Done with the analysis and how to find a critique partner

I have taken my daughter’s and Idaho Beauty’s advise and and picked my version #2 and added a magic bird in the bottom right group. After trimming this down I am thinking of binding this in the magic fabric. I cut up a bird to get a few strips to see how that might look. I will not decide until it is quilted.

This is what my wonderful daughter said:

“I think you might have just been looking at it too long. I think they all look pretty good! I think overall I like #2 the best. I like how the one bird in the top line is facing the opposite direction (so #1 is also good but I think I like the fabrics in #2 better). I also like in general how the top line is mostly lighter birds and the bottom is mostly darker ones, but there are still variations sprinkled in.”

Idaho Beauty suggested adding a magic bird to the bottom right group to shake up that group. So I am done thinking about this. I have not done that much over analysis in a long, long time. Probably not since my “Over the Sea to Skye” quilt. That analysis I am embarrassed to say took years.

I am exhausted!!! Who could have thought that quilting could be just as tiring as running a marathon….

A few people have suggested that I need to have a critique partner or buddy…someone to bounce ideas off of or give honest input when I am stuck. I wish there was an art quilt group in NJ, but I haven’t been able to find one. Sure you can post on your blog, but sometimes that does not help. I have had plenty of cases where the opinions are split which is not really helpful when you are stuck. Also sometimes you get no opinions at all. I am not sure how to interpret that. I wonder if I run an ad on Craig’s list if I could find someone. While my daughter is very helpful she does not like me bugging her all of the time.  Any ideas how to find a critique partner????

Thanks for reading and for all the comments.

Chris