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Design to Quilt: Elements of Design - Line Part 2

This week we continue our exploration of line as it relates to design. When creating a composition, lines can capture the viewers attention by being expressive, creating a mood or a feeling. Understanding the way different types of lines give visual cues can help you as the artist communicate a message that can impact the viewer in a subtle, or not so subtle manner without a great deal of dialogue.

Below are words that we can associate with different types of lines and quilts that illustrate these meanings.

Canopy Quilt by Barbara Confer 1880 Blue/White Bar Quilt NYSE by Katharina Lichtman - a City Skyline

Vertical - Strength power, dignity, grandeur, authority.

Bug: Trixilated Transportation - a VW Bug Quilt A quilt demonstrating line in design

Horizontal - calm, relaxed, balanced, stability, constancy

Quilt - Elements #35 by Robin Ferrier 1870 Quaker Silk Herringbone Doll quilt (image Stella Rubin Antiques)

Diagonal - excitement, movement, power, action, vitality

Quilt - Life by Yoshiko Katagiri Quilt - Pinwheel Galaxy by MaxieMakes

Open curve - organic, comforting, calm, relaxation

Quilt - Crop Circles by Colleen Granger Quilt - 20th cent. African American Multiiple Targets

Closed curve - completness, the eternal whole, continual movement

Along with meaning, lines can also be expressive. Some examples of words associated with different lines we found at Sophia include:

Flat - Calm

Quilt - Daybreak by Lubbesmeyer

Wide - bold strength

Quilt - Broken Plaid by Alissa Haight Carlton

Gentle curve - unhurried pleasure

Qullt by Keiko Kimura

Sharply angled- Excitement, anger, danger, chaos

Image from Rebloggy

Practice Exercise: Using Line to Create a mood or feeling

In this exercise you will be making (5) framed line drawings using white sheets of paper.

Step 1. Making the frames

Cut your paper to 8 1/2" x 8 1/2".
Using a pencil, draw a line 2" from one side of the paper. Repeat for all four sides of the paper.
You should now have a 'frame' drawn in the center of your paper that measures 4 1/2" square.
Carefully cut out the center square, leaving the opening 'frame' in your piece of paper.
Repeat with the remaining (4) sheets of paper.

Step 2. Preparing your line drawing foundations

Cut your paper to 8 1/2" x 8 1/2".
Using a pencil, very lightly draw a line 1 3/4" from one side of the paper. Repeat for all four sides of the paper.
You should now have a 'frame' drawn in the center of your paper that measures 5" square. This center square will be your design area.
Repeat with the remaining (4) sheets of paper.

Step 3. Drawing your designs

Using only a black colored pencil, marker, torn or cut paper, create (1) line design (using lthe principles from the lesson) while staying within your lightly drawn square. Repeat with a different line design on each of the remaining (4) foundation pages.

Step 4. Evaluating your designs
Once you have completed your designs, cover each drawing with a frame. Compare how each drawing suggests a different feeling or mood.

Optional Exercise
Create frames using black construction paper. Compare how a design changes when the overlaying frame is black vs. white.

Click here for more topics related to the Design to Quilt program.

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Road to California 2017 - Art Abstract

After you have learned about LINE in our Design to Quilt class this week. You'll want to visit these selections from the Road to California Art Abstract exhibit. Many of these quilts illustrate the concept of LINE as a design feature.

Click here for more topics related to the Design to Quilt program.

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Tutorial: Lavender Sachet Heart Bunting

Faith Jones at WeAllSew.com has a fun beginner-friendly project that you can make with your friends, children, or grandchildren. Here is a quick and easy tutorial to make a Lavender Sachet Heart Bunting. Just in time for Valentine's day, hang these hearts together as a decoration, or make them individually to bring the relaxing fragrance of lavender into your home.

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National Quilt Museum: "Quilts for Quilting" Campaign

The National Quilt Museum needs your help. It's time for the Museum's annual Quilts for Quilting Campaign to begin. The Quilts for Quilting Campaign is one of the museum's largest and most important annual fundraisers and it's quite simple. Quilters around the world generously donate items that the museum auctions off in their annual live, silent, and online auctions. 100% of the money raised goes directly to the museum's general fund.

All you need to do is donate a quilt of any size to The National Quilt Museum that can be used for fundraising purposes. It can be old, new, antique, and any size. Other items which can be donated include, fabric, notions, patterns, quilt kits, etc. There is no limit on what you can donate.

The Museum is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, so all donations are tax deductible.

To make a donation, please ship your item(s) to

The National Quilt Museum

215 Jefferson Street

Paducah, KY 42001

Attention: Q for Q

If you have any questions, contact Lori Robbins or Emily Hendrix at 270-442-8856.

The Museum thanks you for all your support.

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Ever Wonder Who Makes the Trophy for the Biggest Game of the Year?

TQS Member, Linda Poole's Dad, a silversmith for Tiffany & Co. played an integral part in the making of this amazing trophy for 38 years.

To learn more go here.

Tiffany's Super Bowl Trophy

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Alex Anderson - Craft Napa - What I Learned

To say I love taking classes is the understatement of the year! Early in 2016 I decided to treat myself to Craft Napa 2017 – conveniently located 60 miles from home. Honestly it was very difficult to decide exactly which classes to take. They ALL looked so intriguing! Three days with three different instructors – BLISS. I thought it would be fun to share my work and what I learned.

Day 1: Machine Quilting with Jenny K. Lyon

Imagine spending the whole day sitting in front of a BERNINA special edition 765 Rose Gold machine stitching away to your hearts content. Jenny had a plethora of tricks up her sleeves to help students grow their confidence at free motion quilting. I learned I LOVE bubble quilting and how easy it is to try different motifs with just a little practice. Practice, Practice, Practice! That is the name of the game.

Alex Anderson's Bubble Quilting

Day 2: Draw eight items eight different ways with Jane Lafazio.

We were instructed to bring 8 objects that related and then Jane taught 8 different ways to draw, paint and render it. It was a play date with my inner child. What I learned is that we can ALL draw, it is simply like learning to write cursive - a practiced skill. You might remember her Show 1903 – if you haven’t watched it check it out!

Alex Anderson Drawing

Day 3: UFO collage Class with Lynn Krawczyk.

We were instructed to bring the “uglies” or unfinished projects we were willing to sacrifice. We would then deconstruct and then reconstruct our pieces. I didn’t exactly follow the class supply instructions, because most of my uglies end up in the trash at home. As Libby Lehman taught me, “if it is butt ugly most likely it will always be butt ugly” (sorry, I just had to share). So I went to my Dupioni silks and decided to play with that. The colors are so vibrant and seductive I knew they would be fun to work with. Lynn gave us some simple instruction then set us loose. What I learned is that with just a little magic and a willingness to trust the process...yes process...your piece will come together. I was reminded it is about the process or the journey; that is what counts. I intend to explore more with my silk.

Alex Anderson Silk Sample

All in all, it was a very magical weekend that I will always hold dear to my heart. I cannot express how wonderful the whole experience was and intend to attend again. We ALL have something to learn and it’s fun to do so!

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Beatitudes of the Internet

You've all heard of the Beatitudes. Well, ours have a slightly less heavenly bent, but are oh, so true. Maybe you could add to our list. (Keep it clean and positive.)

Here are a few Internet Beatitudes:

Blessed are those who give thumbs up for they are the encouragers.
Blessed are those that don’t mistake “Reply All” for “Reply”.
Blessed are those who overlook a mispelling.

And our favorite:

Blessed are those that realize that their life is already blessed if they have enough money for a home, a computer, internet access, and a router.

Do you have any of your own to share?

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Barbara Black and "The Halo Medallion Quilt" - Tips

Barbara Black's quilt, "Red and White - By the Numbers," was selected as the commemorative quilt for the Ruby Jubilee, the 40th celebration of the International Quilt Festival. Now Barbara is working on the TQS BOM 2017, "The Halo Medallion Quilt," and sharing her work with a group of friends, and in her blog, "MY JOYFUL JOURNEY: My life as a Quiltmaker and a Quilt Teacher. All things QUILT!"

She's also sharing her tips with TQS. Click here to see what she's been doing for Month 2 of The Halo Medallion Quilt.

Barbara has been using fabric from her own stash to create the quilt. Here's her top through Month 2.

Need more help with your quilt, head on over to the TQS Forum, to ask questions or get the latest tips.

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It's National Wear Red Day!

Today, Feb. 3, 2017, will mark 15 years since the initial National Wear Red Day, which was first observed to bring national attention to the fact that heart disease is the #1 killer of women, and to raise awareness of women’s heart health. Take a look at what has been accomplished by the American Heart Association in those fifteen years and learn how you can become involved.

#GoRedWearRed

Here's what's been accomplished.

Nearly 90% of women have made at least one healthy behavior change.
More than one-third of women has lost weight.
More than 50% of women have increased their exercise.
6 out of 10 women have changed their diets.
More than 40% of women have checked their cholesterol levels.
One third of women have talked with their doctors about developing heart health plans.
Today, nearly 300 fewer women die from heart disease and stroke each day.
Death in women has decreased by more than 30 percent over the past 10 years.

But there is more work to be done. Click on Learn More to find out how you can celebrate the day and become involved.

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For the First Time Ever - All Weaving and Tapestry

Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun, Gabriela Cristu, 59" X 75," wool and cotton

For the first time ever, the San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles is going all weaving and tapestry with four exceptional exhibits of contemporary woven art. Featured at the museum from January 20 - April 16, 2017 will be:

American Tapestry Biennial (Turner and Gilliland Galleries)

American Tapestry Biennial includes 36 tapestries, featuring artists from eight countries. The works selected for the exhibition highlight the variety of artistic expression practiced today in the medium of hand woven tapestry.

Cerebral Touch: Lia Cook 1980-Now (Finlayson Gallery)

Cerebral Touch: Lia Cook 1980-Now traces Cook's artistic journey from her abstract and dimensional pieces of the 1980s; weaving inspired by Old Masters drapery from her work during the 1990s; exploration of portraiture; and finally, work completed weeks before this exhibition opens.

Be sure to scroll down and watch at least the first 3 minutes of the video on Lia's work.

Line Dufour: Fate Destiny and Self Determination (Hallway)

Line Dufour's project, Fate Destiny and Self Determination, is a collaborative tapestry project based in weaving and other fiber art methods propelled by social media. The project is a large web of small weavings that people all over the world have donated.

Elemental Tapestry: Earth, Air, Fire and Water--Tapestry Weavers West (Porcella Gallery)

Members of Tapestry Weavers West interpret the classic elements in abstraction and realism, through expressive woven art. This forceful and thoughtful exploration of volcanic hills, forest floors, and flowing rivers explodes with color and raw energy.

San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles

520 South First Street, San Jose, CA 95113

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