Can This Project Be Saved? - Part II

The camisole is almost dry now -- dry enough to hang up without stretching, so it'll finish drying on a hanger on my shower rod.  I want to thank Kitchener Quilter for her suggestion to alter it through the back rather than risk putting the front section out of alignment.  The thought had crossed my mind but because of the amount of fabric involved -- six inches! -- I hesitated.  In the end I may compromise and alter three or four inches in the back and 1 or 1 1/2 inches on each side.  We shall see.  We shall see.

Meanwhile, there was another project that wanted alteration.  Remember THIS?  Now re-named "Mountain Fantasy" -- because the piece is purely out of my imagination -- here's what it looked like when I last posted about it:

Since then I trimmed it, and began to embroider flowers in the "grass" at the bottom.  I started with a clear red, implying...poppies, or something:

Then I let the piece sit for some weeks, while I worked on THIS and THESE.  I seemed to have lost my momentum; I couldn't get enthused about returning to the piece, but I knew I had to if it were going to be part of my collection at the Lacombe Art Show & Sale in April.

On Wednesday I dug it out and took it to my friend C's, for a bit of hand-stitching time.  I added more running stitch to secure the tiny trees; I didn't touch the flowers till that evening -- and again, it was without enthusiasm.  The red just seemed to be a bit much.  I kept going, consoling myself with the fact that yellow French knots and violet 'stars' would tone down the red.

Thursday I was out of town.

I awoke early yesterday, with a start.  I knew exactly what was wrong with this piece:

• It was out of proportion; there was too much water; and
• Those flowers had to go!

I began with the water fabric.  Pinning and auditioning, I took about an inch out of the centre.  Yes; that would do.  I took out the quilting in a band almost 2" wide across the centre of the water fabric.  Having done that, I was able to separate the spray-based blue fabric and foundation fabric from the batting.

I cut the fabric from side to side:

I cut the batting across the back:

Then I cut the piece in two:

I trimmed out the superfluous fabric on the front and batting on the back.  Then, starting on the back, I used a close whip-stitch to attach the batting pieces back together.  In the photo below, you can see excess backing fabric -- bereft of batting -- folded back.

I trimmed the excess fabric, folded over the edge, pinned it down and stitched a blind hem across the back:

On the front, I trimmed away foundation fabric to reduce bulk; then I folded the edge of the water fabric and pinned it in place.  The plan was to quilt it all down.

And so it was.  I finished the afternoon by removing those darned flowers -- and deciding not to put in any at all.  I like the proportions much better, too.

Today: facing, and a label, and a sleeve.  Phew!  That was a close call.