Unexpected Results

Lately I've been working on two small wall hangings at the same time: one in appliqué, the other in reverse appliqué. Both quilt tops have been finished up and the quilting phase has begun. I'm not ready for a big reveal just yet, but I wanted to share this really interesting phenomenon which is especially noticeable when photographed in black & white. 

This is the appliqué top. The dark shapes have been applied to a lighter background in step 1.

Step 1

For step 2, the background color in the first photo has been cut away to create an outlined shape on a slightly lighter background.

The goal here was to have a gradation that would give the feeling of a gradual indentation, as if someone had carved the dark shapes into a surface, . . . 

Step 2

but look at what happened when yet another outline was created around the dark shapes!

Step 3

At a distance, the shapes appear blurred, instead of giving the impression of a crisply carved surface. This was something I did not anticipate and certainly hadn't planned. 

Lest you think this last photo was taken with a shaky hand, I would point out that the resolution for each of these photos is about the same. You can even see little threads that need to be trimmed in each one.  

Well, that's what I've got to work with now, so we'll see if my quilting choices change this effect.