Start Art QuiltingLucy Carroll

So, imagine you want to run a marathon...

You start running slowly, get a personal trainer, and write a program. Watch what you eat, go to bed early; maybe not have that extra glass of wine. You get braver, you try new trails and enter local events. You find yourself running faster, harder, and you enjoy it more.

The big day comes and you’re amazing – you make great time and feel fantastic. What’s even better is that this is just the start, there are more marathons to run, new friends to meet, new goals to achieve!

Take a minute to think about your quilting the same way,

You start with a cross stitch, take a beginners class at your local patchwork shop and make a few quilts for beds.

You want to learn more, so you visit quilt shows, buy a few magazines, look up blogs and try your hand at free motion quilting. But you want to move forward, push yourself, develop your own style and make art quilts that actually mean something.

So what do you do next? There are lots of kits and patterns out there, but you want to know how to come up with your own ideas and your own designs - you want become an art quilter!

Start Art Quilting will help you get there!

Start Art Quilting

We start by getting out of our comfort zones, trying old techniques in new ways, and challenging ourselves to think twice about our design choices.

Then we’ll move on, we’ll tackle different quilting techniques, methods of applique and surface design.

And the whole way you will be creating your own designs – the final quilts will be one-off pieces that you have designed and made yourself!

This guide is your starting point, and it will teach you how to translate your sewing skills to make your own art quilts.

If you’ve already made some forays into art quilting and you’re looking for the next step, this guide will help you to set your own style, pick up new techniques and try new ways of incorporating them into your work.

Even if you’ve been quilting for a while, my guide will help you break new ground, consolidate your ideas and find new paths to tread.

So lets get started...Start Art Quilting is the first, but all of my Art Quilting Guides are broken into easy to follow sections; an explanation of the topic followed by some tips and a small project which will consolidate what you’ve just learnt.

Give each project a go and spend some time thinking about how you went. Each project is small, and should take you between two and four hours to complete.

You can try them over and over again – each time you will discover something new!

Start Art Quilting

Try to think of them as individual samples, a guide you made yourself - maybe store them in a folder with plastic sleeves, or pin your favourites to your design wall. They will be your references for future art quilts!

Don’t try to find a use for them - if you want to make mug rugs you’ll probably end up dissapointed and art quilts are usually not du-rable enough to stand up to being used. You can vary the size if you need to suit your fabrics or your space - if you must find a practi-cal use for them, consider giving them as small gifts or cards.

Start Art Quilting

Soldier On, 180 x 100cm, 2013

Note on the exercises:They are just that: exercises. Training for the big event.

Not the masterpiece itself.

Each one should help you explore new ideas, and give you a safe space to try new things and push your comfort zone.

I’m a multi-award winning Australian Textile Artist.

I have three great kids - Ethan, Rosie and Linc - and a very supportive hus-band, who just happens to be in the Navy. We move around a lot and have seen lots of Australia, and I have gotten very good at setting up my studio wherever we have space!

I like lots of different styles, and I’ve tried out a whole heap of tech-niques on my path to find what works for me.

My quilts are usually representational, and I love to focus on the peo-ple and places around me.

Age:

Country:

Years Quilting:

Kids:

Sponsor:

Favourite Technique:

Favourite Colour:

A bit about me...

Stats

30 (1984)

Australia

Sewing since 4, art quilting since 2012

Ethan, Rosie and Lincoln.

Bernina

Free motion quilting

Gold

Start Art Quilting - About Me

What is an art quilt??? You’ve seen them at shows, online and if you’re here, it’s because you love them as much as I do.

Art Quilts are powerful; they are ‘art’ but they draw on the strong feminine tradition of creat-

ing with needle and thread.

Some art quilts have a message, some are created to explore fabric and it’s possibilities, but all art quilts are unique.

Most exhibitions and competitions will define a quilt as fabric which has been layered and stitched.

Some will specify that your work must have three layers (top, batting and backing), but all will require stitches to be used as one of the main components.

Start Art Quilting

Cup Moth, 40 x 40cm, 2014

What types of quilts are ‘art’ quilts?There are lots of different types of art quilts. Some look quite traditional, and draw on old techniques such as whole cloth quilting. Oth-ers will be abstract and less structured, or use applique to create the image.

Your personal preference and style will determine the type of quilts you create.

This set of exercises will help you identify this style and explore its possibilities.

There is no right or wrong way to quilt – the quilt police are not welcome here!

If you enjoy your quilting and are happy with the end result then the quilt is successful!

Where do I find art quilts?

Generally, art quilts will not have a domestic purpose like a bed or lap quilt would. If you’re happy putting coffee mugs on your ‘art quilt table runner’ then there is a fair chance that you’ve missed the point. Art quilts are hung or displayed for an audience to view, in the same way as any other form of art.

You can find art quilts at your local quilt show, in mainstream Art Galleries, Craft Galleries, public spaces and in corporate buildings.

Start Art Quilting

Finding inspirationIt can be difficult to know where to start! We are surrounded by sources of inspiration, and it can be hard to find a subject which strikes you more strongly than most.

My number one tip would be to keep it simple and start close to home.

You already know the things you like the most – perhaps you love flowers; you pick flowered bedsheets, teatowels, you have flowery dresses and you pick flowery birthday cards. You take photos of flowers and you enjoy seeing them around you.

You may prefer birds, or travelling, or a particular colour (I’m a big fan of all things red). You may be like me and somewhat obsessed with your kids or grandchildren, or you may prefer more abstract designs.

The important thing is to choose what you like the most, not what you think you should choose to please others – if you don’t love the images and colours you won’t be as motivated to keep working!

Don’t forget to go back and reassess where your inspiration is coming from every now and again - finding sources of inspiration is an ongoing part of making art, and once you start looking for images with design potential you’ll never look at the world the same way again!

Start Art Quilting - Inspiration

Good places to start looking:• Your home and garden - try looking at familiar things differently, and taking notice of ordinary things. Try look-ing around at different times of day, early morning, midday, and work out how light and shadows change the way things appear.

• Take notice of adverts you like – graphic design has come a long way in recent years and there are some very good examples of how to put colours and images together out there now. Which ones grab your attention?

• Contemporary photography has a lot to offer as well – photos now are really well com-posed, and there is a focus on balancing colours and providing contrast without making images overwhelming.

• Pinterest – I love Pinterest! If you’re just starting out, try searching for Art Quilts or Textile Art, and make a board of your own to collect your favourites. I have a few boards myself, and I’m a bit of a Pinterest magpie, the trick is to not be too picky, even if it’s not your normal style, if you like it, repin it. You can find my boards here: http://www.pinterest.com/lucyc84/

“try looking at familiar things differently”

Start Art Quilting - Inspiration

Inspiration Project: This quick exercise will get you thinking outside your box and at the end of the week you will have a great set of starting points for your quilts.

For one week, take a quick photo with your phone of anything you see that you find interesting in some way. Any camera will do for this exercise.

The pictures can be of anything at all, even the shadows from the benches at the bus stop, the leaves on the tree in the park, the ants walking in line on the footpath – if you like it, take a photo!

Some guidelines:

• take some close up photos. Zoom in on everything, capture the grain of the wood your table is made of, the texture of your skin on the back of your hands, or the details of the leaves.

• take some long distance photos. Take pictures of natural and manmade landscapes, take a picture of the street where you live, or take a range of photos of cloud formations.

• take photos of patterns. repeated lines make up much of our visual landscape, see how many different patterns you can find. Even the keys on your keyboard are a pattern.

• take photos of living things. Kids, bugs, selfies, your dog/cat/budgie.

Don’t dwell on it during the week, but at the end look back and see if you can identify some patterns in the photos.

Have your visual journal next to you or (use the table on the next page) while you look at the pictures - make some columns for natural, manmade, closeup, long distance, plants, creatures, people, patterns, abstract. After you’ve gone through your photos, identify the topics which caught your eye the most. Then go back and think about which was your favourite photo - does this fit into your favourite topic?

Some things to think about: Do you take colourful photos or more subdued ones? Do you like strong patterns or do you prefer flowing lines?Did you take lots of photos in one colour? Are you more concerned with clarity or composition?

By the end of this week, you should have a clear picture of what you like and the types of images you find inspirational.

Start Art Quilting - Inspiration

natural man-made

close-up long-dis-tance

plants creatures people patterns abstract other

16 8 22 7 12 13 32 9 7 4

Use this table to help you sort through and categorize your photos. I have tallied the photos I took at the top of the table - it’s pretty easy to see what I enjoy making images of - lots of people and close-up, with less patterns/abstract or manmade pictures.

Start Art Quilting - Inspiration

So now we know what an art quilt is, and we have some ideas for inspiration, next we need to find a place to start...

Now that we have an idea of where to find inspiration, we’re going to start working on getting your brains to think outside of the box.

We’ll do this by working with your existing stash of fabric. You will rediscover your stash’s best treasures; this is the perfect time to go through your stash. You bought the pieces in the first place because you really loved them, and the remenants remind you of past projects.

It’s good to keep in mind that art quilting doesn’t need to be expensive – you already have lots of pieces you can use without needing everything to match. Working with art quilts also gives you the opportunity to use non-traditional fabrics – you probably won’t wash or use the quilt so it doesn’t matter if the fabric is delicate or would shrink in the wash.

Fabric for your quilts can come from anywhere:• your stash of patchwork fabric;• old clothes/business shirts/ties/coats/evening gowns. Keep in mind that if it has a lot of stretch it may be harder to work with;• charity shops - excellent sources of denim;• speciality dress fabric shops; and• don’t forget to invest in some quality wadding (I use 100% cotton in the thinnest and least stretchy version I can find) and some

basting spray.

For this project, don’t buy any new fabric just yet, dig out your stash of fabric and we’ll work through what you have.

I’m going to make this project as a 6 inch square quilt - this is enough space to play with the fabrics without going overboard.

Start Art Quilting - Project 1

Project 1: Stash Lines Get to know your stash and start thinking about using fabric in new ways.

• Find one piece you have always loved and never found a use for. • Keeping that piece close by, look through your stash until you have two or three other fabrics which go well with the first one.

• Don’t go for the easy option! It took me two seconds flat to find a ‘matching combo’ which would go beautifully and make a fan-tastic patchwork quilt. But that’s not the point!!!

• Discard your first/easy option, and look for two or three other fabrics which also go with the first piece. This time, have a good look through your stash, turn the fabrics over and pull out possible ones even if you don’t like them. Here, I picked three fabrics I normally avoid. But they work well when they’re all together, it’s a bit more complex than the first set and will be more interesting to look at once it’s finished.

• Next, cut yourself a square of white fabric for the backing. I chose to use 7 inch squares, they’ll leave me with a finished piece which is about 6 inches (after quilting and facing). Then pick one of the stash fabrics for the ‘base’ and cut a 7 inch square.

• You’ll also need to cut pieces of the other stash fabrics 10 inches by 3 inches.

Always loved this piece! Cut and ironed project pieces.My more complex final choice.My ‘easy’ option.

Start Art Quilting - Project 1

• Here’s the fun bit – use those strips and P-L-A-Y! Cut them up. Put them down, move them around and take them off again (start-ing to sound a bit hokey-pokey around here…)

• DO NOT STOP AT YOUR FIRST DESIGN! • Also, try not to over think it. It’s not a masterpiece (well, not yet anyway). If you want to cut them up again, then get to it!

‘Minimal’ first design. Woven design - interesting but tricky to sew.

Layered design - purples at the front - maybe abit dark?

My final layout - I have a thing for straight lines

Cityscape!Another woven version - more controlled.

Start Art Quilting - Project 1

• Once you’ve picked which way to go, then it’s time to sandwich with the white backing square and a 7in square of cotton wadding. I didn’t secure the pieces before I sandwiched, I just moved the top carefully onto the wadding and pinned through all the layers.

• Pick your thread – steer clear of just finding a matching colour, try to find something that blends harmoniously with the fabrics you picked, but adds another layer to the quilt. I picked a grey/silver colour, it stands out against the dark fabrics, and brings out the blue tones in the purple and black fabrics.

• The trick is finding something that doesn’t overpower the fabrics – too different and you’ll lose the message.

• Start quilting! I’ve used a walking foot here, but use whichever method you prefer – hand quilting, free motion or walking foot.• Since we’re mostly playing with colours here stick to simple quilting – stick to lines, either curvy or straight (or both!). Make

the quilting denser in some sections – here I’ve sewn more lines into the green pattern sections.

Pinned and good to go!

Go back and ‘fill in’ the quilting.

Quilt evenly across the quilt and secure the big bits first.

Try out at least 5 threads.

Start Art Quilting - Project 1

I’ve used a pretty simple facing, you could do the same, bind it traditionally, or zigzag the edges. I go over a few methods of finishing quilts professionally in the next guide.

The colours in this quilt work very well together, even though they looked a bit strong to start with - the quilt has a few layers of interest from the different patterns, and I love the un-secured edges.

We’ve done a great job of repurposing fabric scraps, and pushed our comfort zones by going in unplanned!

And voila! One quilt, ready to bind or finish whichever way you want!

Things to think about:

• Which bits do you like in your quilt?

• What would you change?

• Which fabric stands out most when you first look at the quilt?

• Try it again with different fabric - different colours, use wool or some silk, see if your results are differ-ent.

Start Art Quilting - Project 1

Congratulations! You’re on the road to becoming an art quilter! You’ve started your training and got your brain thinking about new techniques and ideas. You’ve worked out how to identify what you like and in my next guide, we will look at how to translate what you like into an art quilt. You’ve also got some places to look for inspiration, and in the next guide, we’ll develop some ways to translate these ideas into beautiful designs.

With your stash project, you pushed yourself to rethink your design decisions. You questioned if you had the best combination pos-sible and you came up with a simple way to tie it all together. You also got to use up some of those beautiful fabrics you’ve had but never found a use for!

Where ever you are in your journey, there is more to learn and more to explore - in the next guide, we’ll cover setting up your space and making time to sew (it’s not as difficult as you think!)

With a few simple additions to your design toolbox, such as colour theories and composition tips, you can grow your skillbase and gain confidence in putting together your images for your quilts. We will go over these in the next guide, and we will put them into practice in the next three projects.

I love working with different types of fabric, and although we’ve scratched the surface of what is possible here, in the next guide we will start to use a variety of types - wool, silk, linen, organza - I’ll go over their properties and some tips for using them in your projects.

Start Art Quilting

Where to see more of my work:I have a blog, I regularly post about what I’m up to and you can see lots of my work in progress!

lucycarrolltextiles.com

I’m also on Facebook,

www.facebook.com/LucyCarrollTextiles

And on Pinterest,

www.pinterest.com/lucyc84

Work Ready, 80 x 115cm, 2014

Art Quilt GuidesComing soon - Art Quilting - the Next Step. You’ve taken the first step in Start Art Quilting - now learn how to enhance your skills through simple design tricks, and explore ways of using non-typical fabrics in your quilts!

Start Art Quilting

Start Art QuiltingLucy Carroll