Spring's First Blush - Part VII

New Ideas

I've picked up where I left off in the numbering system for the posts with the next number in the series.  The last numbered post for the original Spring's First Blush was VI, and I want to keep all the posts together, so that's why we're starting with VII instead of I.  Just in case you wondered or even noticed.

I've decided to remove the flower and button embellishments and bead embellishments (except for the center section) from the necklace - which will hereafter be referred as a yoke, since that what it is destined to become.  I like the quilted flower and leaves, but in the spirit of being more sophisticated and subtle, I want to pare down all the stuff and keep it simple and elegant. I'll most likely replace some of the beads, but for now, they're gone. 

The diamond quilted section on the right looked a bit empty, so I added an extra gold metallic twin needle line to the quilting that was already there.  I like it and it adds a little extra something without being distracting.  This is also good because that skirt will have an entire panel on the front and on the back like this and it would be a bit bland without a little something to dress it up.  I used my narrower double needle - this is a 1/2" grid, so I needed to be able to fit another two lines in there and still have it look balanced.

Speaking of the skirt, the plan is to make each of the three panels like the panels on the yoke.  On left would be a panel with the flower and leaf quilting (which will need to be reworked), in the center would be a panel of wine glass quilting (that's what some people call it), and the right panel would have the 1/2" diamond quilting with the extra gold lines.

I've been working with the skirt pattern, and I have to redraft it a little bit - I'd like the panels to be roughly equal in size.  As it is, the center panels are larger than the side panels.  What I've done here is to move some of the width of the center panel to the side panels to even things out a bit.  In the photo below, you can see the center front panel with the old pattern on top and the new pattern on the bottom.  Not hard and it is nice to have a copy of the pattern on heavier paper - better for playing with the artwork.

Now, on to the easier quilting of the skirt. That should go quickly, then I can play with the artwork a bit before quilting those skirt panels.  I know I'm going to need to modify the original artwork to work with the space.

Tomorrow:  Back to those jeans - I think I've got a better fit after some small changes, plus some other comments.

Parting Shot:  Yarn.  I ordered some yarn from KnitPicks a couple weeks ago and the order arrived yesterday.  I plan to make some socks and a cardigan for the fall - these projects should keep me busy over the summer, yet be portable enough for all the traveling I'll be doing.