DESIGN 69
Design
Design is the arrangement of details that make up a
work of art.
I have no formal education or credentials in design;
therefore, I will simply share with you my approach
to design when making quilts. First and foremost, my
goal is always to make beautiful quilts, while also being
challenged creatively and technically. I am a traditional
quiltmaker at heart, and my focus, when I began making
quilts more than 30 years ago, was workmanship—how
to cut and sew quilts together accurately. Color and
design were not subjects I consciously knew anything
about, nor did they particularly interest me. Over time,
however, as my technical skills improved, my interest
in design and color heightened. I wanted to make my
own quilts rather than work from an existing pattern.
I wanted to change sizes and settings, add details, and
mix different scales.
As a new quilter, armed with a pattern and fabric, I
wanted to cut and sew as quickly as possible—no plan-
ning for me; just forge ahead. The results of those early
efforts gleaned less-than-satisfactory quilts. From those
experiences, I can tell you that it’s not fun to complete
a block or quilt and then, upon closer evaluation and
reflection, discover areas that could have and/or should
have been corrected or improved if I hadn’t been in
such a hurry to finish. After spending such a significant
amount of time making a quilt, I want to love it, be
excited by the results, and be satisfied with my efforts,
not disappointed.
I often, but not always, design my quilts in one of two
ways—either on an overall grid or using existing blocks
and then fracturing the space within their shapes to
create new designs. Rough-cut mock-ups in actual size,mirrors, sketches, scale drawings, a
design wall, and a camera all contribute
to a design plan, while still allowing serendipity
to occur. I have learned that taking the time to
create a design plan is a fun, exciting, creative, edu-
cational process, and I love my quilts when they are
finished because I have composed them piece by piece,
according to my design plans.
Once I have a design plan, I create a color plan by
making a mock-up of either one-quarter or one-eighth
of a design for symmetrical designs, by mocking up the
complete design for asymmetrical designs, or by working
on the design wall and composing each piece by folding
and interviewing each fabric when working on an overall
grid. The mock-up process allows me to compose every
color and fabric in my quilt by placing mirrors around
the mock-up to see the complete design. If I do not create
a design and color plan, I’m essentially guessing at color,
fabric, and design choices and hoping it all works out.
There are three disciplines in quiltmaking: color, design,
and workmanship. Three separate areas; three different
processes. When I make quilts, I separate color and
design from workmanship, because I do not want my
creativity to be influenced or intimidated by my tech-
nical skill level. My attitude is that I will get it sewn
somehow. Design and color are freer, more playful, and
more creative; whereas workmanship is more focused,
deliberate, and orchestrated.
Perhaps you’ve gone to quilt shows or looked at quilts in
books or magazines and known intuitively whether or
not a quilt is successful, even though you might not be
able to identify why. Specific visual design elements help
guide creative visual design, and when those elements
are not used in harmony, the design can falter.Design
SECTION TWO