How to create a design for your quilt-top?
If you're like me, on many occasion, you have used your free-motion books to brainstorm ideas out of your mind, but when it comes to plan for an entire top-quilt, more then not, you have skipped the whole process of drawing the design on paper and went directly to your sewing machine and quilted the same old design you were comfortable with. Sometimes I have sketched few new designs on paper then traced it on my quilt, but find the whole process long and often wondered if it was worth the effort.
I'm guilty of doing the same things, but this year, I'm challenging myself out of my comfort zone. Out of my lazy state of mind and draw a new creative design on paper Before going to my sewing machine. If you are at the same place as me, then I'm inviting you to follow my progress in that area.
With so many of my top-quilts completed, I should prioritize on accomplishing this:
- To learn how to draw a design for each of my quilts.
- To create my own design (if that is possible).
- To build my confidence with new designs.
Step 1: Picture
When the quilt top was completed, I taped it on the wall, using painters tape. Then I took pictures during the day as natural light helps to eliminate shadow spots. I secured the quilt in a way, all the four corners and the entire quilt could be seen as a whole.
Step 2: Print
I downloaded the pictures into my computer and printed a few copies on a grayscale. to save my printer's ink, I only printed three copies.
Step 3:Play
Now the intimating part. With a pencil I draw: Lines, curves, swirls, or whatever pattern I had in mind. For these ones, I combined the ideas of Leah Day suggestion for option #1 and #2 but added my own ideas for the border. Quilting a large circle would never occur in my mind for this quilt, but was intrigued and will certainly try it.
It's worthwhile to have more than one option for your top-quilt.
Credits for this quilting design goes to Leah Day
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