I can’t remember what prompted this week’s sketch, but I probably just wanted to explore this teardrop shape – which I’ve loved ever since designing Sunday sketch #107 (which I later made into Quattro).

As always, the final version is a loooong way from the first design I came up with. I started about here, with blocks arranged on point and a very vivid colour scheme.

That layout felt a bit too like Sunday sketch #107, so I expanded the overall size and added more blocks (and more vivid colours). Hmm. I like the shapes and symmetry (of course)…

…but I felt like something wasn’t working. Maybe the palette? Let’s pare it back.

Ahhh, that feels better. I decided a much simpler palette was needed to let the shapes themselves take centre stage. Now it’s less about those colours and all about those lines. I also started adding and subtracting more, too.

   

Once I’m fairly happy with a design concept, I can start mixing things up more. I’ll often try an asymmetrical version to see how I feel…and I decided I liked this one.

But maybe I could take it further?

And if I make the blocks smaller, I can fit more in!

There are three different block types in this sketch, and they are set on point in all versions apart from the first one and the next two. The main reason I decided to use a standard layout rather than setting blocks on point is that it makes it easier to deal with edge blocks (which can be included in full rather than cut off in seemingly weird places). The on-point layouts have the advantage of those diagonal lines drawing your eye up and across the design… but I decided I could live without that.

One of the three blocks in the design is just a ‘donut’ block: a central circle (or dot) surrounded by another one (which looks like a donut). In the first version below, these blocks are coloured as a pink donut on a red background or a red donut on a pink background. In the second version, all of the pink donuts on a red background have been changed to pink dots instead. The latter adds a smidge of negative space and a bit of visual interest.

   

Each teardrop shape is made up of 4 blocks: 3 blocks featuring 5 nested/concentric curves, and one block that’s like the corner of a log cabin. I know a few quilters who sell templates for nested curves: Jenny Haynes of Papper, Sax, Sten has one with 6 curves (with extra curves if you need them), and Daisy Aschehoug of Warmfolk has one with 7 curves. I think either of them could be repurposed for use with this design, or you could make your own templates for your desired block size.

This is one of those designs that I really like, and have seriously considered making, but… I can’t decide which layout I prefer. Usually the first image in a Sunday sketch post is my favourite, but this week I couldn’t decide (and still can’t!) if I prefer the first or the last image. Something about that floating dot in the bottom right corner of the last image really appeals to me!