Symmetrical Pattern Design
Jeff Chapman
I am putting together some idea generators for creating symmetrical
designs for various artistic endeavors and I recognized that I have
often seen excellent examples in quilt work. Can you folks...
-- point me to some examples of quilts with nice symmetrical designs?
-- tell me how many "panels" of a repeated motif one might typically
find in a quilt (say, 6 squares by 8 squares)?
Thanks and best regards,
Jeff
http://home.earthlink.net/~jdc24/symmetry.htm
Julia Altshuler
published by C & T Publications, copyright 1994, ISBN: 0-914881-78-7. Then, if
the answers you're looking for aren't there, get back to us with further
questions. She talks about symmetry in traditional quilt patterns and has
examples. The book is available in many libraries or through inter-library
loan. You ought to be able to buy a used copy somewhere on the 'Net. I know
that McDowell herself still sells the book.
There is no typical when it comes to quilting, but the following information
might help in your research: The word you're looking for is "block." A block
is a repeating design motif in a quilt. In antique quilts, blocks are nearly
always square. (I couldn't put a number on it, but I'd guess that somewhere in
the high 90 percentages of quilt blocks are square.) The exceptions are
hexagonal (6 sides, all the same size) and triangular. I'm no expert on antique
quilts, but I'd guess that you don't see rectangular quilt blocks until 40 years
ago or so. (Corrections welcome here!) Any tesselating shape can be made into
a quilt block, repeated, and arranged symmetrically.
Once you get into symmetry, you can look at any quilt and look for symmetry in
it. A landscape quilt probably wouldn't be symmetrical, but many other quilts
will be. It would be silly to point you to examples of quilts with nice
symmetrical designs. Look anywhere there are quilts! A block book will have
examples of blocks (!). (My favorite is _The Quilter's Album of Blocks &
Borders_ by Jinny Beyer, EPM Publications, ISBN: 0-914440-92-6.) You'll have
hundreds of examples of repeating designs that can be arranged symmetrically.
Your idea generators will doubtlessly repeat some of the work and creativity
done by our foremothers who quilted.
As for how many panels of a repeated motif one might typically find in a quilt,
quilts can be almost any size from small enough for a baby in a cradle to large
enough for a king size bed. (There are also miniatures and giants.) A block
might be anywhere from 6" square to 20" square.
I hope this helps. Post information on where to find your idea generators when
you do it. I'm interested in symmetry and designs and tesselations and quilts
so your question is intriguing. I always love it when I see design principles
that I know from quilting in other scientific and artistic endeavors. (And let
me recommend the McDowell book again. The woman is amazing. Take a workshop
with her if you can. She teaches. Her symmetry class is for anyone interested
in symmetry. You don't need to know squat about quilting to enjoy it and learn
a lot.)
--Lia
Bob&Becky
Tessellations", by Jinny Beyer. It is not just about tessellations, she
does an in-depth look at all types of symmetry used in quilt making before
she goes into tessellations.
Becky
"Jeff Chapman" <jeffdc...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:333edd34.02051...@posting.google.com...
bogus address
> A reference I like even better than Ruth McDowell's book is "Designing
> Tessellations", by Jinny Beyer. It is not just about tessellations,
> she does an in-depth look at all types of symmetry used in quilt making
> before she goes into tessellations.
Or you could go to the source: Grunbaum and Shepherd, "Tilings and
Patterns", W.H. Freeman & Co, 1987, the standard text on the mathematics
of tesselations, with hundreds of illustrations you don't need to be a
mathematician to see the point of.
Problem with that book is that while it has loads of wonderful ideas,
very few of them are machine-pieceable. I have a sizable notebook of
designs derived from it that would have to be done by English paper
piecing ( = will take approximately forever). I'd guess Beyer takes
the practicalities a bit more into account?
========> Email to "jc" at this site; email to "bogus" will bounce. <========
Jack Campin: 11 Third Street, Newtongrange, Midlothian EH22 4PU; 0131 6604760
http://www.purr.demon.co.uk/purrhome.html food intolerance data and recipes,
freeware logic fonts for the Macintosh, and Scots traditional music resources
Jeff Chapman
definitely go check out the book by Ruth B. McDowell (yeah library!).
Your other answers have been most helpful: in a couple of days I
should have an extra page on my sight to pique the designer in you.
It will only have a very simple quilt example, but as quilts present
some interesting design constraints, I am thinking of perhaps adding a
page just to discuss quilt designs in particular. Feel free though in
the meanwhile to visit my ideas (geared more toward evaluating a
design rather than creating one) at my site previously posted.
Best regards,
Jeff
"Bob&Becky" <bbke...@piopc.net> wrote in message news:<udr6jkb...@corp.supernews.com>...
> A reference I like even better than Ruth McDowell's book is "Designing
> Tessellations", by Jinny Beyer. It is not just about tessellations, she
> does an in-depth look at all types of symmetry used in quilt making before
> she goes into tessellations.
>
> Becky
>
<snip>
>
> "Jeff Chapman" <jeffdc...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:333edd34.02051...@posting.google.com...
>
<snip>
Roberta Zollner
look at "Easy Stash Quilts" for example.
Traditional designs fall into categories depending on the number of (usually
square) units. 2X2 (4-patch), 3X3 (9-patch), 4X4(never called 16-patch!)
etc.
We call them blocks, not panels. There is no typical number. Quilt sizes
reflect bed sizes versus block sizes. Blocks come in any size, usually in a
range of 6-12", so a quilter simply figures out how many of a given block
will be necessary to achieve the required size. And block sizes are often
determined by strip piecing requirements: quilters don't like to cut strips
or squares in anything but half-inch increments. And most people prefer sort
of medium-size squares, like 2½". So 9-patch designs very often end up as 6"
(finished), for example.
Roberta in DK
"Jeff Chapman" <jeffdc...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:333edd34.02051...@posting.google.com...
Julia Altshuler
What are the design constraints present in quilting that you wouldn't find in
other art forms (wood working, oil painting, architecture, pottery,
photography)?
Partial answers:
-The design in quilting is usually two dimensional. (But there are origami type
fabric creations on quilts.)
-The color is on the fabric first. (You can mix your own dyes, but you color
the fabric, then design with the fabric.)
-Largish shapes and fine lines are created differently (fabric, thread work).
-Straight line piecing is easier than curves. (But curves are certainly
possible in curved piecing and applique.)
Jeff, I'll be thinking about how design constraints determine my choices when
quilting. Now I'm curious about what you, a non-quilter, were thinking when you
wrote about interesting design constraints in quilting.
--Lia
Ruth in Happy Camp
you working on a thesis?
--
Ruth in Happy Camp
"Jeff Chapman" <jeffdc...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:333edd34.0205...@posting.google.com...
Jeff Chapman
> [What] were [you] thinking when you wrote about interesting design constraints in quilting?
Well, my design background comes from architecture, which certainly
imposes its own constraints. Like any form of art or craft, the
nature of the materials plays an important role in constraining
design. I think that the largest constraint for a quilter would have
to be the use of rather large pieced-together tessellating shapes.
A computer graphic artist might be working with a resolution of a
quarter of a million pels; what do you suppose would be the typical
accepted "resolution" of somebody creating a bedspread quilt? In
other words, thinking in terms of granularity, what is typically
viewed as an acceptable number of surface pieces that a quilt might
have visible? Of course, this constraint is probably aptly justified
by the effort required to piece the thing together.
The other elements you mentioned also apply... upon reflection, many
of them apply to architectural design as well! Largish shapes, lines
and areas created differently, pre-colored construction materials,
straight lines easier than curves. In architecture though we talk
quite a bit about light and shadow, so there's an element different
from quilting.
What constrains a designer doesn't necessarily, however, make the work
less interesting! It just creates a different framework for
expression (indeed, sometimes the constraints make the design task
easier). What makes quilt design constraints /interesting/ though is
that the granularity allows a wide variety of pleasing symmetrical
choices. Given a pattern of six by eight blocks, you can combine
adjacent blocks into a motif of 3x4 (4 repeats), 2x8 (3 repeats), 2x2
(12 repeats)... uhhhm, there's more of course. Multiply this by the
permutations of symmetrical operations and you've got quite a few
choices!
When you are planning a quilt design, what mental tradeoffs do you
make along the way? What is your decision process like?
Best regards,
Jeff
p.s. Happy Mother's day to all of you moms out there :-)
p.p.s. Well, the update to my symmetry page didn't take as long as I
had expected. The original page describing an "Interest Level" is at
http://home.earthlink.net/~jdc24/symmetry.htm
and the new page I added (describing how to arrive at a pleasing
motif) is at
http://home.earthlink.net/~jdc24/motif.htm
It probably helps to read the first one before proceeding to the
second. I welcome comments, ideas, criticism (whatever)!
SandySmth
A quilt my have from one piece (in a whole cloth quilt) to thousands of surface
pieces! Any number of pieces is acceptable! You are making quilting much more
complicated than it really is. We don't generally think of "accepted
'resolution'" in our quilts. We just start with biggish pieces of fabric, slash
them up, and sew them back together!
Sandy
in Chapel Hill, NC
jeffdc...@hotmail.com (Jeff Chapman) asked:
>snip<
>what is typically
>viewed as an acceptable number of surface pieces that a quilt might
>have visible?
>snip<
Julia Altshuler
> Well, my design background comes from architecture, which certainly
> imposes its own constraints. Like any form of art or craft, the
> nature of the materials plays an important role in constraining
> design. I think that the largest constraint for a quilter would have
> to be the use of rather large pieced-together tessellating shapes.
I'd remembered tessellating shape as meaning one shape which repeated over and
over fits a flat surface with no leftover unfilled space. (Example: Squares
tesselate; circles don't.) Then I checked my dictionary and found: "to form
into a mosaic pattern, as by using small squares of stone or glass." Quilts
don't have to use tesselating shapes by the first definition. That's because
you can use any number of different shapes to fill the space. The second
definition is more like the one used in quilting. Take the random shapes from
stones; fill in the space that's not stones with grouting to make a mosaic. In
traditional quilting the shapes are likely to have straight sides and be one
regular. (I need a definition for regular. I mean square, rectangle,
equilateral triangle, isosoles right triangle, hexagon, rhombus and a few
others.) (What's the word for a triangle with all unequal sides and all unequal
angles? Traditional quilt blocks usually don't have those.)
> A computer graphic artist might be working with a resolution of a
> quarter of a million pels; what do you suppose would be the typical
> accepted "resolution" of somebody creating a bedspread quilt?
This is a great question and one I don't have the computer knowledge to answer.
(You're dealing with someone who doesn't know what a pel is.) I can, however,
send you to the library again. Look for either _Colourwash Quilts: A Personal
Approach to Design & Technique_ by Deirdre Amsden, That Patchwork Place, 1994
(ISBN: 1-56477-051-6) or _Watercolor Quilts_ by Pat Maixner Magaret & Donna
Ingram Slusser, also published by That Patchwork Place, 1993 (ISBN:
1-56477-031-1). (Or try a google search on watercolor quilts.) This design
technique uses 2" squares as design units. (When constructing the quilt, the
fabric is cut to 2 1/2" square to allow for a seam allowance, but I'm not sure
you're interested in that.) The color values of the fabric blend together to
form the resolution. You could use bigger pieces for a different effect and a
lower resolution.
> In
> other words, thinking in terms of granularity, what is typically
> viewed as an acceptable number of surface pieces that a quilt might
> have visible?
"Acceptable number" is a term that's going to get you into trouble. Quilters
don't normally think in terms of granularity when designing. We think about
visual impact and construction sturdiness. A quilt can have one piece (whole
cloth). It can have thousands. It can have pieces of all different sizes. The
pieces themselves can be solid colors and therefor stand out as individual
pieces quite a lot. The pieces can be patterned in such a way as to hide the
fact that they're individual pieces. (Watercolor quilts are only one example of
a way to do that.)
>Of course, this constraint is probably aptly justified
> by the effort required to piece the thing together.
There are exceptions here too. Certainly it takes more work to sew a thousand
pieces together to make a top than to start with one large piece. But, it's
easier to sew a bunch of pieces together if they're all the same size square to
start. There's strip piecing. (Sew long strips of fabric together first.
Turn, and cut across the strips. Now you have pieces that are all sewn together
already. Automatic repeating pattern.) Some shapes are harder to work with
than others. It's not all in the number of pieces. (In fact, two of the most
frustrating questions that quilters get asked are: "how long did it take you to
make that?" and "how many pieces are in that?" Quilters consider both of those
irrelevant to the beauty and utility of the finished quilt.)
> The other elements you mentioned also apply. Upon reflection, many
> of them apply to architectural design as well! Largish shapes, lines
> and areas created differently, pre-colored construction materials,
> straight lines easier than curves. In architecture, though, we talk
> quite a bit about light and shadow, so there's an element different
> from quilting.
>
> What constrains a designer doesn't necessarily, however, make the work
> less interesting!
Absolutely true. Poetry is *more* interesting than prose precisely because of
the constraints of rhyme, meter, image, etc.
> It just creates a different framework for
> expression (indeed, sometimes the constraints make the design task
> easier). What makes quilt design constraints /interesting/ though is
> that the granularity allows a wide variety of pleasing symmetrical
> choices. Given a pattern of six by eight blocks, you can combine
> adjacent blocks into a motif of 3x4 (4 repeats), 2x8 (3 repeats), 2x2
> (12 repeats)... uhhhm, there's more of course.
Yup! In quilting terms, we call some of the variations "setting on point,"
"alternating plain blocks," and "sashing."
> Multiply this by the
> permutations of symmetrical operations and you've got quite a few
> choices!
>
> When you are planning a quilt design, what mental tradeoffs do you
> make along the way? What is your decision process like?
I'm not willing to post the whole design decision process because, interested as
I am in your question, it's just too much writing. I can tell you that the
terms bog me down. I can tell you that it's a far more visual and intuitive
process than this thread would let on. Some possible ways to plan a quilt
include:
-start with the technique-- Learn how to piece squares and triangles in a
beginning class, go home and think of a quilt you can make with squares and
triangles. This continues as one learns more and more complicated techniques.
-start with the fabric-- Find some truly extraordinarily appealing fabrics that
go together, buy it, look at it, fondle it and think of a way to show off the
fabric to its best advantage.
start with the idea-- Decide that you want to make a quilt to help you deal
with a death or a joy or that you want to make quilt that reminds you of
spring. Think of the artistic expression of your idea. Leave the construction
details for later.
Have I gotten you interested in taking a beginning quilting class yet? Or are
you going to stick with boring ol' architecture? Did your web page mention the
Boston area? There's *lots* going on with quilting in New England. There are
quilt shows and quilt guilds and classes with some of the best quilt artists in
the country. Let me know if you'd like more direction in that area.
--Lia
Lois Frankel
are more free-form. I use my computer to design many of my quilts. For
those that are going to be block-oriented, I use Electric Quilt. For
my fractal quilts, I use Fractint to generate designs, and then pick a
design that I find both pleasing and doable. For others, that may be
based on a single piece of hand-dyed or hand-painted fabric, I start
with a digital image of my fabric, then manipulate it in Paintshop Pro
until I decide what to do. I experiment with different colors and sizes
of borders, how to cut and re-sew the fabric, etc. My criteria for
deciding which designs to actually make are holistic: 1: do I like it?
2: Can I do it?
Size of pieces: For "snippet" quilts, the pieces may be as small as
about 1/4". I have seen pieced quilts with 1/2" square pieces, but 1" in
any dimension is usually the smallest piece you're likely to see.
--
Lois Frankel
lfra...@pluto.njcc.com http://pluto.njcc.com/~lfrankel
(cats, quilts, antique sewing machines)
Any ideas you might think you find in this message are mine; any
resemblance to ideas of anyone else--real, imaginary, living, dead,
employer, coworker, friend, enemy, neighbor, spouse, pet, family
member, insect, microorganism, government, organization,
extraterrestrial, or potted plant--is your fault!
Jeff Chapman
> design technique uses 2" squares as design units.
I never heard the term watercolor quilt until now, and the examples I
found on the Internet were quite amazing. You see, you learn
something new every day. Okay, I'm impressed now.
The watercolor quilts that I glanced at were around a square yard
finished, so let's see... around 325 blocks. Well shoot, you can do
some rather complex designs with that much latitude. Here's something
quick that I threw together at 16 blocks squared. Oh my.
http://home.earthlink.net/~jdc24/by16q.htm
> Have I gotten you interested in taking a beginning
> quilting class yet? Let me know if you'd like more
> direction in that area.
Oh, I suspect that may have to wait until I retire. Between working,
writing, and guitar, I think that I currently pretty much expend my
creativity allotment.
Nice chatting with you!
Best regards,
Jeff
--------------- original ---------------
<snip>
This is a great question and one I don't have the computer knowledge
to answer.
(You're dealing with someone who doesn't know what a pel is.) I can,
however,
send you to the library again. Look for either _Colourwash Quilts: A
Personal
Approach to Design & Technique_ by Deirdre Amsden, That Patchwork
Place, 1994
(ISBN: 1-56477-051-6) or _Watercolor Quilts_ by Pat Maixner Magaret &
Donna
Ingram Slusser, also published by That Patchwork Place, 1993 (ISBN:
1-56477-031-1). (Or try a google search on watercolor quilts.) This
design
technique uses 2" squares as design units. (When constructing the
quilt, the
fabric is cut to 2 1/2" square to allow for a seam allowance, but I'm
not sure
you're interested in that.) The color values of the fabric blend
together to
form the resolution. You could use bigger pieces for a different
effect and a
lower resolution.
<snip>
There are exceptions here too. Certainly it takes more work to sew a
thousand
pieces together to make a top than to start with one large piece.
But, it's
easier to sew a bunch of pieces together if they're all the same size
square to
start. There's strip piecing. (Sew long strips of fabric together
first.
Turn, and cut across the strips. Now you have pieces that are all
sewn together
already. Automatic repeating pattern.) Some shapes are harder to
work with
than others. It's not all in the number of pieces. (In fact, two of
the most
frustrating questions that quilters get asked are: "how long did it
take you to
make that?" and "how many pieces are in that?" Quilters consider both
of those
irrelevant to the beauty and utility of the finished quilt.)
<snip>
Pati Cook
When you are talking about largeish pieces of fabric, you haven't seen some of the antique
quilts have you? there is a quilt that I have a picture of that is 1/2 inch triangles, several
thousands of them. It is gorgeous.
Pati, in Phx
Julia Altshuler
(What's the word for a triangle with all unequal sides and all unequal
> angles? Traditional quilt blocks usually don't have those.)
>
I thought of the answer to my own question: scalene. They do tesselate.
They're not normally found in traditional quilt patterns.
--Lia
Donna in Idaho
> finished, so let's see... around 325 blocks. Well shoot, you can do
> some rather complex designs with that much latitude. Here's something
> quick that I threw together at 16 blocks squared. Oh my.
>
> http://home.earthlink.net/~jdc24/by16q.htm
Jeff, amazing things can be done with nothing but half-square
triangles - as you just proved with your quick something thrown
together!
-
Donna in Idaho!
SW Idaho Project Linus Coordinator
Website: http://members.tripod.com/donnakwilts
---
Donna's Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.361 / Virus Database: 199 - Release Date: 5/7/2002
Patti
video-linked!!!
.
In article <3CDF1E9A...@attbi.com>, Julia Altshuler
<jalts...@attbi.com> writes
snipped
> (What's the word for a triangle with all unequal sides and all unequal
>angles? Traditional quilt blocks usually don't have those.)
snipped
>> other words, thinking in terms of granularity, what is typically
>> viewed as an acceptable number of surface pieces that a quilt might
>> have visible?
>
>"Acceptable number" is a term that's going to get you into trouble. Quilters
>don't normally think in terms of granularity when designing. We think about
>visual impact and construction sturdiness. A quilt can have one piece (whole
>cloth). It can have thousands. It can have pieces of all different
>sizes.
>
Size and number of pieces are all relative to the ultimate size.
Miniature quilts (in the true sense) are not just fewer repeats of
blocks, they are scaled-down versions of these blocks. Thus, the number
of pieces is the same - they are just much, much smaller. Sometimes
they are so small that the only technique feasible is foundation
piecing, so that you don't actually have to pick up the minute pieces in
your fingers; you can use somewhat larger pieces and cut them down.
>
snipped
> Some shapes are harder to work with
>than others. It's not all in the number of pieces. (In fact, two of the most
>frustrating questions that quilters get asked are: "how long did it
>take you to
>make that?" and "how many pieces are in that?" Quilters consider both of those
>irrelevant to the beauty and utility of the finished quilt.)
How true!!! I have tried several times to 'time' a quilt. I find it
impossible!
snipped
>> In architecture, though, we talk
>> quite a bit about light and shadow, so there's an element different
>> from quilting.
I have to disagree with this, because one of the first elements in
quilting that we all learn is that there must be 'light and shadow
(shade/contrast)' in them. The Amish tradition of quilting has based
many of their designs on pure contrast (very little middle ground).
--
Best Regards
pat on the hill
Julia Altshuler
quilts are made from a single shape (2" square most frequently) in which
each piece is different. The color values of the fabrics are arranged to
create the all-over design. I suppose I'm being a stickler for exact
definitions (famous for it), but it's important if you're talking about
symmetry.
Now help me with some definitions. What would "resolution," "granularity"
and "pels" mean as applied to quilting?
--Lia
Roberta Zollner
lines! Jeff, this is very close to Kevin's Broken Dishes quilt.
Roberta in DK
"Jeff Chapman" <jeffdc...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:333edd34.0205...@posting.google.com...
bogus address
> I'd remembered tessellating shape as meaning one shape which repeated
> over and over fits a flat surface with no leftover unfilled space.
> to use tesselating shapes by the first definition. That's because you
> can use any number of different shapes to fill the space. The second
> definition is more like the one used in quilting. Take the random
> to make a mosaic.
Suffolk Puffs? (Circular pieces, no grouting).
Let's hear it for holes!
In fact one thing I'd like to do someday involves BIG holes - a quilt
for reading books under. A hole for your head and holes for each arm.
Why should your shoulders have to get cold when you want to read in
bed?
The reading-in-bed-on-a-REALLY-cold-night version would have a balaclava
mask in the head hole and fingerholes instead of an whole-arm hole.
Julia Altshuler
You get under the covers completely, use the flash light so you can read and a
blanket snorkel so you can breathe.
--Lia
Patti
a virtually circular quilted piece; one radius cut and bound for fronts;
hole cut for head and bound; folded in half; front and back half joined
for about an inch or two at the lower edge on both sides to form
somewhere for the arms to go.
.
In article <92...@purr.demon.co.uk>, bogus address
<bo...@purr.demon.co.uk> writes
--
Jeff Chapman
Gee, you don't suppose that a fellow could make a living all alone
designing quilt patterns, do you? Just in case, if I /was/ working to
design a custom pattern for you, what types of questions should I ask?
(Now, keep in mind I'm only offering to do something symmetrical).
We can obviously communicate things like hues and intensities,
physical dimensions, and design complexity. I suppose that I'd learn
the other important questions as part of the design process! Anybody
want to try a moot design (in a newsgroup conversation) for free?
Jeff
------- original message -------
"Donna in Idaho" <da...@citlink.net> wrote in message news:<ue0635p...@corp.supernews.com>...
Roberta Zollner
Roberta in DK
"(clipped)>
Kate Dicey
foot muff...
Kate XXXXXX
Why do I picture this in an 'oven glove' print?
Julia Altshuler
I believe you mean well so I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt, but I don't
think you realize that what you've just proposed is on the offensive side.
DESIGNING IS THE FUN PART! You've just offered to make yourself boss, design a
quilt for someone else, let her do the sewing, and you've condescendingly
offered to do it for free. There are tons of quilt patterns on the market right
now, and they're designed by quilters who have actually made them. We all
design our own quilts all the time using principles of symmetry, using ideas
from books, published patterns and quilts that we've seen. There is software
that does this. Ruth McDowell describes how to make a random block and repeat
it according to the 17 symmetries of a plane. (I have 17 drawings in a notebook
in the other room that illustrate this.) You're reinventing the wheel here.
I have relatives who have offered to design quilts for me so I can make them.
How kind of them <sarcasm>. I don't need it from strange men on the Internet
too. Please tell me that I've misunderstood your post and tell me what you
really meant. I'd love to know that I have it all wrong in this case. (And
please tell me what resolution, granularity and pels mean when applied to
quilting. All the information has been going one way here.)
I don't know anyone who makes a living from designing quilt patterns. They all
have day jobs in teaching, publishing, fabric store owning, selling quilts and
long arm quilting. Even so the people who are most successful at quilting enjoy
their work but are hardly getting rich with it.
--Lia
Jeff Chapman
<excuse the out-of-sequence post... due to a newsreader delay>
Hi Lia,
> And please tell me what resolution, granularity and
> pels mean when applied to quilting.
Hmm, actually I was using the terms from computer graphics. Pels (or
in the old days we called them pixels) are the dots on your computer
monitor. Resolution is how close the dots are together, commonly
measured in dpi (dots per inch). Granularity is more of a design term
relating to elemental size "binning" -- something with high
granularity has many small components. Let see, a Monet has high, a
Warhol has medium, and a late-era Picasso has low granularity.
> You've just offered to make yourself boss, design
> a quilt for someone else, let her do the sewing, and
> you've condescendingly offered to do it for free...
> You're reinventing the wheel here.
Uhhm... never mind?
> I don't need [misplaced kindness] from strange men on
> the Internet too.
Well, ignorant and audacious maybe, but I'm not really that strange
(although I think that I have had coworkers that side with you).
What's that old saying... the bird thinks that he is doing the fish a
favor by lifting him out of the water. Can I crawl back into my
computer now?
-- Jeff
Roberta Zollner
A block 8½" (unfinished size) that forms secondary patterns in repeats.
Using about 20% light, 30% dark and the rest divided between 2 medium
values. (No need to discuss particular colors here, most quilters adapt to
their own favorites, and it will depend on what they have in their stash.)
Must be easy to strip piece.
Roberta in DK
"Jeff Chapman" <jeffdc...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:333edd34.02051...@posting.google.com...
Linda Campbell
Because there are - as she said - lots and lots of quilt designers
out there. And lots and lots of folks buy those designs. The problem is
that it is very, very tough to make a living from designing quilts in
this day and age.
The quilt pattern shows up on the web. Or in a quilting magazine. And
some of us can look at the design and do it without buying the pattern.
And some of us buy it, make it, and then loan the pattern to our best
friend. Which women have been doing for as many years as there have been
quilt patterns.
And some folks just steal the design, and sell it on their quilting page,
or teach it in a class, or..........ad infinitum.
And none of this puts a dime in the designer's pocket. So most designers
have several other quilty things they do to make a decent living.
I would be delighted to work with you on a design. I would bet you can
come up with something wonderful. Sometimes it is very nice to work with
someone who has no preconceived "proper quilt" ideas.
Linda and the Gang in SF
Jeff Chapman
So a few more questions... if you'd be so kind please let me know if
these are irrelevant to your desires. Are we aiming for, say, a queen
size finished quilt? I know you said we can skip color, but I'll ask
anyway (as it effects the design), are we talking more about earth
tones or vibrant primary colors? Do you prefer a design where the
entire quilt is blocked, with perhaps a border? Or something with a
central design surrounded by "white space" (and maybe a more
complicated border).
Now for the tougher "touchy feely" questions. Do you have a /theme/
in mind (jungle? celebration? floral? outer space? memorial? Hawaiian?
sports? sunset? other?)? As my designs tend toward abstract, you
won't end up with a tree, for example, but you might still get a
"jungly" feeling.
What would you like as the impact upon the viewer... in other words,
should a person looking at the quilt think "oh, a nice but simple
quilt," should they stop and ponder "hmm, something is happening here
but I need to study it a bit," or maybe should they think "whoa, this
is complicated and impressive, but I'm way overwhelmed." I guess I'm
driving at visual complexity (not necessarily construction complexity
though).
Any other questions I should ask?
Best regards,
Jeff
Jeff Chapman
little "V" shaped pieces of paper that you pull from a plastic
dispenser at the crowded bakery.. you're number two. I'm sorry, but
you will have to wait your turn :-(
Thank you though for your answers. Yes, I could see that patterns
"get around" and often serve just as a basis for an idea. And I also
have to agree with Lia that, for me as well, the /design/ is the fun
part. Although I could see that the manual work would also be
fulfilling (if I had the time to spend on it). For now though I just
need to search the patent database for a machine that will
automatically piece together the fabrics from my design (just
kidding)!
Best regards,
Jeff
Linda Campbell <oow...@ix.netcom.com> wrote in message news:<3CE20854...@ix.netcom.com>...
Roberta Zollner
non-seamster thinks might be possible in symmetrical block design? When I
consider ideas, they always go through the filter of sewing experience. And
I think the quilting software might have this bias as well, although I don't
use it.
After all, nobody's asking us to actually make this design, it's just a fun
exercise.
Roberta in DK
"Julia Altshuler" <jalts...@attbi.com> wrote in message
news:3CE1886C...@attbi.com...
Ruth in Happy Camp
--
Ruth in Happy Camp
news:mblpkwHA...@clara.net...
Ruth in Happy Camp
magazine): www.id-deficit.org
(I've no idea what the book is about--the author got too multi-syllabic for
my poor head.)
--
Ruth in Happy Camp
Patti
Not that I've ever made one/used one; but, yes, certainly just the same
idea. Isn't that always the way?!!
In article <ue582n3...@corp.supernews.com>, Ruth in Happy Camp
<or...@sisqtel.net> writes
>A Christmas tree skirt w/vents?
>--
>Ruth in Happy Camp
>"Patti" <Pa...@quik.clara.co.uk> wrote in message
>news:mblpkwHA...@clara.net...
>> I already have designed one of these for my 'to do' list!! It involves
>> a virtually circular quilted piece; one radius cut and bound for fronts;
>> hole cut for head and bound; folded in half; front and back half joined
>> for about an inch or two at the lower edge on both sides to form
>> somewhere for the arms to go.
Jeff Chapman
Roberta Zollner
This is purely an intellectual exercise, because I already have far too many
projects going! So if you want to decline, just say so. I was just curious
to see what a non-quilter might come up with.
No theme. Blue and purple (contrasting colors allowed). Size shouldn't
matter, since I'm looking for a repeatable block. But for the sake of the
exercise, let's say a block set of 5X7 with a border (which would produce a
lap-size quilt). Odd number in both directions to allow for the symmetry of
the secondary patterns. Should be visually complex without inducing
sea-sickness. (Took my DH a few years to grow accustomed to the Storm at Sea
I hung on the wall :-)
Roberta in DK
"Jeff Chapman" <jeffdc...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:333edd34.02051...@posting.google.com...