WOWIE!!! Thanks a million, Kathy. I can hardly wait for the next
installment. This is *exactly* what I needed and I'm sure others will say
the same thing. I'm printing this out- for when things settle down and I
can start my notebooks.

Leslie & The Furbabies in MO.

"Kathy Applebaum" wrote in message
...
Pat's post reminded me that quilting designs (and quilting in general, as
opposed to piecing) often leave even experienced quilters scratching their
heads. Since the interest seems to be out there, I got the idea to do a
multipart post on how I approach quilting a quilt.

First, the disclaimer. This is just *my* approach, developed over 10 years
(aack, has it been that long?!??) of professional quilting. There are lots
of other approaches -- the best approach is the one that works for YOU.
And the only way you'll find what works for you is to try several
different things out. So give yourself permission to have a bit of fun and
experiment.

Second disclaimer is that I'm strictly a machine quilter. I'm not sure I
even own a hand quilting needle. But design is design, and 99% of what
I'll say applies equally to hand quilting.

Enough with the intro, and on to lesson number 1.

Probably the biggest obstacle to choosing a quilting design, even for
professionals, is that when you're staring at a quilt your mind goes
completely blank. Every design you've even seen or thought of vanishes
from your memory. So we're going to develop a design reference you can use
to jog the brain cells.

I use two different references, mostly because I'm too lazy to combine
them into one. The first reference is a binder full of page protectors,
divided into sections labeled "overall", "borders", "blocks", etc. Each
page protector has either a photo I've taken or a page torn from a
magazine that highlights some quilting design that fits into the section.
And when I say highlights the quilting, I mean the quilting -- these
aren't photos of complete quilts, but closeups where I can see every bit
of the quilting design for that area. So if I need inspiration for a
border, I can turn to that section of the binder and flip through just
borders.

How do you fill up this binder? The main way is photos. The next quilt
show you take your digital camera to, make sure you also get a couple of
dozen close ups of quilting. When you get home, print those out on plain
paper. No need to use the good photo paper, and you don't even need to
print in color. But get in the habit of collecting these ideas for future
use. (I also note on the back of each printout where I took the photo and
who did the quilting so I can give proper credit, but I've been called
anal retentive, too. *grin*) And get into the habit of taking your camera
everywhere you might find a design, even if it's just your cell phone
camera.

My second reference is a sketch book full of sketches and notes. For me, a
5" x 8" size is perfect -- big enough to really draw something out, but
small enough that I will actually take it with me. I like to get real
sketch books, the ones with heavy, slightly rough paper, and I use a soft
mechanical pencil (mechanical because you won't find a pencil sharpener at
a quilt show.) You can pick one of these sketch books up for about $5 at
the office supply (or art supply) store, and it will last a long, long
time.

How do you fill up the sketch book? Take it with you to guild meetings,
quilt shows, classes, any place where you have time to sit and doodle.
When you first start filling up the sketch book, your instinct will be to
try to make each doodle perfect. Guess what? It's the mistakes that are
the most valuable. I try drawing a design like I'm quilting -- continuous
line at a constant speed. If I goof up, I start another one right below
the first. On all my goofs, I jot down notes to remind me where the
trouble is, like "watch out coming out of this curve" or "make sure the
petals are the same size". And sometimes the goofs give me inspiration for
other, better designs down the road. And, I make notes on where and when I
got the inspiration. (See anal retentive, above).

At this spot a number of you are saying "But I can't draw!" I can't draw
either. Doesn't matter. The main thing is to get those ideas down and make
notes so your brain gets jogged. Your brain won't get jogged if you never
put anything down on paper, so stop worrying about pretty and start doing.


Making these two references aren't nearly as much work as they sound like,
and they can sure be a lifesaver when you are faced with crippling mind
fade when you are looking at that quilt top.

Next installment: How do you get to Carnegie Hall?

--
Kathy A. (Woodland, CA)
Queen of Fabric Tramps

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