Monday, April 14, 2014

Design Wall Monday - Scraps






I have my treadled scraps on the design wall today. I have been working on this project since I got my Treadle machine, and am piecing the scraps onto adding machine tape.
I found a nice black fabric called "Moda Weave" to use for the sashing. Now I can't decide how wide to cut those black spacer strips.



Should the block sashing strips be the same size as the pieced strips like in the photo on the left? Or more narrow sashing strips as on the right?
















What are your thoughts? Which do you think looks better?
To see more design walls, hop over to Patchwork Times.

36 comments:

Sally said...

I like the top photo, where you have the sashing strips at random sizes. Gives a great movement on the quilt, and continues the scrap nature of the crumbs.

Created by Kathi said...

I like the wider stripes... but Sally's idea of varying the borders wide on the sides to more narrow middle would give it a cool look too! Kathi

Anonymous said...

I lean toward the wider sashing as well, it gives room for the strips to really sing. I do like the idea of varying the widths also.

SandraC said...

I liked the idea of the wider strips, but now agree with making them random....what a creative idea!

I liked the narrow black until I thought it looked like a view from a prison cell...now I can't get that image out!! lol...sorry....

Deb A said...

How big do you want it to be? Like the idea of the different sizes for the sashing.

Kate said...

I too like the idea of different widths, starting wider and then getting more narrow as you go across.

Karen said...

Ask a question and you get a variety of answers. I like the more narrow sashing look. And I also like it more random. The random look gives it a more modern appeal though me and modern isn't usually what I would choose.

Deb @ Frugal Little Bungalow said...

I vote for the narrow :)

karen said...

I like the skinny strips best.

Kathy ... aka Nana said...

How about graduated widths, starting with wider and ending with narrower (from left to right).

Cathy Tomm said...

I like the thin black sashing. But the idea of different widths is good too.

Jill said...

Hmmmm...hard decision. The one with the wider sashing has a more mod look. Per other comments, maybe you could lay out different widths on design wall. None of the choices are wrong. In a couple of days, you'll decide which one you like best. You have good taste!

swooze said...

I like voth togbther as well. Maybe put wide toward the center and narrow at the edges. I really liked it looking random!

Deanna W said...

My preference is somewhere in betweeen the wide ones and skinny ones. But do agree with most that the various widths looks the best, if you lay them in a pleasing order!! Good luck friend.

Cherie in St Louis said...

I love the black fabric :) It really makes your crumb blocks sing. I prefer the wider strips but like some of the others, think varied widths would be interesting.

Teresa in Music City said...

Oh how fun Kathy!!!! Random is wonderful! Or gradually wider from one side to the other. Gives it a modern feel :*)

Rebecca said...

I like the idea of different widths of the black between the piecing.

The Colorful Fabriholic said...

I like mixed widths for the black sashing. Using only wide black strips would be too much black; the narrower strips let the colors shine more. But a variety of widths would be more interesting than all narrow widths.

Judy D in WA said...

Variety is the spice of life! I love both widths...but in the end, you have to pick what you like best.
This is a fabulous project. Another one for my long list. :)

Beth said...

I really like the randomness of what you have now. I would suggest a variety of widths. I think it really complements your adding machine strips

Vroomans' Quilts said...

I like the variety, too.

Janet O. said...

I'll go against the grain here. Not being a "random" person, I would go with the wider strips, but I can see how this particular design could be crying out for random. I just wouldn't be able to answer that cry. I'd have to give it to my daughter to finish if the cry was strong. : )

Yvonne said...

Kathy, your strips are amazing! As a dedicated scrapper I like the looks of your black strips in mixed widths! Happy stripping!

Rebecca in AK said...

I think I like the narrower strips best. I also like the idea of combining the narrow and wide strips. Maybe just alternate, one wide, one narrow, see how it looks?

Mary said...

Go random and have fun quilting in the sashings. The wider ones could be more fun to quilt a design on. Have fun with it!

carol fun said...

Lots of great comments - I have to say when I saw the first picture I was drawn to having different widths of spacers -- it gives it quite a modern art look. And it is inspiring me to do something like this. I have a BIG basket of strings and this would be a lot of fun. No matter what you decide it will be an awesome quilt.

funsewfun said...

I actually thought the first photo was the completed flimsie unti I read otherwise! I LOVE the random size sashing with the wonderful scrappy pieced strips! I also LOVE what I thought was the strips placed at deliberately different spacing from top to bottom, some going higher, some lower but all different along the bottom edge! Great appeal! Great quilt!

Cathy said...

I like the first photo - different sized sashings!

Quiltdivajulie said...

I like varied widths ... if I had to choose just one, it would be narrower (but not skinny).

Lisa J. said...

I like the narrower black strips but like the random idea as well and maybe the inbetween size as well. I love your crumb blocks...yummy!

Chantal said...

It is so funny how sometimes we overthink the simple things. I bet, you put the stripes on your design wall without really thinking about "placing" them. Then, you thought about wide and narrow and started to arrange the stripes, not sure which one looks better. Yet, they were perfect from the beginning. I too love the first picture. (I thought you had sew them like that until I read your post.)And like it the first picture put one stripe higher or lower then the next to give it even more movement. Just saying. ;^)

Nell's Quilts said...

Personally, I am drawn to the random width strips of black with none as wide as the pieced strips. I also noticed that the scrappy strips vary in length. What are your plans? Will you add black to the top and bottom of the pieced strips to make the strips equal in length or insert black randomly to lengthen some of the shorter bits? More decisions. :)

margaret said...

they all look good but random gets my vote

margaret said...

they all look good but random gets my vote

Barb said...

great string quilt I like the random setting too

Lisa said...

This is gorgeous Kathy. I'd go with skinny strips. Whatever you choose it will look great.