The Quilt Design Process is an evolution. I am working on a Block of the Month (slowly, very slowly) to start in January. I will show a part of the quilt design process that I go through in this post. This Block of the Month will be a bit different from the traditional ones. I haven’t decided if I will share the end product first or if it will be in a mystery format (which I love doing). I figured I would share a little bit of my quilt design process, giving you insight into how my creative and often chaotic brain works.
Block of the Month as a Part of the
Quilt Design Process
A Block of the Month is when quilters are presented with directions for a block each month. You can find options from your local quilt shop, magazines, websites, and blogs. If you do a quick search for Block of the Month, you will see just how many are out there.
This post contains Affiliate Links. For more information, please see my Affiliate Link Disclaimer page. Links are provided so you can see exactly what I am using in my projects.
Quilt Design Process
In the beginning, I look at books, magazines, and catalogs for inspiration – to see current trends, but it is more to see color combinations. Colors speak to me – both negatively and positively. In the back of my head, the designs begin to take shape. At this point, I don’t have a clear idea of what I am creating – it is more of a vague, hazy idea. I guess it needs to perk for a while in my head before I can start to draw on paper. Yes, I start all of my designs out on graph paper with a pen. I have found the 4×4 quad notebooks the best.
My handy Omnigrid 1 “x6“ Ruler is my go-to tool for designing this project. It is small enough to work well on the page when I am drawing the block outlines.
Design Tool
With the spiral-bound notebook, everything is held in place with the binding. In the past, I used the ones that were bound or glued at the top, like a legal pad – but I found my pages would start to fall out, and then it became chaotic with papers all over the place. Even if I don’t use the design right now, years later, I can look back, and I have that ah-ha moment with some of the designs.
When I first put it on paper – I worked in just light and dark colorway. This part of the design can take months. I have to set it down and walk away. The design is still rolling around in the back of my head. If I create a whole quilt and not just a block, I don’t add color until I have the first draft of the quilt design on paper. I find it much more rewarding to start with paper and pen first.
I save ALL the pages from my designing process in a folder with the final design and directions. As I am working, I date each piece of paper, providing a timeline for my work.
Color Choices as a part of the Quilt Design Process
For color choices, I look to what color combinations are readily available right now. If I stayed in my lane, I would repeatedly use the same colors and fabrics (hand dyes, batiks, homespuns, and reproduction fabrics in the green, red and yellow families). It is essential to keep in mind that it is ok to stretch my horizons and go with a different colorway.
I was thinking of going with blues and greens for this project, but I just finished using the colors to the right, time for something new. I need to go back to the drawing board for color selection.
Quilt Shows an Important Part of the Quilt Design Process
When I was designing full-time for quilt shows and shops, the color process was so much easier. The booth needed a variety of colors and textures to create an interest in the booth. The color that I struggled the most in using was purple. Most of the purple quilts hung in the booth were samples from other quilters. 🙂 I need to think about where this quilt will live.
Tiny Houses on our Property
We have 2 Airbnb’s on our property – Hillside Retreat and The Cottage.
I think it is time they have quilts on the beds! The Airbnb units give me a focus, a purpose for the designs. It is interesting how I have now focused on where the quilt will live and the colorway to use. I will share the fabrics once I have them in hand.
Picking Colors
Once I pick my colors, my quilt often morphs again. I start to see a secondary pattern I want to pursue. This is truly my favorite part of the design process! I may use colored pencils, permanent markers (obsessed with all the colors), or even my black pen.
I don’t put the design into EQ until I am almost positive I have the final product. EQ can be time-consuming when you want to change blocks and colors. I love to look at my first page of doodles and the final design. Sometimes they look nothing alike!
I will keep you posted on my process of designing quilts. Watch for Part 2 coming soon.
