Designing On My Design Wall

I shibori dyed this group of fabrics a few years ago.
I decided to put them on the design wall to see if I like what is happening.
Showing it with the furniture gives you an idea of the size.
I do like this so I hope to join and quilt them.

MORE On Creating Original Work

One of the first things I find necessary is having a design wall.

It can be simple or it can be complex. I’ve done them all. It’s never too soon to start.

Although most of the pieces on my design wall here are finished work, I use this wall to do my designing and there is one WIP that you are not seeing on the far left end. I put things on the wall and then walk away and turn around quickly to see the total picture at that point. Often the work stays on the wall for a period of time so I can make the right decision.
You need to be able to look at your work from a distance…you say you can’t back up that far? Then get one of those peepholes that is for a door and look through it OR take pictures with your digital camera or phone. Let the work tell you what it needs.
Share your work with someone who is not a quilter/artist and ask their opinion. You will get some of the best comments that way.
Listen to everyone’s opinions and then do what you thing works best.
And most importantly : DO THE WORK
DO IT AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN.
There is no substitute for practice, playing and studying.
When I look at some of my finished work I can see how I could have changed it, but done is done and it’s time to go on to the next one.
I’m created and finished the work and I have learned a lot and a lot about myself and what works and doesn’t work for me.
Don’t beat yourself up if you are disappointed with a project. Put it away for 6 months and when you take it out you will look at it with new eyes.

Design Play

I am using my design wall to get ideas for possible new compositions.

Using some of my newly dyed fabrics to create Crimson Sky.

With the computer I can easily crop off some of the top fabric.

I might be a good idea to break up the magentas with this piece of fabric?

This is an  easy way to try a lot of different fabrics, combinations and proportions.

Whether I use these together or not I do now have a record of how they work.

As I study these I see things I like and things I’m don’t like. I also see things I could change with either different fabrics, arrangements or proportions.

These are things I can take my time deciding as I work on finishing some of my works in progress.

Oh What A Beautiful Quilt!

This quilt has been hiding behind another design wall for a few months. When I slid the wall back I was so excited to see it again and realized how gorgeous it is.

I’m hoping I’ll get a chance to at least finish the piecing soon.

I’ve always told students if you don’t like something put it away for a while and you will see it with new eyes and really be able to evaluate it.

I DID love this one when it got to this point, but I love it MORE seeing it again.

Quilt “Sketch” With Fabrics

This is how I sometimes begin a design.

I call it sketching with fabric.

Usually there are many twists and turns along the way.

The Ultimate Design Wall Flannel Fabric

When I posted about my latest design for a design wall using gray flannel and PVC pipe I got a message from Liza Lucy about something even better!
I now own one of the first pieces of this wonderful gray gridded design wall flannel.
It is everything a design wall should be.

It is being produced by Westminster fabrics.
The 2 inch grid is cream and the gray is an almost perfect photographic gray.
I was impressed with how perfectly straight it is printed – not an easy feat for this type of design.
I have mine pinned to my larger design wall right now. It can be taped to any blank wall.
You can use it to cover many surfaces.
It is 45 inches wide and can be purchased by the yard.

It will also be available in this special bag made from Kafe Fassett fabric that is convenient to take to workshops.
Even if you don’t work in a block format the grid will help you keep your work lined up and straight.

Because it is flannel fabric sticks to it without pins, unless it is very big. Then you may want to add a few pins to hold it in place.
As of now it is scheduled to be shipped to quilt shops April 7, 2013. You may want to ask your local quilt shop if they have ordered it.

More Sampler Quilt Blocks

As I am continuing reorganizing the closet and the studio I dig deeper and deeper.

I found several more sampler blocks. When I taught a class I usually ended up with several examples of each block. My favorite (and my students favorite) teaching method was generally lecture demonstration.

Occasionally I was able to demonstrate only 1/4 of a block so you can see some partial blocks in the picture. If I taught the class 4 times I’d have a completed block.

I do not intend to put these all in the same quilt or wall hanging. Right now I have no idea what I’m going to be doing with them. Seeing them hanging on the design wall will let me analyze them and decide how I will resolve this.

Using My Entire Design Wall

I am fortunate to have almost 30 feet of pinable design wall in my studio.

This means I can have a lot of work on it at one time.

Some of the work is in the early stages. Others are ready to be layered and quilted.

I often have several pieces pinned on top of others as it is a good way to keep them wrinkle free and also be able to find them!

I often hang finished work on the design wall – both to photograph and just to enjoy and decide what I want to do with it.

If you are a regular reader of my blog you have probably seen all these at one time or another.

I also can study things and make design decisions, come up with quilting designs or make a decision if a piece is worth going ahead with.

Another benefit is I LOVE color and having work on the design wall surrounds me with color – in a variety of colors and color combinations.

If you are a quilter you might want to think if there are any other places in your studio or home you can hang work while you are working on it.

Could you cover a bookcase with felt using a tension curtain rod to hold the felt in place?

Could you tape an almost completed piece to a place on your wall with painter’s tape?

Could you layer work on your design wall like I do?

Put on your thinking cap and let me know what ideas YOU come up with to increase your space for a design wall.

Design Wall In Use

I am fortunate to have almost 30 linear feet of movable design wall space. You can click on the photo to get a larger image.

I use the entire 30 feet at times.

This is what I currently have on the wall.

Most of these are things I have shown you before, but this gives you a better idea of how I work.

I have work that I am designing, work ready to be quilted, work that is quilted and ready to finish as well as finished work. I also have some swatches of fabric that I am considering using either in the work on the wall, or as the inspiration for new work.

Sometimes you can see a relationship between all the pieces on the wall, and sometimes you see something that has no relationship at all to anything else. Often that is the starting point for a new direction in my work.

I also often take something off the wall when I am not ready to finish it and it apppears again days, weeks, months or even years later to be finished.

Me And My Shadow - Snow Dyed Mandalas

I put these two mandalas on my design wall this morning.
I intend to combine them for a quilt.
I am pleased with the combination. I will not know if it is successful until I piece it. I could take photographs, print them and cut them up and play with them, but then I'd have already made the quilt and there would be no reason to make it with fabric.



This is a closer view of the mandala on the left.



This is a closer view of the mandala on the right.

I think they will work perfectly together for the effect I want.

Eureka, I've Done It - A Unique Design Wall

I have been trying for several years to come up with a design wall that would not leaves holes in the wall and not mar any surfaces.

It also had to be lightweight and would not have to take up a lot of space when stored.

I got an idea recently and have completed it.
It meets my criteria and will be a big help as I create new work or finish work in progress.

The idea started with a bracket I hang over a door in my laundry room to hang clothing to dry.

We have double doors between the master bedroom and master bath.

I figured if I got two of these hooks I could space them close to the outer edges of the doors and hang a design wall from them.

I had saved an old shower curtain rod that was a sturdy metal rod and it fit the hooks on the brackets perfectly and was also the correct length.

I also had a 2 yard piece of 60" wide white felt.

I simply stitched a casing at the top of the felt. I left a 2 1/2 inch opening in the casing in the spot where it would slip over each bracket. I also stitched a narrower casing in the lower edge to slip in a curtain tension rod I had.



I slid the shower rod in the top casing and hung it over the brackets.
I inserted the tension rod in the lower casing to help it hang better.

I have the benefit of the felt which will hold small pieces on while I arrange things and make decisions without pinning. When things become heavier I can pin to the felt.


Here you see the design wall with a work in progress pinned to it.

When I want to take this down, all I have to do is take it off the brackets and roll it up to store it. I also have to take the brackets off the doors so they do not damage the walls when I open the doors.

The downside is we can't use the bathroom while it is hanging there. Not a problem as there is another bathroom.

The more serious downside is the master closet is entered through the master bathroom!

I do have the option of pinning everything to the wall and then rolling it up.
I am trying to come up with another solution which will allow me to take it down without pinning each and every piece.