I am looking for something unique too. I have a hard time designing my own quilts. Not sure my brain works that way. I agree a lot of the patterns are just a twist of the old patterns. I take a design and change it. Do you have software that you use to design your quilts? I think this is what I need. Love your quilt you posted do you sell the pattern? My favorite magazine is Austrailian Patchwork and quilting. It has lots of free patterns and things you just don't see around here. It is kinda expensive with the shipping. My subscription comes thru Canada and it makes it cheaper.

I use Quilt Pro to design my quilts. Its a little cheaper than Electric Quilt and does everything I need it to do. I am still working on the pattern for that design. Its called Carson's Star, named after my son. Its paper pieced and pretty easy even though it looks pretty involved. You can follow my blog or get on my mailing list if you'd like by clicking on the links under my post.

Thanks!
Sue

I don't want to design anything--too lazy I guess, but I don't want to make the simple, quick to sew designs. The more complicated the better. So keep up the good work for the rest of us!! Will be checking your blog later. That quilt design you did is beautiful.
Sue

Thanks Susie!

I really like scrappy quilts and I made log cabins. I cannot use 3 or 4 fabrics-just can't do it. Bores me stiff, everything my eye goes to is scrappy. Then I found Bonnie Hunter and her site Quiltville - it has changed my life. Her mysteries have challenged me and made me expand. I've done quilts I can't believe I'd attempt, but they turned out great. Most of my quilts are 2 blocks, with a main design and secondary design - the color combo's really make a difference. And you can arrange the blocks in different ways - for instance. bonnie's mystery last year was called Carolina Christmas in christmas colors - I made Camryn's Christmas in purple, teal & pink and arranged the blocks differently - someone on Qville came up with this layout.
So put me down as scrappy, scrappy, & really scrappy.
Judi
my shades of green was on Amy S's site, I asked to do it - I've made two. Old Tobacco Road was a Bonnie mystery that I did not like til she put the borders on - it's one of my fav's.

I really like scrappy quilts and I made log cabins. I cannot use 3 or 4 fabrics-just can't do it. Bores me stiff, everything my eye goes to is scrappy. Then I found Bonnie Hunter and her site Quiltville - it has changed my life. Her mysteries have challenged me and made me expand. I've done quilts I can't believe I'd attempt, but they turned out great. Most of my quilts are 2 blocks, with a main design and secondary design - the color combo's really make a difference. And you can arrange the blocks in different ways - for instance. bonnie's mystery last year was called Carolina Christmas in christmas colors - I made Camryn's Christmas in purple, teal & pink and arranged the blocks differently - someone on Qville came up with this layout.
So put me down as scrappy, scrappy, & really scrappy.
Judi
my shades of green was on Amy S's site, I asked to do it - I've made two. Old Tobacco Road was a Bonnie mystery that I did not like til she put the borders on - it's one of my fav's.

I make what appeals to me at the time. I do not do well with small and very difficult piecing but I love to make a one of a kind even if it is a pattern I have used over and over again. We are artists and use our talents in many ways. When you give ten children a picture of an apple to color do you give them one red crayon or do you give them a whold box and let them design their own apple from the same pattern?

Beautiful!!!

My own one of a kind. I'm not much into following someone else's patterns.

I prefer to just create something I see in my mind.

It's not saying I don't or probably would never use a pattern of some sort. I do if the guild is making a project together for charity quilts and such.

I lean more into creating a story telling type quilt/blanket/wall hanging and such.

I'm more in tune with applique than I am in piecing and there is nothing to be afraid off. For me applique is a whole lot easier than cutting a piece of fabric into a million pieces and sewing it back together and hope it will match up.

Personally I don't much care for traditional/contemporary quilting and probably will never complete one of those but do love to create something that tells a story when you look at it you know what it is saying.

What's nice about fabrics is that you can create whatever you want to with it no matter if you are following a cookie cutter type block pattern or create your own.

There is no right or wrong in anyway you do it as long as you are happy with the results.

In your case quilting is your safe place. Sorry for the stress.

Love the angel in your name tag. Is that design available in a pattern? I can envision it as an Advent/Christmas Banner at church.

I do design my own quilts, but the magazines give me ideas to begin the process. I have never made a quilt straight from a pattern. They are always the wrong size, I don't like the colors or the borders. But I love to look at patterns and books and magazines for ideas.

Maybe a lot of people are like me. I love to sew, love fabric
but am scared to try stuff that looks too difficult. I have only made one quilt. A cathedral window, king size, every stitch by hand. Twenty two years later, I am working on a nine patch. I can't get it right. Seams don't match. It is scary to even thing about something more complicated.

I enjoy pieced patterns verses applique. Don't get me wrong, I love appliqued quilts - but appliquing is not my thing. If I'm going to hand sew, I will Cross Stitch. Since the web has so many free patterns, I am not renewing any quilt magazines when they come due (unless they are dirt cheap). (LOL)

I'm a scrappy/patchwork kinda of Mississippi gal

I've been making quilts & quilted things for nearly 50 years, & I love simple, basic patterns, and scrap quilts.

I've been making some version of Cathedral Windows quilts for the last 10 years, and am not tired of that pattern.

The business aspect of the quilt world as it has become by now would not fare too well on (non)consumers like me. ;-)

Hi Moquilter,

That design is called Lexa's Angel. It is one I designed to raise funds for my friend, who's 7 yr old daughter, Lexa, was killed by a drunk driver just before Christmas last year. I blogged about it here: http://larkspurlanedesigns.blogspot....l-is-born.html

I give that one away for a donation to the Cleland Family Fund. Send me an email if you're interested in making a donation!

Sue

Oops! Forgot to give email address: [email protected] or PM me if you'd like!

I like simple patterns best. But after I make one I'll take that pattern and do my own thing with it. I've made a couple of "gosh awful - uglies" but there is always that one person that falls in love with it. That makes for a great feeling.

Well I have been quilting for about 8 years and I like the older blocks. Come to think of it maybe I like it all. Also some people come up with new quick ways to cut them and with very acurate results once they are sewn. I find I look for new techniques, books that teach them and rulers that are worth their money. Some of my favorite designers are Bonnie hunt and Anita Grossman Salomon. I am also big on scrappies and seldom follow the pattern all the way and often do not use a pattern. I do not care much for most of the magazines but like some one mentioned I think most are geared towards new quilters and they do seem to fill a spot.

I have been receiving magazines in the mail for years. I have to agree, there are not many new things in them that catch my eye. If it does, it is the colors that appeal to me. I am considering cancelling or not renewing my subscriptions. They don't even get me motivated any more.

I still love the magazines, not just for getting ideas, but for seeing the fabrics, and I'm still learning new techniques. I make wall hanging sizes and smaller so even the patterns won't work for me, but do give me ideas. ANd I just love looking at the pictures. My first machine lap size quilt was a block in a block, and it was Hoffman batiks which I had never used before, but fell in love with them, so my second quilt was the batiks again, and called The Shuffle. I did the pattern because I wanted to show off the fabric. Now I have scraps of all those batiks to make my PP and smaller blocks. I love all the quilts and colors. I can't just say I like one style. I love the traditional ones, but I also love to design my own. Everyone is different and every quilt is different. WE all have our own personalities, and if you look at my collection of quilts you might not know my personality, but you would know that I really love to quilt!

I cook with a cookbook, I sew with a pattern. After 10 years I still cannot always put colors together, even with a color chart!

I like scrap quilts but not necessarily traditional patterns. To make something new from the old is fun.

About magazines, I subscribed to Quilters' Newsletter when it was just a few black, white and green pages with old patterns. Then it grew and became my window to all the latest quilting ideas and trends. I eventually gave my boxes of issues to a new quilter because with job and home quilting time was rare, plus the library carries the magazine. Most of my quilting dreams take place over books or on line, now.

Those of us who are just starting need the patterns and ideas that come from either magazines or the internet until we are comfortable to branch out on our own.

Personally, I prefer the traditional patterns anyhow. I want something that is going to last, and the kitschy designs just don't work for me. I don't even really care for fabric that has cute little bears, snowmen, santa claus, whatever... Just personal preference.

While I like to look at the art quilts, I don't see myself doing those for a very long time, if ever.

I happen to like the older designs. If I see something in a magazine or a book that I like, I definitely put it on my list for possible projects awaiting to be made. I see nothing work with that. It is all what your style is. Jan

I think many of us have to rely on a pattern as we are not gifted in design. But having said that, I prefer the older patterns used by our ancestors because they are the original designers. I see many that are just sewn together to get it done with little piecing and for those with little time but want to create, then that is for them. I am hoping if I live long enough I will be able to design my own. I did make a crazy quilt as my very first real quilt, no pattern just by the seat of my pants, so maybe that is the first step. By the way, it turned out just the way I wanted it to look and look forward to perhaps doing another one day.

I like to alternate a difficult design with a very simple one.but always I must be able to play with many colors. One quilt may take 6 months to make king sized and the next one one month I seem to need to do no brainers before going back to a challenge.

I agree 100% with you, Teri!

Well I guess that is why EQ5,6,7 were made. The problem being for me, at least is that altho I have both EQ6 and 7 I do not know how to use them.

I'm not just starting but I love the traditional patterns. Artsy quilts are lovely to look at but I have no desire to make one. The simple patterns are relaxing to make and so far, no one has complained that my quilts are too simple. Mixing up the colors in a traditional pattern is adventureous enough for me :)

I think the bottom line is you see such simple quilts because manufacturers want to sell fabric and lots of it. It is their advertising keeps the magazine afloat.

I get annoyed with those patterns that are simple but become complicated because they want you to use all 27 fabrics in that fabric line. I also think they are revisiting old, simple patterns to showcase the more modern, big patterned fabrics.

Just MHO.

As a new quilter of about one-and-a-half years, and having never sewed before, I was intimidated by all the fancy patterns I saw, but forced myself to try some that were beyond my level of expertise. Now I know that a quilt has to "speak" to me and I can see my own colors incorporated into the pattern. The last two quilts I have made I designed myself. It's just a matter of knowing what you like and pushing forward.

I consider myself still new at quilting since I've only made 4 quilts and only three in the past year.

With that said, I shy away from traditional patterns or patterns you see everywhere. My first quilt was embroidered, my second was a hand appliqued quilt, my third was a twist around the garden with many many many changes, and my last was a small bargello that I designed.

So, I guess my style is: variations on a theme. I might like something and want to do it, too, but need to change it in order to say it's my own.

Right now, I'm working on a wall hanging for my sister. She's only in her 40's with stage 4 breast cancer and I want to make her something meaningful. Since she raised boxers, I found a picture of one, blew it up so to the size of a descent wall hanging, and made a pattern out of it.

These are the kinds of things I like. I do, however, like to look at all the beautiful projects NO MATTER what method all you delightful quilters use!!! Keep the quilt show going!


:thumbup: :D :thumbup: :D :thumbup: :D :thumbup:

Good luck to your sister. I'll say a prayer for her.

Sue

Thank you Sue! She's doing great so far! Prayer is amazing!

i like pp the best so far. i like doing themed ones like houses, birdhouses,as wallhangings. just finished a farm scene one for a wallhanging and embellishing it with lamb,cat,chicken buttons. i am now trying to see how to get a horses head in the barn or maybe not. this one is for me for a change. i wish it dawned on me to take pictures of the ones i gave away.thats okay. i stick to smaller projects now. i can't put any on my own bed because the cats will just knead them to death. when we move i should have a few things for the walls anyway. the art work i have are all done by my uncles and one by my moms old teacher and are of the small town of bergheim germany. a couple by a freind who is a artist and a couple of my favorites my boys did. i can't paint so i do my wallhangings.

To me the quilt is more about the choices of the fabric and the way I combine them. My grown daughter like "random" quilts and I try to make each one with a little different shape (strips, squares, triangles,tumblers) but basically they are all the same style. She loves the fabrics and therefore the quilts. I have not been quilting all that long and still like the more simple approach to make myself, but I love to see something complicated somebody else has done.