Sketch Book.....Quilting Inspiration

When I am unsure of a quilting design,

I draw it out in the back of the sketch book...

It is easier working in the back of the book.

I know that sounds silly, but it works for me.

The first pages of the sketch book can be intimidating!

Leave them blank.....start drawing in the back of the book.

 This is also excellent advice:

Fear of Failure can be crippling...

 This Sketch Book costs $5......and I am worth that.

I can draw anything I want in here without worrying whether

it is good or perfect.

 It is my little book of drawing experiments.

I am inspired by a design (this one from the carpet in a hotel lobby),

so I draw it out to see what happens.

When you are testing out a quilting design,

behave as if the pen is the needle, the paper the quilt sandwich.

Keep the pen down on the paper at all times, as if you are quilting.

 This is also an excellent attitude to adopt:

 What are you waiting for?

Start drawing today...

CLICK HERE:  to see My Quilts

CLICK HERE to view: Quilting on Woven Sunshine

CLICK HERE to view: Quilting on Sunflowers

CLICK HERE to view: ALL Sketch Book posts

CLICK HERE to see who INSPIRES me!

May Your Bobbin Always Be Full,
LuAnn Kessi

Brought to YOU by:

Gunnr and his Blue Ball

Sketch Book...Background Fills 3

A few more background fills

from the Sketch Book...

The best time to draw out and try a design is...

when you are inspired!

I have a sketch book in nearly every room in the house...

In all of our vehicles...

When inspiration strikes...

I draw it out while the idea is fresh in my mind!

CLICK HERE to view:  Patsy's Filler Designs

The dahlias are at their peak now:

Spider Dahlia

I cut a few and put them in a vase on the kitchen table

They are glowing!

CLICK HERE:  to see My Quilts

CLICK HERE to view: Jello/Gelatin Printing

CLICK HERE to view:  Horses

CLICK HERE to view:  My Trunk Show

May Your Bobbin Always Be Full,

LuAnn Kessi

Brought to YOU By:

Gunnr and his Blue Ball

Sketch Book.....Background Fillers 2

More Background Filler Designs

from the Sketch Book:

It is FUN to draw out a design...

and see if it will work or not.

My goal is not perfection when trying out

something new...

I approach each drawing as an experiment...

If something does appeals to me,

I eventually draw it out on a full page and larger scale.

CLICK HERE to view:  Patsy's Filler Designs

 Thistle.....a dirty word in our part of the country:

But....I think they are pretty.

CLICK HERE:  to see My Quilts

CLICK HERE to view:  Applique posts

CLICK HERE to view: Class Samples

CLICK HERE to view:  Pizza Box Project

CLICK HERE to view:  ALL Sketch Book posts

May Your Bobbin Always Be Full,

LuAnn Kessi

Brought to YOU By:

Gunnr and his Blue Ball

Sketch Book......Background Fillers 1

When trying out different filler designs,

I partition the sketch book...

6 sections seems to work best for me:

Rather than fill up an entire page in the book with 1 design,

I can experiment with 6 different designs on one page.

Filler designs can be time consuming to draw out 

1 design on a full page.

6 designs on a page is much more appealing to me.

It is enough space to let me know if the design

is working or not.

When I am experimenting with new designs,

I draw them out as if I had the piece under

the needle quilting it...

keeping my pen down on the paper, moving it as

if it were a needle and thread on the machine.

I never know what will work until I try it out in the sketch book.

The yearling heifers keep me company just outside

the Thread Shed.

The hydrangeas are putting on a show this time of year!

The flower beds are just illuminated with their beauty.

CLICK HERE:  to see My Quilts

CLICK HERE to view: ALL Free Motion Quilting posts

CLICK HERE to view:  My Portrait Quilts

CLICK HERE to view:  Life on the Farm

May Your Bobbin Always Be Full,

LuAnn Kessi

Brought to YOU By:

Gunnr and his Blue Ball

Sketch Book.....Border Designs

Here are a few border designs

in one of my Sketch Books...

As you can see from the diagram on the left page,

these are a series of shapes that look like 

question marks

I would chalk out the question mark shapes 

on my fabric,

then put it under the needle and stitch plumes 

along the question marks.

This is the same design, 

just a horizontal orientation.

This can be stitched out to fit most any size border.

 This is a simpler version of the designs above:

Here are 4 different border designs.

A good choice for narrow borders.

 This little chicken family lives just down the road:

They were scratchin' out a living in the grass 

along side the road...

The rooster is a real beauty!

He is so vibrant.

Sweet Birds.

CLICK HERE:  to see My Quilts

CLICK HERE to view:  Feather Quilting Video

CLICK HERE to view:  Borders on Baby Quilt

CLICK HERE to view: Quilting on Feelin' Groovy Quilt

CLICK HERE to view: Fern Quilting on Calypso Quilt

May Your Bobbin Always Be Full,

LuAnn Kessi

Brought to YOU By:

Gunnr and The Blue Ball

Sketch Book.....Background Fills

Free Motion Quilting

Background Fill Designs:

I draw random horizontal wavy lines across the page...

Then fill each area in with a different design.

These work great for background areas on your quilt

that you need to fill in and press that area down with stitching.

Adds a lot of texture.

You can also draw horizontal straight lines across the page:

Try out different shapes.....you never know if they will work

unless you try them out on paper.

CLICK HERE to view:  FREE Quilting Tutorial

CLICK HERE:  to see My Quilts

May Your Bobbin Always Be Full,
LuAnn Kessi

Brought to you By:

Gunnr and The Blue Ball