Thoughts on what I'm doing this summer

I've taken an internet workshop on modern quilts and improvisational piecing, with Elizabeth Barton, and now I'm working my way through Maria Shell's book on improvisational piecing.  Elizabeth emphasized the design process, to a certain extent, encouraging us to have, a least, a rough draft of our design before starting the cutting.  I ended up with several tops, ready to sandwich and quilt. Maria covers the various techniques involved in her style of work, but doesn't really mention design, as much as she covers colour selection.  What I feel I will end up with is a group of finished pieces/samples,  representing all of the techniques covered in the book.  All of these pieces could conceivably be made into a finished top, but not likely, unless colour selection was very well done, before starting any of the activities covered in the book.  Here is a photo of what I accomplished yesterday.  Just samples but when I've made my way through the book, I feel that I will have learned a lot.

So---, I have always been fanatical about precision piecing, whenever I've done any piecing, even to the point of reserving one special machine for piecing only, and doing all other work on a different machine.  The same with my cutting.  Well--not any longer!  I have learned to be comfortable with improvisational cutting--no ruler--when appropriate, and using the ruler when not.  I've also learned how easy it is to actually sew those improvisation-ally cut pieces.  My whole approach has loosened up. 

 I've also started to learn to use those bright clear fabrics. But I've always had difficulty with value, and my problem is no better working with more modern colour schemes, than it was working more traditionally.  There's a long way to go until I'm totally happy with my colour choices.  But I've never hesitated to work with colour theory, and analyze my colour problems.  I know I have difficulty here, and that's not going to go away easily.

So which way is better?  Neither.  Both ways have a place in my work, and the best thing I can take away from  three months study is the ability to know when one method of working might be more appropriate in a certain situation than the other.  I think the answer lurks in knowing what the final use of any project might be.  Certainly if the the work is ever going to be judged, then more traditional methods will be better, but if the work is being done for a feeling of simple joy, then the more modern and improvisational method of working might be a better choice.

But knowing me, I will always strive for the best quality of work within any situation.

I plan to link this with The Needle and Thread Network.