Things that aren't working out

I brought a quilt top out of timeout; it's been sidelined for 15-ish years, and it's time to do something with it. If I recall correctly, I was in a class or a club, and there was a monthly assignment that we were all supposed to do to make individual medallion style quilts. We started with a center block; one month had us add something with curves; another add triangles, another add fans. I took it as an opportunity to exercise my creativity and chose to interpret the directions in a quirky way. After a few month of this, I ended up with a quilt that I could no longer figure out how to add to.

It's important for me to look at my work, and frankly others work as well, and analyze what works and what doesn't; that's the only way I'll learn how to create an effective design. I spread this roughly 45" square piece on the floor and came up with the two following observations.

• There is no cohesion of design, the various elements don't make sense. The fans and the appliqued triangles are particular problematic.
• The yellow draws the eye in a haphazard way. If you're going to highlight something, it should become clear why you've highlighted it.

Is it salvageable? I suppose I could do one or all of these:

• Set it on point again and draw the green out to repeat that element.
• Add more fans or triangles in a way that didn't look like they were randomly tossed onto the quilt.
• Add an interlaced border similar to the center motif. 

I promise to update with a useful picture later, but meanwhile,
here's the cat being helpful as always

But I don't love it enough to spend the time to try to make it right, or I wold have done so already. So my current plan is to add a yellow and red border to finish it off, quilt it, then donate it to someone who will hopefully love it despite all it's flaws!

While I'm admitting to things not working out, I finished the Pebble Beach Shawl. I like the shawl pattern, and I like the yarn, but not the combo. I think I'm going to frog it and combine the yarn a solid; currently looking for a pattern.

I also dropped my Canada College class; I was too busy working through some family stuff and house stuff to give it the attention Tailoring requires. I'll be looking for a sewing tutor to get some individual help on specific projects going forward.