Decisions… new quilt top

      
I thought this was a no brainer… My new (second ever) quilt was going to be for our bed. A rather daunting task in size because our bed is quite big (1.80cm x2.10cm /71”x83”).
Decided on the fabric; blues and soft reds trying for a Swedish mood.
Decided on the blocks: log cabin, not paper pieced (flip and stitch) just some easy chain work on the sewing machine…
Decided on the width of the strips, rotary cut the first couple of fat quarters…
By the time I had arrived there I patted myself on the back. Now the fun could begin, this was going to be a quick one! Little did I know.

I already started sewing the first blocks really liking what I saw emerging from my sewing machine. Until I found that the first beginner mistake was already there. Can you spot it? I accidentally started with the first row of the darker color on the wrong side… (First picture) I am not going to unpick these. Telling myself I’m still learning.
Well learn I do! I never thought about placement of the blocks, let alone making a design on paper.. So when I finished the first 7 blocks I noticed it would come in handy that I knew where and how I was going to place those red squares… So I went online searching for ideas… WRONG! So many choices, so many great ideas, so many possibilities!
Wouldn’t it be nice to make heart shape in the center? Counted squares and made red dark/dark squares plus the red/light blue I needed. Hmm looks more like a fox head than a heart. Maybe a centered heart smack in the middle of our bed is a little tacky?
Maybe off center? A little bit down and on the side might be less in your face?





Or…  I could go with the diamond shape and alter red and blue stripes? Like this (of course there are the red/red squares already made that must find a place somewhere). Thankfully I already decided that I don’t like the diagonal lines so they are out of the equation. So; heart is out, solely diagonals are out. I’m going for the star in the center!


Star in the center it is! Red/red squares taken care of and being used in the final design. Now… what am I going to do with the rest? Diamonds around the star as shown in the pic on top of the page? Or positioning the others as shown in the pic above?
My gosh why didn’t someone tell me this was so hard and confusing? To make future choices even more confusing I ordered this from the Contented Cat! Quiltmaker’s 100 blocks volume 4 and 5 plus a fabric marking pencil. Great service, lovely help, quick ordering. Thanks Joyce!