mercredi 12 novembre 2014

Pointers To Help With Using A Quilt Design Wall

By Christa Jarvis


You might not have heard of walls for designing quilts but in fact they are a highly useful and attractive feature for sewers. This unique accessory makes it possible to see how fabrics will work together in advance of finishing a quilt. Simply sticking patterns and fabric samples to the wall will give you a preview of the finished product. This guide has a range of pointers for using a quilt design wall in your work space.

The great thing about this a design wall is that it allows you to quickly work out the effects of different patterns and colors in combination. In the past, many quilters used a floor to place fabrics together. This has its drawbacks because it is hard to get a visual grasp of the whole picture. Quilters might have to stand on a chair in order to get the height needed for a good view.

Alternatively, a design wall allows you to stick your quilt blocks to a surface that is very visually accessible. Standing back is all you have to do to get a better overall view of your plans. One of the most appealing aspects of this tool is that it allows you to work with many different fabrics at once.

Of course, one of the beauties of quilting is variety. That means bringing together lost of different colors and patterns as part of the design. This is definitely an area where the design wall is a true asset. In a few minutes you can add or remove fabrics to slowly build up a symphony of textures, patterns and colors.

Starting small is a good idea if you have a limited budget and need to conserve your fabric investment. There are lots of ways to do this. One option is to begin with a few small swatches of fabric just to get a sense of how they work visually.

Another idea is to create a miniature block using the pattern that you plan to utilize in your quilt. That means downsizing the pattern to very small dimensions. This allows you to cut out sample fabrics and see how they look without wasting large quantities.

The great thing is that a miniature block does not have to go to waste either. Over time, you may accrue a number of mini blocks which can be sewn together to create a miniature quilt. Alternatively, you might use them in home furnishings such as cushions.

Some other uses for design walls in quilting include testing how patterns work together. Experienced quilters know that pattern is as important as color and it can be a challenge to bring together several types. For instance, stripes, dots and florals might seem like a crazy combination. However, an experienced hand and eye can make even these work together in harmony. For more tips on this subject, you can find many free resources on the Internet. These include blogs and websites which are dedicated to quilting. Check them out to find tips and suggestions including how to make your own design wall.




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