Never, ever, ever let someone else's opinion affect how you feel about your quilts. You don't need to explain what you are trying to do either. One thing that I've noticed in a lot of creative people is that the reason that they are creative is because that's the way that they can best express themselves. If they could do it orally or verbally, they'd writers. 8^) Quilt on!

Annie

Just as there is no accounting for taste, there is no accounting for design visions. What speaks to me may not speak to a whole bunch of other people. That only matters when I'm doing a quilt for someone else.

I realize that what I envision in my head does not always seem to come out the same on paper. I work from what I put on paper. Sometimes even that doesn't satisfy me when I translate it to fabric and quilting. But design can be adapted in the process. If someone doesn't "get it", that's okay because not everyone likes the same thing. And that's good or all our quilts would be the same. I'm the only one who has to get it. Carole

I'm in the beginning stages of making a bed quilt for my 8 year old Great Nephew. Because it's a boy's quilt, I though I would ask my DH about some color choices. Five minutes later I realized I had made a terrible mistake. An hour later when he was still going through my stash, tossing fabric aside, looking for "something perfect" I was pretty sure I would have to kill him. I learned my lesson: once you have an idea for your quilt, just go with it. Don't ask for opinions or direction!

Oh, that gave me a good chuckle! I'm glad you didn't kill him! I love to quilt with others, talk quilting with others, but I honestly am too stuborn to want their suggestions (unless it is on a technique.) I had one quilt that I was trying to do quickly, and had the idea of eagle's wings spread out - as seen from the back. Because of quick, I used square quilt block to make the wings, after all it was to represent wings, not be the exact image of wings. Then I added a lamb (done in the colors of the quilt) laying down under each wing. It ended up being really wide and not very long, so I cut it down the middle and made it into two so each quilt was a mirror of the other. My family said they just couldn't see the wing - so I showed them my diagrams and pointed it out in the fabric version. They just shook their heads and then told me it looked more like Godzilla was about to eat the lamb! I gave the quilts to a mother and daughter who are going through a rough time, and I never told them what was on the quilt - I figured they could just call it abstract!

Kate,when my 21-year old son is around, I ask his advice about what fabrics will look good together. It's amazing how often his ideas are the same as mine-not always, and those times, his ideas work out better. He serves as a critic and sounding-board.

Sometimes I find that looking at the fabrics as I do a quilt, makes the design and colors less appealing.After it's done and laid aside for awhile and I look at it again, it appeals to me again.

There have been a few that I didn't like as I pieced but they really grew on me as I hand-quilted.And there was one I started a long time ago and didn't like the colors when they were together in the top. I finally finished it this week and I still don't like the color combo.
~Geraldine

I sometimes find when I'm working on something even I am too close to really see it. It isn't unusual for me to like something I do much better 6 months later or to have a family member say after I have finished say "Oh, I see it now."
Like someone said it is your own and if others see and appreciate, it all the better.

Sally

It is handy sometimes to have someone to bounce things off of. My 17 yr old daughter does this for me. I almost never take her advice, but she always challenges me to look at the project from a different angle and it helps me bust through the mental block. I'm gonna miss her when she leaves home....

I don't usually keep them lone enough to have them "grow" on me but what I do do often is have my daughter help me lay out blocks in a pleasing order. It is good to have another opinion and eyes that see the overall picture differenly then yours. Jayne