Perhaps the most fun part of quilt making is developing pleasing quilt designs. There are many printed or printable quilt patterns designed by seasoned quilt makers but many quilters enjoy designing their own.
Many factors go into developing quilt designs and it’s probably the endless number of factors that can be incorporated into a quilt that makes each one unique, even when a mass-produced pattern is being used.
Some of the more traditional quilt designs have been in use for hundreds of years. Traditionalists tend to stick with these time-honored designs although they may use updated colors and modern fabrics to do so.
Each of those quilt designs of old, though, was once a fresh, new design created by an innovative quilt maker who came up with a new idea. The new idea may have been inspired by materials available or perhaps the circumstances for which the quilt was made. It’s also quite likely many a new quilt design was created for simply the sake of relieving monotony.
Many quilt designs, especially those sewn into quilts that tell stories, are unique and impossible to duplicate. Quilts frequently depict a family tree or history or the placement of the heavenly bodies at an important moment, such as at the birth of a child or to commemorate a marriage.
Unique and individual quilt designs often start as diagrams on paper, with swatches of fabric pinned on the paper template to determine placement of color or fabric pattern. Making a quilt is a time-consuming task and starting such an endeavor with a plan in mind is more likely to result in a rewarding project than simply stitching pieces together with no direction.
Today’s computer-savvy quilt makers enjoy the design capabilities of some software programs and rely on them when creating new and distinctive quilt designs. With simply the touch of a key or the click of a mouse, every aspect of the quilt can be adjusted to produce the most pleasing final design, long before the need to rip a seam or re-piece a block is encountered.
