3rd Qtr Challenge Part 3 – A Bit of a Disaster
I would like to throw this piece in the recycle bin and never show it to anyone. But since you’ve seen the prior steps, it seems unfair to not show you the ending. It is often the case when you follow someone’s posts that you only see wonderful, beautiful work. You don’t get to see the not so good work or the out and out failures. Most of the time around here, you get to see everything, warts and all. So here come the warts!
Last week I told you that I was planning on stitching my 3rd quarter challenge piece. I started with a heavy Perle cotton thread in either 3 or 5 size. I stitched with stem stitch around the circle and then started on the inner designs. I hated it. It seemed really bulky and just wasn’t what I had envisioned. So I un-stitched it.
Then I tried a thinner thread in a bit brighter green still in stem stitch. Yuck. Because of the way the interfacing had crumpled in the center of the felt, the shapes of the design were hard to follow and just weren’t looking like the original design.
So I decided I would try cutting the interfacing out like you do with the cracked mud technique as several followers had suggested. It took me over 30 minutes to get this quarter portion cut out. The interfacing was partially felted and it was difficult to find where to cut and to make the design even and as originally planned. I was getting really frustrated with the entire piece.
So I have decided to throw in the towel and start over. I am not sure how I will use my design, I’m keeping that, but will mull over a better way to showcase the design on felt. Perhaps screen printing. I know that I could continue with cutting it out and it would be OK. But I don’t like anything about it. I’m not sure why I chose yellow because I don’t really like a piece with that much yellow in it and I don’t think it’s worth my time to continue with a piece that I will be completely disappointed in the results.
What do you think? Do you abandon pieces or do you just keep working on them until you’re happy with the results?
27 thoughts on “3rd Qtr Challenge Part 3 – A Bit of a Disaster”
It’s part of the learning. Frustrating certainly, but invaluable. I don’t give up easily on pieces and sometimes they come good and sometimes they need burying!
I like the cut-out look and I like the yellow against the blue.
Thanks Lyn, yes, I learned mainly that I should follow through with the original plan and not be lazy 🙂
I agree – all part of the learning process, although my reaction to things that don’t work is along the lines of yours. I think maybe cast aside all preconceived ideas and just experiment some more, then you juxtapose different techniques and maybe colours/textures and something pleasing could come out of that…?
Thanks Anthea, right now, I will just put it aside. Perhaps later I will have more tolerance for giving it a second chance.
Similar to Lyn and Anthea, I just keep trying things, maybe cut out a part I like, or parts that worked for my off-cuts. I have a box of weird bits which didn’t turn out, maybe they’ll all get sewn together one day! Maybe you could use the design with your paper fabric lamination technique?
Thanks Zed, I guess if I liked any part of it that might work but I don’t like any of it. So I’ll just put it aside for now. The design would probably work with paper fabric lamination. I will have to consider that.
Once I accept that something is truly shot, I really go for the gusto. I don’t bother trying to salvage it, I learn as much from the remnants as possible, total experimentation from here on. These bizarre bits can always give you something, even if its “I’ll never do that again”
Good idea Bernadette, I think it’s in the “I’ll never do that again.” category.
Thank you for posting this piece! You are right about most only posting their successes and it is good to see others struggle with something. I do believe that if you continued cutting it out it would be a very fine piece but I understand giving up on it. Sometimes it’s better to thrown in the towel, take lessons learned and move on to something better than keep on with something you don’t like.
Thanks, it isn’t that comfortable posting failures but if others can learn from it, I think it’s worth posting.
I’d set it aside for a while to come back to it with new eyes. Since you don’t like it, this piece will be great for you to experiment with. After you’ve done all you can think of, if you still don’t like it, just give up – life’s too short to waste with things we don’t love!
Good idea Leonor, it is going on the shelf for now.
I think you should keep cutting, then give it a light felting. I don’t think cracked mud works well for formal, complicated or intricate patterns. Just my opinion of course. I think it will come together then. Maybe you could use machine embroidery around all the pieces once cut out, or just make stitched designs on them to help get rid of some of the yellow. Yellow is not my favourite either. Just work on it slowly around other projects so it doesn’t drive you crazy.
Thanks Ann. I was thinking about adding machine embroidery but really didn’t have high hopes that it would improve the design much. Right now, it is just going on the shelf and I’m going to work on something else.
When things don’t turn out the way I envisioned, I throw them in my bin of Unfinished/disappointing projects. Sadly, there are several. Sometimes it takes a year or more for me to see it for what it is rather than what I planned. Then I can make a fresh start.
Thanks Suzanne, at least you are able to do something with it at a later date.
I think the cutouts look good and the colours work well together, but if they’re not to your liking, then ditch it. I throw things which I really don’t like. Also I find it’s guaranteed not to work out when I remember to take progress pics. Sod’s Law!! 🙂
Thanks Judith, I am all for ditching it at the moment 🙂 If everything I took photos of didn’t work that would be a real issue.
It’s a shame you couldn’t make it work the way you wanted. We all experience that. I do agree with Ann the cut outs look good. But if you really hate it put it in the pile and forget it for now. I look forward to seeing what you do next.
Thanks Marilyn, I may work on it later but I just don’t like anything about it right now so it will be abandoned for the moment.
i actually love your Celtic design and was looking forward to the finished piece. Any chance of continuing the cut out and throwing it in a dye bath.
Thanks Sherry, I could try that I guess but I am not going to right now. But thanks for the idea.
Sorry it didn’t work out. 🙁 I do have a few abandoned unfinished pieces, but generally I keep on to the bitter end, even if I hate it – guess that’s the sort of person I am!
Sometimes I find during the fulling stage that I can turn them into something else by pulling here or folding there, and it turns out to be a nice surprise. However, even if it doesn’t turn out like that (which is most of the time!) I do learn something from each piece. And I have a bag of finished pieces I dislike rather than abandoned pieces. 🙂
Thanks Kim! I have both abandoned pieces and finished pieces I don’t like 🙂 Hopefully, at some point I will just cut them all up and make them into something fabulous.
Realize that you have probably shelved it due to it’s colors being so strong. But what about over-dyeing it with a tint of green or purple? That would quiet the yellow. As it is right now, it reminds me of a sports emblem — which isn’t an entirely bad thing.
Thanks! I may retrieve it at some point and dyeing is a good idea.