I’ll bet you expected the announcement of my having finished quilting the Monkey Biz. Nope. I did finish the light color blocks, and since I had to change thread anyway, shifted to piecing the Improvi Robin that I’d been thinking about.
Starter and Two Additions
After taking the photo I rotated the piece, but forgot to take another photo. In the process I got different ideas for each direction. But the bird in the lower right suggested I keep this orientation.
Ideas I considered:
Use the aqua bird fabric of Violet Craft’s Waterfront Park line (because it was in the second addition and because I have some)
Do some slash and skinny curving inserts to echo the starter flower
Do more improve piecing like first addition in gold
Do something zig zaggy like the pink and white of the second addition
Follow addition 2’s lightening of value with pink and yellow
Make a cornerstone like the center of the big flower, aqua and cranberry –and maybe gold–square in a square
Use the peach of the starter flower (I didn’t have any, and though we are not forbidden from buying new fabric, using stash is encouraged)
With all those ideas floating around, I was in a muddle of indecision. Then serendipity–so many of my design decisions flow from serendipity that I wonder if I can even say they were design decisions.
Robin with third addition
I had been piecing improv fabric as leaders and enders (thanks for the suggestion Susan!), and the colors were not exactly the background of the big flower, but mingled together, suggested it. From there on I knew most of my plan, made enough improv fabric for the chevrons and partial side border, made my half-square triangles and looked at it for a while. I abandoned the cornerstone idea as interrupting the lightening effect if placed in the upper corner, and unpleasing if placed lower. (I’d started out planning aqua birds to finish out the left border bottom, but didn’t like the look–don’t have a reason, just didn’t like it. I surprised myself by liking the dark gold and cranberry corner–after all I had started out to lighten the piece.
I went with my seemingly illogical hunch, but kept thinking about it. I think the reason it works is that it gives the piece an overall structure that resembles a log-cabin light-dark arrangement.
What would you have done if it was your turn? Or what would you do next? I can’t wait to see the next two additions.
knitNkwilt 
I like the chevrons! They seem to bring a little order to chaos. The chaos can continue with the next rounds, but it gives the eye a resting place. I like that you brought that blue out to the side also. The gold darker corner fits. What is developing seems to be something going from light to dark, and I like that very much! It will be interesting to see if the next people keep that going.
I agree with dezertsuz! The chevrons restore order to chaos and is restful. And the bottom left dark corner works very well. Perhaps for the same reason. Adding the small dark square toward the top right was very good and gives meaning (whatever that means! :)) to the bottom left corner.
Very interesting! I love the colours in this piece.
Esther
ooo – I love what you did here. The blue is so calming and makes it feel like the sky is peeking through branches at the bird in a nest in a tree!
I love what you came up with! no suggestions otherwise …well done!
I agree, the aqua chevrons give some good direction for the eyes. Well done!