Hat, butt, hat, butt - August Free Motion Challenge

Here is my piece for the August Free Motion Challenge.  I have mixed emotions about this one.

I could definitely see the possibilities for this motif when the month began.  I loved how it looked in Wendy Sheppard's quilts, especially the Christmas ones.  But....when I started to try to draw it on paper, my excitement waned.  It was a lot harder than it looked.  I even went as far as printing out the example and tracing it several times.  Just when I thought I would have the hang of it and it was time to try it on my own, the results were less than optimal.  I went through dozens of sheets.

As usual, I thought to myself, "perhaps quilting it will be different".  It wasn't.  I could get the "jester's hat" part done, and usually on the 2nd one, but if I tried to get fancy and do anything other than a line of the shapes, the motif fell apart.  I am now out of practice sandwiches.

So yesterday morning, the day before this month's "deadline", I decided, "why fight my minds natural need to bring order to this design?  If my brain needs it to be in lines, then perhaps I should just go with it.  After all, at some point you are going to need filler for a border or two, right?"  So that's what I did.  I had to keep chanting to myself, "Hat, Butt, Hat, Butt, Hat, Butt" until it was done.  I don't think it looks awful.  My "butts" jump out at me more than any "hats", but that's OK.

With all the projects I am working on these days, I have a feeling I will have another opportunity to practice this one.

How did yours turn out?

Jen