Teeler

I feel your pain. I, too, have no ideas of my own. Friends and family SAY I'm the creative one, yet they are delusional. Like you, I love art...love looking at it, seeing the nuances of the artist's work, and trying to figure out where their mind was as they were creating it. I am frustrated that I really CAN'T come up with ideas of my own.
When I was a kid, I was coloring with my cousin (a very logical, accountant-type). I had my crayons...the whole box...I had my coloring book, and whatever was on the page was colored simply with helter-skelter colors- a bit of blue here, some red there...it made no sense to the picture that was being colored, and every color was outside the lines. My cousin felt it was necessary to tell me how it SHOULD be done...she outlined every section with her crayon, and colored inside the lines with the color that every section SHOULD be...it didn't make me feel bad about my own work, but to this day I remember the incident. I liked MY page.

...BUT...

...there is hope for us: it comes in the form of "inspiration" and not necessarily "this is what I have for a vision and now I'm going to build it." You and I can take the world around us and can be inspired by others' work...by nature...by a stiff spring breeze laden with the scent of freshly thawed earth.

I, personally, am inspired by characters such as Anne of Green Gables (Megan Follows), and how she sees the world and all that's in it. There is a line in it when she returns home, grabs a handful of flowers by the picket fence, and presses them to her caretaker's face: "Smell them, Morilla...drink them in!" This one simple line is just so incredibly inspiring to me- taking a simple handful of wild flowers, and finding happiness and the ultimate beauty in everything that makes them unique.

This is not to say that I'm full of vim & vigor- quite the contrary. Most days I feel very mediocre at best. But I aspire to be like Anne- to find inspiration in everything, regardless of whether it is a happy occasion, or one that brings feelings of despair, and to be able to take those feelings and express them with other people, or in my hobbies.

Ever notice that there are times when you are fabric shopping and certain things catch your eye...or on another day when something that was there before but you just didn't notice it, but because of the mood you're in (today), it speaks to you and you take that 'inspiration' and build on it. This is my point in all this rambling: build on it. Take your sister's suggestions as merely that...suggestion...and if you like the IDEA, run with it. Say to yourself: "Ok, that really is a good idea, but I want to make it my own, so if I were to do something like that, I'd do it THIS way."

I don't know what her idea was, but for example...if she suggested sashing, ask yourself what kind of sashing style you like best. Go to pinterest or google other sashing ideas, border ideas, outline ideas...wide lines, thin lines, or a combination of both. Take her "idea," and make it your own. Like I said, I have no fresh ideas of my own, but give me a jumping off point, and I can run with it and come up with something that says "I made this."

Just remember that more than likely, people who have "ideas of their own" usually have experienced something you may not have, seen something you may not have, or they, too, could be running with someone ELSE's idea. Everyone is unique, and sees the world differently. How YOU see the world and what makes YOU happy will ultimately reflect in your quilts. Don't be afraid to color outside the lines.

ghostrider

Try looking at/for some of these books...

Art + Quilt, Design Principles and Creativity Exercises by Lyric Kinard
Art Quilt Workbook, Exercises and Techniques to Ignite your Creativity by Jane Davila & Elin Waterson
Intuitive Color & Design, Adventures in Art Quilting by Jean Wells
Journey to Inspired Art Quilting, More Intuitive Color & Design by Jean Wells

They all teach the basic visual design principles (as applied to working with fabric), some simple techniques, and have exercises to practice what you have read. They are all adaptable to any style of quilting you want to try, but focus mainly on the abstract. They offer no patterns to follow, but instead show you how to forge your own path to the quilter that lives in your heart.

Also, found some online courses.
Linda and Laura Kemshall http://www.lindakemshall.com/DesignM...neCourses.html

And if you can't find more, try looking at the video titles offered By Quilting Arts Magazine.
http://www.interweavestore.com/quilt...ng-dvds-videos

You're right, btw, Quilt University closed last October after the founder died.

kellen46

Of course you are creative. If you weren't you would be dead. It is your human heritage to be born creative, if you weren't you would not have been able to maneuver the day to day tasks needed to travel down your life's path. Your sister is creative, in her way. You are creative in your way. Comparing your self to her is like Picasso lamenting he wasn't creative like Rembrandt. We need all visions, yours is just as wonderful as anyone else's. Never tear down your own inspiration by comparisons with others. Be what you can only be, uniquely your self, only you can make a quilt in that way even if you follow a pattern or use a kit with fabric provided. If you draw inspiration from a source, don't feel guilty just remember this, All artist borrow, great artists steal. Someone very creative said that, I can't remember who exactly but it is true. We stand on the shoulders of the artists who came before us. Picasso would not have painted as he did if he had not been inspired by the way Rembrandt used light. Now aren't you tired of beating your self up? So stop already.

toverly

Don't let another idea rain on your parade. When I was in college. We were taught to make 3 designs. The first one, the second one and the best one. That works today in quilting. A speaker at a retreat said her way is to think of something to "kick it up a notch". But, all that being said. I think Kaffe's fabrics don't require extra pattern work. The beautiful colors and patterns are showcased in simple designs. Go with what YOU want. Not what someone else wants.

Caswews

When I start a new pattern I take the pattern and lay out several colors and look at them; if they don't suit me; then I start all over again with other colors. When I ask others for suggestions-they are just that ! suggestions ..
Take her suggestion with a grain of salt; you have the ability to make it your own quilt even with her suggestion. Maybe on the next quilt use her idea and see if YOU like it .. if not then let it set a day or two come back to it and still if it doesn't then do it your way ..

Evie

Touché! This is how I look at my quilting.

osewme

I must be a lot like you. I am not very creative but my daughter sure is. I go to her for a lot of ideas. I have a really hard time with colors in a quilt and can't see to come up with my own that I like. So when I see quilt/pattern/colors that I really like, I will try to copy it as close as possible. I also find myself using a of kits because the colors go so well together. I can do others things well...like the actual sewing/quilting so I feel talented in that way. We all have our strengths & weaknesses. Enjoy what you do.

IBQUILTIN

We all have creative ideas and yours are no less than hers. Look back at some of your finished projects and see how excited they can make you feel. Your ideas are as creative as hers or mine, or anyone elses. Don't let this slow you down, and we can't wait to see pics

Banjar Gal

Sister's ideas may be different, but not "better." Simple is good. Keep doing your own thing. It is ok to get feedback, but also ok not to use all of it. Get inspired by looking at quilts and patterns that speak to you and then quilt, quilt, quilt! If you do it, creativity will come! As a creative quilter, sometimes I get bogged down in the details. Then I take a breath, let go, and just sew!

Letty

her
Please don't feel miserable,you chose the fabric, the rest is down to YOU, not the idea of what she would like ! Go with Your ideas,I always told my class whatever they did with design and fabric,if they went with their imagination then it would be unique,it didn't matter if others were not of the same opinion You will never be content with what you make otherwise.Love Letty