Sunday sketch #3

My quilt design sketches are predominantly geometric, relying mostly on triangles, squares and rectangles. I tend to avoid curves, partial seams and free-form designs. This is partly because I just prefer straight lines, but also because my sewing skills are still at the ‘beginner’ level. I don’t sketch designs that I can’t figure out how to sew myself.

In her book The Creative Habit, choreographer Twyla Tharp writes that “the more skill you have, the more sophisticated and accomplished your ideas can be.” This series of blog posts will be a good record of how my designs change as my sewing skills improve.

Geometriquilt: Sunday Sketch #3

This week’s sketch is all about diamonds and stripes. I can see this being constructed in 18 columns, each of which is made from angled strips of fabric interspersed with wide, flat triangles.

In her book, Tharp argues that “the best creativity is the result of good work habits”. Most creative individuals aren’t natural geniuses with God-given gifts; rather, they use preparation, routine and hard graft to produce their work. The skills underpinning creativity are “developed through exercise, through repetition, through a blend of learning and reflection that’s both painstaking and rewarding.”

I’m a big fan of routine and order, so I found a lot to like in The Creative Habit. I actually started my weekly ‘Sunday sketch’ series before I read the book, but Tharp’s insights are extra encouragement to keep my new habit going.

 

Sunday sketch #2

This week’s design is a fairly simple one comprising 4 different square units, each of which is bisected by a bold stripe.

It reminds me a little bit of Rosalie Gascoigne’s works using recycled road signs — like a combination of Tiger, Tiger (1987) and Golden Bamboo (1997).

The units could be paper-pieced for precision. Like last week’s Sunday Sketch, I picture this in a single colour plus white. But mustard yellow with black stripes could work too.

Geometriquilt: Sunday Sketch #2

 

Sunday sketch #1

I’m great with deadlines, but usually only if someone else sets them. When it comes to getting stuff done, I respond much better to external demands than to my own self-imposed pressure. Which might explain why I haven’t updated this blog in awhile, and why I don’t sew nearly as much as I’d like to….

Lately I’ve made time to sketch quilt designs, and it’s been a real boost to my creative energy. I switch between a Rhodia dot pad and a Moleskine squared notebook. I use a fountain pen or a ballpoint pen. I doodle and faff until I hit on some idea or design that I feel like completing. Some days I end up with lots to like; other days, not so much.

So to solve the problem of what to do with this blog, and to give myself an incentive to keep sketching, I’m going to start a weekly series: Sunday sketch. I’ll upload pics of my designs from the previous week, alone or with a brief commentary. If any of the designs ever progresses to a quilt pattern or an actual quilt, I’ll post that too.

Geometriquilt: Sunday Sketch #1

First up: an effort from the past few weeks. I haven’t experimented much with half-rectangle triangles or flying geese yet (despite having BlocLoc rulers specific for both), but I like the idea of combining them in a single colour. I chose blue because I had a blue pencil handy, but I can picture this in another colour, or in scrappy and low-volume fabrics.