The Challenge of the Rose!

Working with this challenge this month brought back memories of when I first really started quilting--circa 1997-98.  There was a challenge of making blocks toward the quilter's desire.  I wanted to make a small quilt using some of the processes by Jean and Valori Wells in their book, "Through the Garden Gate."  I spent hours looking through that book, but being dyslexic and also a new quilter with very few scraps, I needed some help.  I could not figure out how to do those blocks.  But, I finished a small quilt and I still bring it out for the summer, pictured right.

This challenge of the rose brought back some of that frustration.  First, I didn't have many scraps as I had just last month finished over a hundred crumb blocks!  But, I had some batik strips and thought I could try.

I learned:
More than three colors works best.  
Trimming and "eyeing" the shape works better when squinting and viewing the shape.
Shades would bring out the shapes more, but as I said, I don't have many scraps that would work for this as I try to use them up for charity quilts in order to keep my space cleaned up--(anal I know!).
Pieces bigger than the 2.5 inch strips I had would work better, but if trimmed right, 2.5 inch strips can work.

Anyhow, I can donate these or I can keep them for the various donation quilts I make.  I just thought, I'd post a picture of my "try" for this challenge.  I think I may start plastic bags for single colors of scraps--and try this again sometime.  I'm now out of green, and the pale lavendar, so I can't fix what I've got.  (I just barely made it, as is)

Not so much liberated as I'd like to be,
Pattilou  :-)