where do you get your ideas for a quilt
 

where do you get your ideas when you don't have a pattern for a quilt.. I am making some kids quilts using panels and have been having a mind block and can't come up with any ideas for these quilts to make then cute.. I wanted to do more then just add borders to the panel.

Do you ever go to different site and look at quilts to get ideas and then try to make something like you have seen there? I seen a really cute quilt of the frozen Olhf, they took a white block and snowballed it and they put this block all around the panel and then some borders. It was really cute.. I think it was on a site called Etsy.. I tried to see if there was a name on the quilt but it just showed the picture.. What do you think about trying to copy a quilt you have seen on the web? Is that ok to do? I'm not going to sell the quilts, there all for presents,I just wanted to get some ideas to make these panel quilts cute... Thanks

If you like working with panels there are free patterns at Robert kaufman
Two I like are o Tannenbaum and tinsel and type
Gale

I seldom have a pattern for a quilt. As you said, I try to make something like what I have seen here and there and it's never exactly the same because I like combining 2 or 3 different ideas in one quilt otherwise I get bored trying to do exactly the same thing

I don't have pics to share, but in the past, I have added rows of checkerboard blocks or rows of appliqued designs to panels to make them larger. Depending on the panel you use, hearts, flowers, bugs, animals, cars, boats, etc. are some ideas. Usually what I would do would be to add sashing, then a row of checkerboard, sashing, row of applique. I'd do the same for top/bottom. If I needed more width, I'd add a couple of blocks of applique to the sides of the panel too.

I spend hours browsing the web looking at pictures of quilts for inspiration! If I see something I like I print off a copy of the photo for my file. If it is something I can figure out how to get the same or a similar look I do it. If not, I search for a pattern or book and buy it. I don't make quilts to sell, only to keep or give away.

I find inspiration everywhere! And use ideas I see. It is only. * bad* if you copy someone else's quilt then claim it as your own design. Finding different ideas, blocks, ways to surround a panel is fun and can spark your creativity. I've surrounded panels with pinwheels, log cabin blocks, pineapple blocks, all sorts of different blocks, borders to enhance and enlarge them. Panels can be a great starting point for wonderful quilts. Check out Pinterest and Google images, Flickr and many fabric manufacturers and designers often have galleries to browse and free patterns. Browse the pictures category here on the board too... Lots of inspiration to browse, enjoy and be inspired by

Inspiration comes from everywhere. My favorite for boarders is "The Quilter's Album of Blocks and Borders," by Jinny Beyer mine copyrighted in 1986, but the first copyright is 1945. But any row by row book is going to be good too. And I have to agree I take a general idea and make it my own. Since I like to embroider and have the time I add a lot of that to my work.

quilt magazines and pinterest.

Sometimes I just "google" a certain word or quilt that sounds interesting. Then look at all the pictures. Also, in the "pictures" section of quiltingboard there is a ton of inspiration.

For panels, I like to make them off center by having more blocks and/or larger size blocks on one side. Sometimes I'll add big rick-rack or even ruffled eyelet to a quilt. Thinking the whole idea is to have fun doing this! :thumbup:

I go to pintrest and look at them. Panels give me mind blocks too. I love the idea of setting them off center. Thanks HillCountryGal.