I often get asked where I get my ideas. This isn't an easy question to answer because I get ideas so many different ways. If I'm making something representational, I'll research the items so I can make them correctly. Sometimes the fabrics themselves give me an idea. If I'm participating in a challenge, my ideas will come from the challenge topic.
Another way I get quilting ideas is visually. Sometimes in full color but mostly little line drawings. Perhaps it's the graphic design training where you make thumbnail sketches of your ideas before you implement them.
This is the thumbnail sketch that became the quilt "Gypsy Moon." It's only 2" wide so there's not a lot of detail. My next step was to decide on colors. I usually do this by taking out some fabric and auditioning it with other fabrics. I was considering a dark blue and light green or a brown and gold combination.
When I pulled out the batik print that ended up on the lower part of the quilt, I decided I'd use the colors in that fabric to determine the other colors: rich reds and purples.
The top part of this quilt is made with 55 3" squares. To accentuate the deepness of the colors, I used several different types of fabric including velvet, satin, silk, and shiny denim. On some of the squares I appliqued red and black silk ribbons. A few of the squares also have a sheer fabric over the original fabric.
The lower part of this quilt is a beautiful batik fabric with red, orange, blue and purple snowflake imprints on a blue/black background. I couched some variegated thread vertically on the background and let it hang off the bottom of the quilt.
The swash in the middle of the quilt, and the moon below it, are made from a shiny, peachy taffeta fabric and I quilted long curves that overlapped each other with a plum colored thread.
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This quilt will be at Village Artisans through the early August 2012.
