GETTING OUT OF THE BOX .. GETTING CREATIVE

[Pat S.]

I have been thinking about creativity lately
(see tirade / posts about quilting magazine) I also have been thinking about the early American quilts and pioneer quilting efforts. Many of those quilts were one of a kind designs or adaptations of earlier blocks. The quilters put their own idea into the quilts; they do not seem so COOKIE CUTTER slaves to patterns as today's quilts are.

I really enjoy the Dear Jane blocks / quilt because the blocks were so small and because many of the blocks seem to be original to that quilt. I do not think I have ever heard about or seen an quilt made in the same manner. ( I could be wrong since I am not well traveled in the quilting sense.)

I think the difference with the today's award winning quilt show quilters and the majority of us quilters , is that the award winner take chances and design their own work/ projects. They do not rely so much on patterns and books written by someone else. They might use older patterns as a spring board but then do their own thing.

In that light I have I been trying to get out of the box and stretching my quilting muscles. I am letting the fabric and the blocks I am making dictate the setting and over all design of my quilts. I am really enjoying the process.... It is not that my ideas are award winner ( workmanship and techniques leave a lot to be desired) but I am relying less and less on commercial quilt patterns sold in stores, books and magazines.

I am wondering how many other quilters are using commercial patterns VS designing their own quilts and patterns.

All comments welcome in this discussion ... I want to explore creativity with other quilters.

[Pat S.]

I prefer to design my own quilts, rarely, if ever, use a pattern. I might use a quilt or another type of design for inspiration, but I will adapt it to my purpose.
I recently purchased a book recommended by a quilter on another list that is designed to spark creativity. It's called "Caffeine for the Creative Mind". Lots of silly? exercises to get you thinking outside the box. I think it could be a fun group exercise.

[Sandy F.]

I use patterns. I love antique and vintage quilt and there are usually patterns galore for them so I don't try to invent the wheel. I may improvise a little here and there but a large percent of my quilts are from patterns.

[Sandy F.]

I use to think that I would have so much more time to quilt when I stopped working and my son went off to college. In my mind, I would send my husband out the door in the morning...put dinner in the crock pot ....grab a cup of java and head to the sewing room.
Somehow...that is not how it happens. Lately...I have been spending time in the sewing room...only to dust.

It seems my days are spent doing stuff other than quilting. Frankly when my husband is home in the evenings, I do want to spend time with him.

I have about hundred quilts drifting around in the head. Now...to just find the time to do them.

This next year will be the year of the quilt for me. I absolutely have to do some stuff for ME. I am not going to commit to doing community projects next year. I know...I am Grinch...but I spend so much time on the community projects that is all I seem to get done. I decided to pick ONE community which I enjoy doing.

FW (2009 The Year of the Quilt)

[Sandy F.]

I think what I tend to do is start with a pattern and then veer off a bit. What I've enjoyed lately is making blocks and using a different setting. I plan on making my BOM quilt quite different than Sue's plan.

That way, there's guidance for making the blocks, whether pieced or appliqued, and then I get to use my creativity in the arrangement and borders.

Maybe this is a step towards making my own designs, I'm just not quite there yet.

I also tend to chose colors that are quite different than the example in the book or pattern. At least it's a bit more original that way.

Nancy in BRRRR Western NY

[Sandy F.]

I use patterns.

My inspiration comes from different places though. I tend to get into a rut when I'm working on a very time consuming top that is quite monotonous. To get out of the rut, I look through my patterns, books, stash and try to come up with an idea for someone specific.

Lately, I've been branching out to other quilted items... bags, random crafty things, etc. That has helped since the timeframe required to complete something is shorter so I feel like I can actually finish something!

[Sandy F.]

I've done both, use patterns and my own ideas. I don't feel I am experienced enough to really design a large quilt on my own yet. I am using a lot of ideas that I see here on TQS. My Dec challenge piece (not finished yet) is based on idea from the first show I watched. Sandi in FL

[Sandy F.]

I think I should clarify my original statement.... in that I love historical blocks but I like trying to put them into new settings and using the wonderful new techniques that are available. Many of them are recently devised/ discovered. I just think many quilters have become slaves to commercial pattern... even to the point we recreate patterns using pre packaged fabrics and kits.

I have bought kits but mostly I find I end up using different fabrics and taking the original kit apart to use in other quilts.

I have decided my mind is quirky and as a cook I never follow a recipe... so as a quilter I am not one to follow the design choices of someone else... Even in my baby quilts I find I like putting them in different setting and designing my own borders instead of using the pre package directions...

Only bad part is sometimes my boarders take longer than the quilt to make.

[Sandy F.]

I use to think that I would have so much more time to quilt when I stopped working and my son went off to college. In my mind, I would send my husband out the door in the morning...put dinner in the crock pot ....grab a cup of java and head to the sewing room.
Somehow...that is not how it happens. ....FW (2009 The Year of the Quilt)

FabricWhisperer, I've been suffering from the same problem, unfortunately for the last 4 years :-( I've quilted some at church but the things I've wanted to work on just seem to be on a backwards track. I too am planning to make 2009 the year of the quilt! Maybe we can encourage each other along :-)
Charlotte

[Sandy F.]

I just went thru my 'stuff' and found two more tops which need to have borders on them. And a box of blocks which have been done and need to be put in some sort of quilt.
I would love a buddy to encourage me to finish all things. I use to pride myself in finishing what I started. I just don't know...sometimes I am easily distracted by things bright and shiny in the distance!! LOL

FW

[Sandy F.]

I use patterns and sometimes I put my own twist/spin to them. When I make my very own patterns it ends up being a pattern that someone else has created at one point in time. I come across many patterns by accident by making my own." A pattern can be created by many more then once". I can sketch out many patterns and find it has already been created- I just throw in afew twist and turns-then it mine! I Love patterns,kits - I can add my own design. When it comes to quilting there is not much that I don't Love.
Happy Holidays,Kathy

[Margo C.]

I don't think of myself as "artsy". I love to take a design I've seen and make it my own, like I did turning Sue Garman's MAMA SAID design into GRAM SAID and including things that make it personal for my grandchildren. (It's in the SHOW & TELL section of my profile). I'm still working on the borders!

Hopefully everyone who is planning to make the 2009 BOM will make the effort to make it their own quilt, by changing the fabrics, or changing the blocks and using some of Sue's alternate designs in the patterns, or even using your own blocks in the place of the ones that Sue has designed. All you need to do it substitute a different block that is the same size!

I love the idea of making 2009 "The Year of the Quilt"!!! Maybe it will mean cutting back some things to free up more time? It's a matter of priorities, and planning, and commitment.....not just wishful thinking.

[Margo C.]

Margo, since you've made the 2009 BOM, does it REALLY take over 6 yards of fabric for the background fabric? I read somewhere that the kit contains 22 yards of fabric and I can't begin to understand how it could take that much fabric to make a quilt top. I really wanted to do this BOM, but 22 yards of quilting fabric is too expensive for me. I'll use my stash when I can, but I think I'll need to purchase the background and larger pieces. Lilo gave us this info in chat last night and I just can't understand why the background requires so much fabric:

"TQSWizard: CaroleD. I looked up the fabric requirements for the larger pieces of the BOM . 6 1/2 yds. background,1 1/4 yd. -feathered star setting triangles & setting triangles, 3/4 yd. for 6" star blocks, 1 1/2 yd.-(feathered star feathers, four patch, pinwheels, star blocks, flying geese, floater borders, log cabin blocks), 1 1/2 yd (center of feathered star, floater border). The rest of the fabrics are 3/8 or 1/2 yd pieces. Hope this helps."

If you could explain this to me, I'd really appreciate it. Thanks!

[Margo C.]

Carole, I did not check over Sue's yardages, just the instructions, but I do know that she always gives generous yardages in her patterns. As for the background, it probably does take nearly that much because there are a LOT of little pieces in this quilt (which finishes at about 85"x85") which means there is a lot of fabric in the seam allowances. If you want the entire background to be the same fabric, I would probably go with the recommended yardage.
However, there is nothing wrong with changing up the backgrounds!! I was using fabrics from my stash and didn't have enough of my background fabric, so I decided from the beginning to use several different background fabrics. The background fabric around the first border (4-patches on point), and the flying geese border on my quilt were done with two similiar fabrics, but they are not the primary background fabric.
You could use different backgrounds for every design element if you wanted to! I think I would try to use similiar color VALUES for the all of the backgrounds, but that's just my personal preference. After seeing the wonderful variations of the 2008 BOM, who am I to say what color and/or value to use?
As for the other colors, you can see from the photos in my profile that I used more colors than come in the kit, but it was because I really like scrappy quilts and most of my stash is smaller pieces of fabric. Except for the background, the sizes of the required pieces are not very big and can easily mix and match.
This quilt design is just a starting place. It will be easy to change parts of it to suit your fancy and or your stash!
Hope that helps!

[Margo C.]

Thanks, Margo. I guess that instead of buying ahead, I will wait and study it for a while. I have a big stash, but it's not a stash of large pieces!