WHERE DO YOU FIND YOUR QUILTING INSPIRATION ???

[Debbie L.]

I started the thread about the ugly quilts in National Magazines and then got curious about where others find their inspiration for their quilts... I decided to repost AS a new question. I hope others will share their thoughts and comments.


Since I find the quilting magazines have become kind of boring
my newest project is making the blocks from Barbara Brackman's Encyclopedia of Patch Blocks. I have EQ Block base that I use to draft the patterns. I have been looking for some of the older more dated, rarely made blocks that would look good as a stand alone block.

I make my blocks scrappy from left over fabric in my stash from other projects. I group them into THEMED sampler blocks in that all the brights go in one box --- all the dark traditional, male colors will go in another box.... etc.

I am having the fun of challenging my quilting skills and I plan to end up with some finished quilts.


Where do you find your inspiration for quilting?

[Wanda M.]

Anna, I agree about the magazines, they have become very boring! I find great inspiration at my LQS. I rarely go in that I don't see something that I want to make, of course I don't design my own quilts, I just alter the patterns that I use! I also am very inspired by what I see here at TQS! WandaM

[Wanda M.]

Over the years I have found that its not the patterns that makes a quilt, but the fabric and colors I choose. So if I see a boring quilt I try to see pass the color bacause thats why we often say we like it or not :wink: But I do agree..quilting magazines have not been good enough to renew themselves so I find them boring too. Then again, when we grow as quilters we would like those magazines to grow with us and that is hard to demand from anyone

My inspiration comes from:
Colors: Nature, pictures, fabric, your quilts
Patterns: Old blocks in a "new"way, my EQ6, your quilts
Quilting: your quilts, ornaments, pattern on a fabric, Linda Taylor, Sharon Shamber

[Wanda M.]

I too love the old blocks, but that doesn't mean I make totally traditional quilts! With the old blocks, I often get my inspiration from the person the quilt is being made for, from the name of the block. For my nephew who fishes, I had great fishing-fabric and used "Children's delight" but called it "fisherman's delight". For my niece who went to a HS whose mascot was a snail (really!) I used the Snail's Trail in her school colors (red & white) but with a really wild Australian border since she was born in Australia. Her sister's middle name is Virginia so I used the state flower fabrics, Virginia's dogwood for the border, NY Beauty block and called it "American Beauty". My nephew the musician/jazz player got an improvised giant crazy block quilt (like one big block from a crazy quilt) with musical motif fabric. My niece who wants to be a journalist, her father is a minister, is getting the (current project) Cathedral Windows, done in "black and white and red all over" (with some pink thrown in b/c she's a girly-girl :roll: )
Maybe none of this is earth-shattering inspired, but it works for me. I love knowing who the quilt is for as I make it, I really think about that person as I do it. (I think the BOM might be one finally for me!!) I don't know where I got inspired to do it in my chosen colors, (brown/pink) maybe it was a chocolate craving!! :lol:
I did love the FUNQUILTS show, and have been making notes of color combinations I love as I see them. Currently all the spring colors, not necessarily just the green & yellow but fuschia, purple along with rusts and maroons in the trees...one of these days maybe they'll show up in a quilt!
Other quilts in my head: using fabric from my trip LY to Italy for my SIL who loves the classics. Italian floor-tile quilts (2!) for my twins graduation next year b/c they put up with me taking photos of the floors everywhere we went, and now point out quilt patterns they see everywhere too. (Hmmm... one is having trouble in school... if he had to re-take his Jr. year, that would give me extra time on that quilt... ops: :roll: )
ok, I guess we're all lucky I haven't been making quilts for 20+ years or this post could go on forever! It's the end of the day at work & I'm ready to go home!

Florence
In weird-weather Virginia, where it's 50 degrees and sleeting!

[Wanda M.]

Florence, what a great way to find inspiration. I'm always looking for ways to find inspiration other than seeing a quilt and liking it. I haven't been quilting that long so that still happens to me. My granddaughter is going to be an exchange student to the Czech Republic this coming year and I thought I might make her one when she gets back that depicts her 10 months there. I may be asking for advice on the forum when the time comes! I'm going to look at your quilts now. I bet they are great!
Charlotte (charmart, I didn't know there were so many Charlottes here )

[Wanda M.]

My son Elijah wanted a quilt so I let him pick out the fabric. My other son Alex (who is drawing and design class) wanted one too. Fortunately liked the fabric as well. Alex wanted to design his quilt. I wanted to make a harmonic convergence quilt. I showed him some of Ricky's and told him what they were. He made a drawing. I am trying to copy it. This is my current inspiration. I will let you know how it turns out. My mom thinks I am nuts. I tell her I am just scattered brained and have a lot of faith. By the way I look at the pattern and ignore the fabric used in the books. I figure I can never find it so look past and imagine what it could be. Rachel :wink:

[Wanda M.]

My teenage (at the time) daughter wanted a rainbow quilt. I bought dozens of fabrics and cut the pieces. She designed it since she has an eye for that sort of thing. She is now an artist and a high school Art teacher. I'm very proud of that quilt we "made" together.

Last week the tile design in a restaurant looked interesting so I sketched it and will use that in a quilt one day. Always carry paper and pencil! Color is where I have my problems.

JoAnne

[Gloria H.]

This winter I was out on the road on a day the snow was coming down wet and heavy. It was sticking to the bare branches and the old corn stalks in the fields. I almost drove off the road planning a black and white landscape quilt. Don't know if I'll ever actually make it but, since I started quilting, I see quilts every where. I love the traditional blocks too and love to check out what is hanging at the LQS. And of course there is our wonderful TQS. My next project will be one of the strips and curves. I also make for the grand kids and each one had requests for different themes. Boy, it sure is easy to run on with this thread. Ann, you may have created a monster here. Gloria

[Carla G.]

I generally find inspiration by thinking of what is it about the person that I making the quilt for that is important to them. I also find it in the fabric itself, and just the other day I was driving by the country club and the beautiful pink, weeping pink cherry against the two tones of the greenway made me think of a quilt.
I guess inspiration can be found anywhere

Carla in beautiful WARM, SUNNY Oregon

[Judy M.]

Florence, I love your ideas for quilts! You're very creative! I agree with everyone that the qulting magazines are becoming real snoozers. I will be rethinking any renewals. I have really enjoyed the magazine I get from my membership in AQS, the American Quilter Magazine. I also like to use Barbara Brackman's Encyclopedia of Patchwork for inspiration. There's also an article by Pat Sloan about inspiration for quilts in the latest BHG American Patchwork & Quilting Mag. I breezed through it today and the jist I got was that she takes inspiration from pictures of flowers and structures and their colors and puts her fabrics together according to the colors in the pictures. I'll have to read further to find out how she decides on the block...stay tuned!

[Sandy F.]

I have an old quilt my husband's step grandmother made that is falling apart. I want to recreate it. There is a beautiful cherry (I think) tree between the building where I work and the one behind us. The trunk is all twisted and is just interesting. It is going to be a quilt one of these days. The country church where my grandparents and my parents went to church and we have our family reunion needs to be at least a quilt block in a memory quilt. An I have notebooks full of ideas I have gleamed from old magazines. Inspiration is where you look for it.

[Sandy F.]

I agree about the stale quilt designs in the magazines. But I did see something that I want to try as far as design. In my latest Quilters Newsletter, there was an explanation on how to take a square block and turn it into a diamond. Playing with color changes the look of the quilt. Changing the square into a diamond gives you unique star quilts. I think a lot of the problem is a lot of the quilts in magazines are also already in books that I own, and so why buy the same thing twice.??? I have also been working on drafting an antique quiilt that I had seen in a shop.

Cheryl

[Sandy F.]

Cheryl I saw that one too & thought it was intriguing. There are all kinds of different graph papers-- circular, triangles, bricks, etc. that could give someone LOTS of ideas to play with! As long as you can "deconstruct" the design in order to be able to "construct" it, anything's possible!

[Sandy F.]

I get inspiration from alot of places. I'll cut out a pic from a magazine if the colors strike me. I see patterns in floors alot. I use the camera in my phone alot. I had always thought having a camera in the phone was just the silliest thing...not any more! Couldn't live without it! I've been looking a tattoo designs lately. The tribal tattoos would make some great applique! One of my sons has tattoos so his quilt will probly have some of that in it. I feel like I'm surrounded by color and pattern. Somtimes I have to make myself tune it out!
Sherry

[Sandy F.]

I love the tatoo quilt idea that is awesome. I was trying to think of what to do for my brother's quilt. His tatoo ins't finished and never will be due to health reasons but it could be on a quilt (aha). Oh and you out in Oregon, I am SOOOOOO JEALOUS of you and your flowering cherry trees. Here in NY were are still cold and dreary. Please enjoy them for me. I guess you wonderful people are my inspiration.