evolution of a design

i have a long arm and i'm not afraid to use it. sometimes, i get a quilt that makes me step back and go, hmmmm?

kathy brought me her quilt to quilt and it has this log cabin type flower block. not exactly screaming at me at how to quilt it.  i'm going to share a short peek inside my head while i design the quilting motif for this block and the why.

first i grab my mylar plastic that i use to 'sketch' my ideas onto with a dry erase marker. the marker wipes off easily with a piece of scrap batting. this is also handy because i can draw the design the exact size i'll be stitching, so i can get the muscle memory practice.

i know i'll need 'travel' points (where i transition from one section to another) my style is to use intersecting piecing points. so i chalk the straight line through the points of the log cabin pieces (you can see the faint line. i don't need to be able to see it from across the room- just enuf to see it as i quilt. plus by making it faint makes it easy to remove when i'm done. i use Miracle Chalk. it removes by steam, water, and dusting with a lint brush)

it is a flower block, so i start playing with ideas that would look like a flower. i doodled the petal shapes and i like them and decide that this will be part of the design.

the only problem is that it doesn't bring me back to my chalked travel points.....okay now what???

i could just use a ruler and SID back, but i'm not a SID fan...plus i'm using a purple thread and it could show and be unattractive. plus ruler work would push the cost of the quilting up, and it's not included in the proposed estimated budget.

i am putting feathers on another part of the quilt, so what if i echo the petal shapes back to my travel point???

perfect, and a simple CC type line will get me to my next area! throw in a little 'toot' at the top and i have my design.

that's exactly what i did and here's the finished quilted block. i quilted up the left side, and came down the right side- starting and stopping at the same spot.

so there you have it, a peek inside my head as i doodle on a quilt.

quilt smarter, not harder :)