Just the right size

The swan and the Ballerina...

Jason had drawn the stencils for me of the swan and the ballerina long before I started this quilt. 

But he drew them different sizes and not together.

I wanted the ballerina to be bowing over the swan.

What to do?

I used my handy dandy copier and started by blowing up the swan to the exact size I wanted it and then once I got the swan I would be closer to knowing what size the ballerina needed to be.

The key detail was I wanted them to be UNDER the poppies.  To give it a more magical feeling.

Transformation of any kind is rather magical if you ask me and that is what this quilt is ALL about.

Here is a picture of the first copies I made trying them out on the background.

There's  progress. They were face to face, but she definitely needs to be bigger.

In this next one I was getting there, but she still needed to be bigger.

After about an hour and a half of shrinking and enlarging I finally managed to get her the right size. 

She is gracefully bowing over the swan, under the poppies a bit, and the proportions don't look too off. 

After this photo I actually ended up shrinking the swan just a little bit since the ballerina can't be any bigger and still stay under the poppies.

close up of swan stencil

I have to admit that this stage of the process was much harder for me than it ever has been before.  I have always had the subjects drawn on the same page before and I have always started with them and knew what size they were going to be before ever starting a quilt. 

This step caused me a lot of frustration - especially since it came while I had PLENTY of time to work on the quilt and was eager to be sewing and get this out of the way.

Now that I am through it, I like knowing I can work both ways and I know what to do and not do. 

This is an aspect of quilting I truly appreciate it.

It always pushes me to figure out something and then on the next quilt it is much easier and there is always something else.  I always get through the frustration and end up with a product I like.  I don't stop working on it until I get it just like I want it. 

I do not settle for less than I am capable of.

Close up of ballerina stencil (yes, I will be piecing her skirt.)

I also have learned I CAN actually work without necessarily knowing exactly what the finished product is going to look like.  I have told myself for years I have to have it all together beginning to end and now I realize I really don't.  This stuff flows out of me because it is my greatest teacher.

I'm off to start piecing the swan!

Until next time!

Be well!