planning a Wall Quilt
I would love to hang a quilt in my living room that adds warmth and artistry to our space. But, designing a quilt for this task is intimidating! Where to even begin? These are some questions that my partner and I have considered together along the way.
Environment
Before I can begin to imagine a quilt that would hang as artwork in a space, I need to be familiar with the space itself. What does the living room look like, feel like? Is it bright and well lit or a little dark? What is the overall vibe, for example: cozy, chic, modern, Scandinavian? What color is the wall?
We are redecorating, so knowing the environment has been a long process. We want to create a cozy, colorful and eclectic vibe. Our living room gets lots of light, so a dark color on the wall makes it more cozy. A colorful lamp and the dining room wallpaper define the color palette further.
It is important to consider all of the surrounding furnishings with which the quilt needs to harmonize. For example, the sofa, coffee table, rug, etc. plus the colors and styles of the adjoining room if applicable.
Style
As a quilter you know that quilts are as diverse as art itself. However, if you are planning a quilt with a partner, they may not be quite so aware of the possibilities. At my Inspiration/Quilts page my finished quilts are divided into categories such as improv, angled, simple, curves, etc. You might find that you and/or your partner gravitate toward a certain style category when you imagine your new wall quilt. Narrowing down your style is a great first step! Do you want a wild, abstract energy? A modern minimalist simplicity? Soft curves or flashy angles?
Aart and I browsed through lots and lots of finished quilt photographs together and bookmarked the ones that appealed to him. In this way, I discovered that he likes improv quilts, but not quilts with lots of negative space. He is also drawn to repeating block quilts with interesting use of color or value. We have decided that a repeating block quilt, with angles rather than curves, is probably the right style for our space. In fact, we are leaning toward an art deco vibe.
Color
As soon as I get some ideas about patchwork style and shapes, I want to start talking and thinking in color. The use of colors is everything to me. Color can transform a simple patchwork motif into something amazing, especially if paired with artistic use of value. Try using a color library, like the color swatches from my book, to develop your color scheme in the planning phase. Then select one or two inspiration prints and/or solids to anchor the color scheme of your quilt.
Aart and I started our color journey for our new living room with a collage from my Mood Berries blog post. Next I broadened the palette by developing it with my color swatches. When we bought the wall paper for the adjoining dining room/kitchen and painted our walls, that finalized our colors. The remaining question is which colors will be represented in the quilt itself? This week we are trying to make a decision on the living room rug, which will inform my choice of colors of the wall quilt.
Format + Finishing
Ok, so you have finalized your patchwork style and colors. You have chosen some fabrics, yay! Before you can actually get started, you will want to consider a few practical details. How large would you like the finished work to be? Will it be best as a square, a rectangle or some untraditional shape? Little finishing details like curved corners can make a big difference with something that will be hung. Some modern quilters like to do an invisible binding for wall quilts, instead of traditional binding. Conversely, you might want to plan a border finish or binding color to serve as a frame to your wall quilt.
Also think about how it will be hung. There are plenty of tutorials for hanging quilts. Another alternative is not to finish it as a traditional quilt (with a quilt back), but to instead wrap the finished piece around a canvas of the ideal size (see my tutorial). This works best with smaller works.
I am so touched by my partner’s excitement for this project. How affirming that he wants to hang my art in our home. When I feel intimidated about making these decisions, I try to remember that there are many iterations that would be lovely on our wall. What I make doesn’t have to be perfect and it doesn’t’ have to be forever. I am thankful for this opportunity to be creative and expressive in this way!
