My "two cents" for Lisa A.

 A note from Lisa A. "I was wondering if you would look at what I did on Rengin’s block that could have been better and where I am lacking and what needs work. I take criticism very well and look at it as a way to learn and improve my skills."  

I'm always hesitant to critique a block for fear of hurting someone's feelings.... but if they ask, you can be sure I always have an opinion.... But keep in mind it's only my opinion....someone else might see things entirely different.

There are a LOT of really nice things going on with this block... But the theme is Victorian Ladies and there is a lovely image that fits the theme, it is completely overwhelmed by the lace lady on the left.. It is much bigger and stronger and your eye just goes back and  forth between  the lace lady and dark flower center... Not that the lace lady couldn't be the perfect touch for another block....but not this one...

What do you have if you remove the lace figure.... a very lovely block indeed...  The block itself if monochromatic with just a dash of muted rose... a clue. There are three very strong angles on the right.... why not balance that with the only angle on the left...

The ribbon work in the triangle is lovely and the seam across the bottom is delightful and anchors the block perfectly...  I don't think the  sequin flower is needed where it is.  I would move it to the center of the flower cluster on the right.

Now about that angle...  I just used some snippets of the lace lady's skirt to create the fan shape to fill the angle and added some of Lisa's ribbon work to the other side of the image frame.... which is ruched ribbon and I do love.  You can see I put the sequin flower in place of the dark rose..

Now the  image is the main focus.... So I really only made one dramatic change.... the lace lady removal... other than that Lisa was on the right track.

Here are the two blocks together and you can form your own opinion..  and thank you Lisa for offering your block for me to discuss.

And once again that's   

Rengin "blazes a gothic trail!"

Rengin's work on Hideko's block has me so excited. Again this block is from the new RR "Victorian Ladies".

One of the things I feel strongly about is teamwork in RRs and just because this is a DYOB (do your own block) in my mind that does not translate to "do your own thing". There is a theme and the blocks are sent out as a unit and when finished should still work as a unified body of work.

So being first and setting a path for others in the RR to follow is especially  important...  Well Rengin has not only just set a path she has "blazed a dramatic trail"  If I were following this block, at this moment I would have every black piece of lace I owned spread out on the table.

Hideko chose all black and white images for her Victorian ladies and requested a "gothic" look...  The black laces Rengin chose are so reminiscent of the black iron fences, railings and balconies of that era and are the perfect mood setter for Hideko's block...

Hideko's blocks had not only black and white images, the other patches were of a very neutral hue except for one very delicate subdued print... Rengin handled this print with great finesse and did not overwhelm it with heavy pink roses...  The tiny pink flower beads repeat the small flowers in the prints and pick up the colored patch to the right and carry it across the block...  Rengin carried the black from her laces into every seam... The image is framed beautifully with the black laces and the tiny Victorian charms are a perfect addition.

Since I talked about balance yesterday I want you to notice how Rengin put the fan lower left... This patch needed something to balance the block but not overpower the delicate patch..  This neutral fan does it nicely.

I love how bold and dramatic the black lace is juxtaposed  with the delicate stitching and print ..A job well done and these blocks have the potential of being a spectacular set when  all are finished...

Achieving balance

I dropped out of this RR because of overload at home so I am watching closely as it progresses and wishing I was stitching along....  This is Hideko's work on Cathy's block and CQ doesn't get more luscious and elegant than this...  I love the flatwork ribbon technique she used for the frame and the eye movement around the block is easy and direct...The ties on the fans are beautifully used to lead the eye to the image.

And it is the perfect  example of achieving balance.  Balance, unlike other elements of design, is easier to recognize because it can be related to your physical being..  Try standing on one foot very long and you immediately grasp the concept of balance.  Everything you add to a block has "density" or "weight"  Dark colors are denser than light colors, many smaller elements balance out a larger one, etc. If you squint your eyes or stand back from your work, you can learn to see the weightier areas...

In this block Hideko added a very dense (weighty) floral element to the bottom corner of the frame... To balance this she added the the delicate fly stitch spray upper right..  Even though it is more delicate, the color is deeper and stronger.

Look at what happens to this block if the darker floral spray is removed. Even adding something lighter but heavier helps some but not as much as the solution Hideko used..









It is really evident how important that delicate spray is when you see the two examples together.

 Cathy made some superb choices for her images as they are all Victorian women engaged in some meaningful activity...  If you keep a file of extraordinary blocks, you must add this one...