Does a block of High Heels have any appeal?
02-27-2013, 08:25 AM
#13
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Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Northern Ireland
Posts: 28
I think these look great! I imagine the choice of fabric and arrangement of the blocks would play a role in how obvious 'high heel' design is.So, the quilter would have a choice as to whether they wanted 'high hells' theme, or just a cool abstract design. I studied art and design at college and a lot of what we were encouraged to do was to 'break down' - eg. making a simplified version, focussing on one element - an object to inspire our work. The above block has done this really well.
02-28-2013, 09:53 AM
#15
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Bonita Springs, FL
Posts: 5
Thanks for all the great comments.
To address some, the angles are not all standard. One triangle is a 90-45-45, but the split rectangles are not standard. I like to make those using two rectangles for a more stable seam, so the cutting is easy that way, but I appreciate the comment about preferring to stay away from triangles. (They certainly can be a pain.)
The comment about making a simplified version of an object is a perfect description of what I try to do when I design quilts. I tend toward more modern design, but in fact, that approach is not uncommon in many traditional blocks (e.g., maple leaf, corn and beans, prairie queen, wild goose chase, etc.) where an object is reduced to a geometric pattern. I absolutely love geometry and the fact that in quilting, once you repeat a block, new shapes emerge. Blocks that are not symmetrical around a center point, but may be symmetrical to one or more median or diagonal, tend to have a more contemporary look to them. It's all so much fun.
Regarding colors, I probably wouldn't use the colors I chose to visualize this design. They are a little too intense for my nervous system. One thought was to choose two dark prints of different but coordinating colors for the darker shoes and use the wrong side of those fabrics for the lighter contrasting shoes. That might add an interesting texture. I think I'd stick with one medium value fabric for the background.
Thanks again, all. I appreciate your input on this design concept.
To address some, the angles are not all standard. One triangle is a 90-45-45, but the split rectangles are not standard. I like to make those using two rectangles for a more stable seam, so the cutting is easy that way, but I appreciate the comment about preferring to stay away from triangles. (They certainly can be a pain.)
The comment about making a simplified version of an object is a perfect description of what I try to do when I design quilts. I tend toward more modern design, but in fact, that approach is not uncommon in many traditional blocks (e.g., maple leaf, corn and beans, prairie queen, wild goose chase, etc.) where an object is reduced to a geometric pattern. I absolutely love geometry and the fact that in quilting, once you repeat a block, new shapes emerge. Blocks that are not symmetrical around a center point, but may be symmetrical to one or more median or diagonal, tend to have a more contemporary look to them. It's all so much fun.
Regarding colors, I probably wouldn't use the colors I chose to visualize this design. They are a little too intense for my nervous system. One thought was to choose two dark prints of different but coordinating colors for the darker shoes and use the wrong side of those fabrics for the lighter contrasting shoes. That might add an interesting texture. I think I'd stick with one medium value fabric for the background.
Thanks again, all. I appreciate your input on this design concept.
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