Quilting Design Inspirations
“Where do you get the inspiration for new quilting designs?” is one of the questions that I am most frequently asked. It is also one of the easiest to answer. Inspiration is all around us in everything from architecture to nature, the ideas for quilting designs are endless.
Fabric illustrators and manufactures often use the beauty of nature as inspiration for their drawings. The drawings are then converted to fabric designs and color ways. When it comes to long arm quilting the process is very similar. I take inspiration from nature and translate it into a machine quilting design. Shapes you might be familiar with in my quilting include grass, leaves, ferns, flowering plants, trees, and even fungus. The tulip tree bloom pictured above and the beautiful cabbage rose pictured below are just a few examples of inspiration for quilting designs.
Just looking out my window, I see a countless supply of inspiration. When I take a walk outside, I am just like a child, who stops to look at every little twig or odd shaped leaf on the ground. I always have my phone with me to take pictures of the things that I find interesting/inspiring. In the picture of the cabbage above the shape and the structure of the plant and the leaves can be clearly seen.
Quilting designs that are more geometric in shape are usually drawn from everyday architecture. Windows, fence rails, gates, tiles, and doorways are examples of items that influence long arm quilting designs that I create. Look at the amazing lines in the structure below. These pictures were taken several years ago on a trip, just for so I could translate them into long arm quilting designs. The windows and door ways are full of geometric designs that I have used for quilting.
As I stated before, we can always find inspiration for quilting in the things that surround us. Need a fresh idea for quilting your next quilt? I challenge you to take pictures of your your everyday environment the next time you are out and about. You will be surprised at what you find.
