Playing = Learning

 This little quilt above -- "Domestici-tea" is as far as I've gotten, and am going to get, on the piece I've been playing with.  It's been a fun adventure, and I've learned a lot.  I'll make another version incorporating what I've learned here.  Because I like the idea of things in a teacup, but there's just too much wrong with this.

First?  It needs to not be so static.  I was torn between cutting tidy shapes and cutting wonky shapes -- and now that I see this, I think it needs to be wonkier to convey the whimsy I want.

Same goes for colors.  I was just pulling impulsively, but this is a little to sweet.  So next try, a different palette.  I'll have to think about that scallop on the bottom edge.  I put it on, thinking it added to the domesticity subject -- but I think it adds to the overall sweetness, and not in a good way.

And see that black stitching?  I wanted it to look sketchy.  But I realize that even though I was trying to sew lose sketchy stitches, this is still too tight.  It needs to be more exaggerated to look sketchy and not just like crooked sewing.

And oh, that felt.  Forget that!  Look at how bubbly this texture is:

I have pressed the heck out of it, but it's still weird and puckery.

Oh well.  I've had fun and it has shown me what needs to be different.  Maybe I made all the mistakes on this one.