The short answer to "where do you get your inspiration/ideas?" would be, just about everywhere. If I were to generalize, I'd say most come from nature, but many come from architecture. Nature is all about fluid lines, interesting shapes and color for me. Architectural details may also be about fluid lines and interesting shapes, but also some very basic geometric shapes and motifs. I'm thinking brickwork (grids), tiles & mosaics, the angle of a building's eaves, the stringing along the front of a piece of furniture. But in truth, I can get an idea from almost anything.
I keep a fairly thick file of traditional and more contemporary quilting designs. (I'm talking about the stitching design that holds the layers together, not the patterns that make up the top.) Tossed in it are also pictures from catalogs and magazines - a trivet, ironwork, carving on a table, jewelry, things that say to me they could be adapted to quilting. I have books full of quilting designs as well. My resources overfloweth.
So where did I find my design source for the quilting in Willow Leaves? In a most unusual place, even for me. I was reading a book from the late 1980's called "How To Live With A Neurotic Dog," by Stephen Baker. The illustrations by Fred Hilliard are just line drawings, but when I looked closer, I realized he'd done all his shading with a single device: a wavy line. Short or long, sparsely or densely overlapped, it was the same figure throughout. How clever and simple! And it was just the look I was envisioning for my background but not sure how to go about it. I think it worked pretty well.
By the way, the walk was cold but lovely. Think Christmas card with glitter. The snow sparkled!
I keep a fairly thick file of traditional and more contemporary quilting designs. (I'm talking about the stitching design that holds the layers together, not the patterns that make up the top.) Tossed in it are also pictures from catalogs and magazines - a trivet, ironwork, carving on a table, jewelry, things that say to me they could be adapted to quilting. I have books full of quilting designs as well. My resources overfloweth.
So where did I find my design source for the quilting in Willow Leaves? In a most unusual place, even for me. I was reading a book from the late 1980's called "How To Live With A Neurotic Dog," by Stephen Baker. The illustrations by Fred Hilliard are just line drawings, but when I looked closer, I realized he'd done all his shading with a single device: a wavy line. Short or long, sparsely or densely overlapped, it was the same figure throughout. How clever and simple! And it was just the look I was envisioning for my background but not sure how to go about it. I think it worked pretty well.
By the way, the walk was cold but lovely. Think Christmas card with glitter. The snow sparkled!
1 comment:
Thanks for the blog link on aql - I've read you latest post then had to go back and start from the beginning! I really identified with "Since I have no partner in crime at the moment, perhaps commitment to a blog and its readers will provide the incentive that I need." I started mine for the same reason and excepting recent glitches I'm finding that it is working. I hope it will also be interesting to look back on over a period of time.
I love the movement of the willow leaves across the surface of the quilt, they really seem to be floating.
aka LindainSale
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