How to Add Visual Pop to Your Quilt Designs

Today’s Topic: How to Add Visual Pop to Your Quilt Designs

Welcome to Week Sixteen of The Better Machine Quilt-a-long based on my book 25 Days to Better Machine Quilting.

Find all of the previous Lessons HERE.

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Good Morning, Quilters!

I’m really excited about today’s lesson on creating visual “pop” in your quilts!

When I first began quilting, I assumed that if I wanted to bring attention (create a focal point) on my quilt, I should free motion quilt that area heavily.  It seemed reasonable to me that the more thread on an area within the quilt, the more you would notice it…

Nay, not so…

In fact the opposite is true. The first thing your eye is drawn to is the unquilted areas, especially when they are surrounded by dense quilting.

Once I figured that out, I started to use it to my advantage in my quilts.

Create Negative Space Designs

To create negative space designs, simple draw or trace a shape on your quilt and quilt densely around it.

Sometimes it works best to outline the shape several times.

Another way to create negative space designs is to draw the shape with chalk and add dense quilting around it without the outline.

The Fish Sampler Project

This week we will take advantage of negative space design as we begin working on the Fish Sampler Project.

Today’s Homework

Choose a central motif idea. The central motif in the Fish Sampler doesn’t have to be a fish.  I have used a variety of shapes in the center of this type of quilt, including a circle, a star, the outline of the United States. I even designed a Texas Sampler when I taught at the Dallas Modern Quilt Guild. (Hi Denise and all the DMQG!)

Create a quick quilt sandwich in your favorite color! (You will do your best work when you LOVE the fabric and colors you are using!)

Doodle. Use a stencil or trace shapes in your doodle notebook and practice doodling around the shapes.

Practice circles. Doodle clockwise and counter-clockwise circles to create pebbles. If you are a beginner at circles, try the Dots and Dashes motif to get started.

Are We Having Fun Yet?

I know I am….

Poppin in Minnesota,

Signed,

Lori-pop Kennedy

PS…All tutorials, images and information are the property of Lori Kennedy Quilts and are intended for personal use only.  Feel free to re-blog, pin or share with attribution to LKQ.  For all other purposes, please contact me at Lori@LoriKennedyQuilts.com.  Thank you!

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