70 DRAFTINGFORTHECREATIVEQUILTER
Color is what gets all the attention and applause. It gives
quilts their personality and defines our personal style.
Color can determine the character of a quilt—whether
the quilt is bold, dynamic, soft, rich, whimsical, serene,
and so on. At the end of the day, it’s your quilt; so, if you
are pleased with the results, that is all that matters.
Value is the amount of light or dark in a color. Value
placement, which is what actually creates design, is the
most important principle. How and where we place
the light, medium, and dark values in our quilts creates
the design and enables the viewer to decipher and read
that design. How large or small the value difference is
between two values that touch is called contrast. As you
examine your quilt when designing, consider the value.
Does it seem to all mush together? Perhaps you need
more exaggerated value contrast in some areas to clarify
the design. Does it seem choppy and sharp rather than
smooth? Perhaps creating subtler or lower contrast in
some areas will solve that problem. It is always helpful
to look at your quilt from a distance. Use a reducing
glass, look at a photo of the quilt, or get at least 20 feet
from it. You want to be as excited about it from a
distance as you are right up close to it.
Texture can be created through the quilting stitches, the
fabric type (silk, cotton, flannel), the size and style of the
print on the fabric (stripes, plaids, florals, dots), embel-
lishments (buttons, embroidery, beads, paint, foil), or
any combination of these elements.
Shape or Form is anything that has width and length,
such as circles, triangles, squares, rectangles, leaves,
flowers, and so on.
Lines in quilts can be curved, straight, jagged, or a com-
bination of these.
Scale is the size of one shape relative to another.
Different sizes of shapes in quilts create detail and
interest.
Direction is how the design moves or draws the eye
vertically, horizontally, or diagonally. Many of my quilts
are symmetrical, medallion-style quilts and have a radial
direction, advancing outward from the center.
Think of these design elements as ingredients in a recipe.
Each has its own purpose, taste, and property. In a
recipe, if one ingredient is used too much or if you leave
an ingredient out, the whole recipe is at risk and can fail.
This is true in design as well. If the design employs all
the elements in a balanced way, the quilt will be visually
successful.
Successful quilt designs are achieved by mixing and
blending the design elements to create harmony, unity,
balance, and variety. Unity holds a quilt design together.
Our quilts need some visual organization or relation-
ship between the elements. When unity is lacking,
quilts can seem disconnected, confusing, and chaotic.
Unity is accomplished through repetition of design ele-
ments, because repeating a particular design element
gives a sense of order. However, you must also be careful
not to overdo it and create monotony. Variety, which
enhances design as well as creates interest for the viewer,
is achieved by changing fabric prints, color value, and
scale. Both unity and variety are necessary for successful
design. When one is not present, the design will suffer.
These are some simple, basic guidelines for creating suc-
cessful designs. In the end, reading, taking color and
design classes, practicing, and experience are always the
best teachers. However, remember that there are always
exceptions to every rule; so learn to follow and trust
your heart and make quilts you love.