Sketching

As you know I participated in the Sketchbook Project with the Art House Coop in Brooklyn.  I loved the process of sketching, of thinking through the process of how to get the images in my head onto paper and hopefully later onto fabric.  I see the sketching/doodling process as a way to train my brain and hands to do what I want them to do when I get to the machine.  I love this process so much that sketching/doodling is part of  my lecture:  “And Now What?!”

I’ve been watching how other quilters sketch and the impact it has with their quilting process.  It’s amazing.  A lot of quilters have started doing Zentangles.  After the sketchbook project I wanted to keep up the sketching exercise.  So here’s the first of what will be an ongoing project of working through the process of filling the space.

Linda M. Poole used this kind of exercise as she created her fabric line “Seahorses” .  I can see how useful this process would be in designing quilts, fabric, and keeping the mind sharp.

I also get inspiration from fabrics.  We’ve been getting new batiks in the shop where I work/teach that jog the mind toward fun, effective quilting patterns.  Like this red purple on the right.

And these:

By sketching or doodling I can figure out the path for stitching these out and incorporate them into a quilt.