On the design board

It's times like these I wonder how I ever coped for so long without a design board. It's far from ideal, yet still invaluable.
I've been continuing to build up this beach scene today.

I thought I'd  share a sequence as I remembered to take photos at various stages.

The main advantage of the design board is being able to position all the sections easily. But an important secondary benefit is the chance to see how all the pieces interact from a distance. This is best done with photos; anomalies show up better on 'film'.

Once all the pieces are laid out, I find it best to let them sit for a day or so, frequently looking at both the actual design board and the photos. I can already see one piece which will have to be replaced. You can probably pick it, too. It's a red and white fish on a dark water background near the centre. I did try to blend the water with the surrounding pieces, but in reality it's just too dark to be that high in the water. I really wanted that specific fish, but it's so fiddly, it's just not practical to cut it out and applique it, so I'll find another.

Once I finished the water, I selected the fabrics to create the graduated sunset sky. My customer has requested palm trees, and while I will also add some appliqued ones to the beach, I thought the palm print would be a fun addition to the sky. Again, I'll let them sit there for a little while to be sure they're right before cutting the pieces I need.

It's fun seeing the quilt come together without having sewn a single stitch yet