Is My Back More Interesting Than My Front?

I've layered and basted my quilt sandwich together and have started the quilting. I am speaking of my green improvisational background that I stitched together and shared with you earlier.

But... after quilting a bit, I turned it over and found the back to be even more exciting than the front. 

Well,

maybe?

The designs definitely show up more on the back.

You can see details of the leaves

and the fern.

Perhaps I have made a mistake in making the front so complex. 

Sometimes in the joy of sewing together bright colors and fabulous patterns, we loose the option of creating the drama with our quilting stitches.

I'm not at the point of changing this project, not when I only have a small area left to complete. 

I know the rule is to start quilting in the center and work to the outside of the quilt, but sometimes things just don't work that way for me.

The quilting is finished with different leaves and various other growing things. 

Yes, I do like the back....

but then I also like the complexity of the front with its interplay of fabric color and design set off by the "up-close" details of the quilting.

Perhaps in my next quilt, I will use a solid background and have fun quilting fabulous designs. 

What is your favorite approach?

Meanwhile, is there a rule that says your quilt cannot be hung in the center of the room where viewers can see both the front and back?

Linked to Off the Wall Fridays

O.K. I Confess

Yes, I was back in the kitchen again. No, not to cook!

Someday, I'll stop long enough to do that, too.

I was back in the kitchen for more quilting supplies.

This is how the story goes. I'm on a mad quest to finish some of my long neglected projects. In the midst of hand-quilting a broken star quilt, I realized that I don't have a quilting plan for the border. Fancy that, me not having a plan!

I was looking for a design that will curve in and around the star points which I've already quilted. Of course, I didn't have a quilting stencil that would fit the space.

I did find two templates that I thought had possibilities. 

Here is where my kitchen quilting supply comes in.

Freezer paper to the rescue.

Using a good size piece, I traced through my points. I could just see the points and feel the outlines enough to do this. Then I laid out my two templates, added some curving lines and a few extra leaves and I had a pattern. With shiny sides of the freezer paper together, I pressed a second layer of freezer paper to the back of my pattern.

I cut the pattern and placed it on my quilt and I'm ready to trace around it for quilting. 

I find this quick and easy freezer paper template is sturdy enough for several uses, certainly enough for the four corners of my quilt.

Happy quilting!