Monday, December 2, 2013

The Dresden Wall-hanging - Need Suggestions.

In May of 2010, P. at The Way I Sew It, gave me the lovely Dresden center below.  She'd been on some kind of Dresden spree and had an extra.  Lucky me!  It took some time to figure out how to best showcase it, but I finally decided to mount it on the black fabric with the ribbon border.

Forgive Max.  He takes his QI duties very seriously.

Then life changed very drastically and I have only recently found a somewhat settled place.  (P. probably thought I'd forgotten about it or lost it since I've made so many moves.)  I began working on it again.  The center is quilted in a spiral and the plate itself is merely outlined so it will pop.  I began quilting the black fabric outside of the Dresden, and decided I didn't like it. No worries, I'd just rip out the quilting in that one corner (the one without pins) and start again.

Except....!  I put a hole in it with the seam ripper.  I am just so not happy about that.

Now, I am left with two choices:  take it apart and try to put it back together with an un-holed piece of black, or applique something on top of the hole.  I am loathe to do either.  I have discovered that dismantling and reassembling rarely results in a satisfactory outcome.  However, I am afraid any applique I could add would take away from the Dresden I was trying so hard to perfectly showcase.

Anyway, quilters, I am open to suggestions.


6 comments:

  1. I cant see how big the hole is ...but Im thinking if you put some fray stop on that hole and just quilt over the top of it maybe it'll be Ok...since its a wall hanging it isnt going to get washed?

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    1. The hole is teensy. I have never heard of fray stop. I knew there was a reason I posted my dilemma! Thanks!

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  2. I totally forgot I sent that to you, LOL. I have an idea about the hole, but first, that ribbon border is fabulous! Love the dresden against the black background. See, I knew you'd do something wonderful.

    Okay, the hole -- a teensy one? Pfft, no worries. If you can get to the back of it, take a little bitty piece of fusible interfacing and iron that over the spot on the back. I would advise against the Fray-Check (that's the brand name) only because it may dry and make a rough spot that feels like dried nail polish (ask me how I know). Maybe with the interfacing fused to the back, you can just quilt over that spot and it'll be all good. I can't see what you ripped out or what the plan for quilting the black is, but I'm sure it'll be fine!

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  3. Ooh! Another great idea! Thanks for the heads up about the Fray Check.

    I had started doing feathers, but they were simply too ornate. Too much competition with the beautiful Dresden, and I was having a hard time managing them in the weird shaped space. Needs something simple like a stipple.

    Glad you like the ribbon border. I'd always enjoyed the effect when I saw it in other people's work, but had never made one. IIRC, it is much simpler than it appears. :)

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  4. I was gonna say patch over it, but under it is even better! then quilt it and move on.
    Your border is fabulous! It and your choice of black background make the dresden a real art piece. Good job, Michelle ~
    :-}pokey

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  5. SOOOOOOO good to hear from you! I hope you are doing well.

    I would do an applique on it - I find that things are just not the same when I have to disturb something that's already pieced. I have had to throw out an entire block because in trying to take out a wrong patch, and sew a new one, that block just got wonky.

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Your comments brighten my day. :-)