remaking the whole thing, just part of it.

    If you don't want to take it apart you could try one of your super skinny strips but as a bias applique around the circle to offset it.

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  2. I agree with Angela - would a teeny ring of the cactus calico between the circle and the border do the job, like Sewgirly! did on her dresden? Otherwise you is f****d :(

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  3. I can't put it any more succinctly than Flying Blind! She sums it up perfectly. Teeny ring gets my vote too.

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  4. I think the unpicking option could be an uncomfortable but good solution ... I don't know if the teeny ring would give enough contrast to the polka dot?

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  5. I like Angela's idea of skinny ring around the circle.
    I listened to Rhonda the other day and really enjoyed the interview.

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  6. I would unpick and swap the edge and middle colours on the border piece.

    I loved Rhonda's podcast ...

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  7. I'd take of the framing section and swap the fabrics over - the polka dot for the 'spear heads' that way you'd keep your circle feature

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  8. Put some stabilizer on the back and machine stitch (in a contrasting colour), a decorative stitch around the circle. Or hand stitch with an embroidery stitch.
    Can't be doing with any unpicking!
    Deborah

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  9. My first thought was your skinny bias ring as well, I think of them as yours because of your spiral block. But, the machine embroidery around the seam could work as well. It would need to be quite dense though the create the contrast.

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  10. I'm in favor of unpicking the center circle (which I love too) and swapping the outer circle for different fabric. I agree with Sarah and Ethne. Or save the outer ring for the reverse circle or a complementary circle. I don't know if you are making a series of them but maybe use the red and aqua?

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  11. My first thought is to appliqué a bias strip around the circle. Or, you could just re-do the setting bits - I'm not sure what the rest of the quilt looks like, though. Let us know how it turns out!

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  12. Get out that seam ripper and unpick that beautiful circle. It won't take that long. Then set it in a contrasting fabric. You'll be glad you did!

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  13. The block was exquisite when it was a circle, so I would starting unpicking the stitches placed on the border. Then just use another fabric to keep the circle on spotlight!. Love the circle block!

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  14. While I would never say it quite like Flying Blind I have to say she is right...LOL Thanks to everyone on the kind podcast comments. Let me know Lynne!!

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  15. I think it'll be worth it to take the border off, like several suggested. It's great as it, but really amazing as the circle

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  16. I'd unsew, and reset, it was just too beautiful before.

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  17. If you don't wish to remove the outer setting, I would add four small bias-cut strips, running from the edge of each lighter piece to another. So it would look as if both the circle and the four quadrant pieces (the dots on cream) are sitting atop the skinny circle.

    Sorry for the crashing to earth this must have felt like. Quilting can be quite humbling.

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  18. Looks like you've lots of helpful solutions already. When I first looked at I thought 'try swapping the grey and black fabrics in your outer border, so that you've 4 smaller tabs of black & a larger grey background to show up your circle. Also, I listened to Rhonda's podcast. It was v.interesting learning more about you (& her), & all v.complimentary! Jxo

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  19. I listened to the podcast the day it aired, and really enjoyed learning more about you. I love your designs, and it was fun to get to know the person behind these designs. Rhonda did a great job.

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  20. I would unpick, and I also vote for the skinny circle. I would have just unpicked and chosen a contrasting fabric for my corners. Good luck! :)

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  21. Love the circle block. You want to keep that the focus so I would unpick the circle from the border also and use a different border.

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  22. I like the idea of a skinny ring too. Thanks for sharing this with us. All to often I think too many great sewers hide away their mistakes making the rest of us feel even more inadequate!

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  23. What about 1/4" or 1/8" bias over the circle seam in red white or orange?

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  24. Too much talk of unpicking - I would encourage you to reverse sew the outer border and swap the fabric for something else.

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  25. I really loved the circle block! Nice one!

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  26. Sounds like everyone else has said what I would say...love the idea of a skinny ring to accentuate the circle...otherwise...time to unpick.

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