Design Process for Quilts & Wall Hangings

This is a rough outline of how I make textile quilts and wall hangings.

Here is what I thought the finished product of my second story quilt might look like.

I start with an idea or challenge.  Then I doodle things in my journal as to what the pattern should look like, what approximate size should the project be,  how many blocks will it take to complete the project, what colours or fabric patterns would I like to use.  I draft the pattern into my journal book.

I then take out my fabric stash (some of my friends insist I have my own fabric store) and take a look at what I already have and determine if I will need to purchase anything else.

I start cutting out pieces and place them on my design wall, take pictures, squint, look through a peeper, and stand back to see how I feel about what I am seeing.

I find that during the process, fabric speaks to me, as to where it would like to be placed, if it wants borders or not, and what types of designs are quilted into the fabric in the final process.

As you can see by the almost finished product, very often my final product turns out nothing like what I had originally envisioned.

And this is why to this date I prefer to create quilts on my own rather than taking on commissions as I cannot predict, even though I start out with specific colour choices, what the end result of my creations will be.