These designs are from 2014-2015 as I joined the Quilt Design a Day (QDAD) Facebook Group. I designed and posted every day for a year. In the process, I learned to love the Graphic app on iPad.
Daily inspiration photo and design added to Medallion Quilt.
Qdad - June 28 to July 4th
We start off the week with one of the funniest photo's I've ever seen of a dog in hats - what a wonderful sense of humor Jenn Rodriquez possesses! The whole week is a varied collection of unusual and inspiring photo's. Thanks Jenn!
First up is the dog with hats....
Wouldn't one just love to know the story behind this photo??? lol
Kids Art - just love to involve kids in any kind of art - this is really imagination until they must write or keyboard. I let my design be childish too....
What one would I choose to make this week? I love the simpleness of Wrapped and the gorgeous green of Green Bottles.
Qdad - June 21 to June 27
This weeks photo's took us to Europe and back to everyday items. Thank you to Nina Martin for interesting intriging Inspirational Photo's! First up is Helsinki's Train Station photo combo, part shape and part colorful art instillation. I enjoyed playing with the art face and colors, and yes if you look closely the "S" is a block - can you find it x 8?
Embroidery floss packets were a great idea for an inspirational design. This was alot of fun to play with. I started with the wrapped cardboard shape then added the different colors. Love those dots! I also posted it in a yellow background in the FB comments. It's a favorite of the week and I think would be quick to make and interesting to quilt - pebbles in dots?
Back to Helsinki for a literal interpitation. Why I added stitched fish I have no clue? lol
This is a photo of Sewer Covers - in a dumpster. Who'd have thought....I love it! The interaction of the lines gives depth and movement. Maybe a asymmetrical placement would be more intriging. One of my favorites of the week but I think it would not be easy to construct.
My colors just look different here compared to the photo. I may have lightened the design ones -though the darker hues could be truer for Denmark. This quick design is only a start for a harbor scene.
Again, thank you Nina Martin for the black and white and the week's inspirational photos.
Qdad - June 14 to June 20
Love, love, love the everyday inspiration photo's by Karen Foster this week. From mopeds to ice cream cones and bottles - all stimulate ideas for designing modern quilts. First up is a bee on a flower in the grass. Simple and fun to design around. I think the bee wings would be awesome in an irridescent tulle. And if I were to make this one - improv piecing I would add in the flower.
Colorful mopeds - rich in shapes and the wheels with locks spoke to me. These basic shapes would be so fun for lots of modern straight stiching with ??? in the circles.
This is one of my favorites for the week. So soft, maybe in silk or tulle overlays and great opportunities for stitch designs. Oh yes this has possibilities!
Fast and colorful design - maybe a little childish. I love the photo and immediately thought of Gloria Loughman's Five Layer class from a couple years ago..
I'd rather eat this than design or sew it. Love the rich brown colors.
I just want to eat one - love this photo. The colors are so intense - and great designs posted to the Qdad FB page. I especially like Kimie Tanner's and Pat VanBurkleo's.PS - do my cherries look like olives? lol
And with a flourish of fantistic everyday photo's this one's a great finish. Something to be seen everyday at grocers but look at the design possibilities. A quick 20-30 minutes doesn't do it justice. One day I'll play more with this design and place the red bottle caps in varying positions in the circles to indicate movement.
So.... Mopeds, Wedding Bouquet, and Cherries are my favorites for the week. Again a big THANKS to Karen Foster for the uncommonly common colorful Inspiration Photo's this week.
Qdad - June 7 to June 13
The traditional and whimsical photo inspirations by Jerriann Massey this week were fun to use as a design basis. One especially was a challenge (June 12 Deadwood) that I'm still thinking of reworking. The first one was just plain fun - a perfect photo for a Modern style quilt. I used the sideboards and fan for inspiration and just love, the turquoise color shades! Thank you Jerriann, for the inspirational photos!
The monochromatic browns in Luray Caverns were a challenge. But even more challenging was the freeform organic shapes. My iDraw skills are not up to par for a 20 minute curvy design. This is a good photo for OMG quilts - Organic Modern Graphic quilts on Facebook by Helen Godden. It's focus is appliqué organic shapes.
How did I not use the yellow - my favorite color? This photo has so many design elements - one could use it for the week!
This was the most challenging photo of the week for me. I love the black and white awnings, the curved window top, and the sign shape. The more I tried to use the curved b/w shape, the more frustrated I got because I couldn't get what was in my mind on paper. I will study the bezier curves.
Which element to choose to base a design? Is that how most do it? I really liked the bridge work and again Jerriann pulled the best colors out for a modern quilt.
Qdad - May 31 to June 6
Beautiful architectural photos by Alyce Blyth provided many colorful elements for designs this week. I enjoyed the insight into the daily life in Japan. After spending 5 weeks in Germany and traveling to other countries, I appreciate each country's unique culture - each preserving their history.
First up is Harajuku Street - the perspective and colorful signs influenced my design. I really like the illusion of depth created by the different sizing.
The beautiful embroidered silk kimono, such intricate work. Wish I was so fast to incorporate all the stitching styles into a design but 15 to 20 minutes worked out this one. Actually it would be fun to come back to this photo and use each stitch as applique block design.
Known for beautiful peaceful gardens this one is based on my love of leaves. It would be so much fun to quilt varying leaf stitches on this design.
Osaka - this photo has great architectural blocks of color perfect for a modern style quilt. I just love the traffic light floating across mid-top!
Toyko - a sidewalk garden portrayed in hexies.This would be so fun to make with the hexies that just sit on top of the fabric quilted 3 D style.
A Train Bridge - was this a challenge or what! I really appreciate this photo for its linear angle and V lines. Really made me pause and think of perspective, depth illusion, bridges, spans, thick and thin - just so much here. More could be done with overlays and stitching but this is a start....
Paper Cranes - the art of orgami - so beautifully made and blended. I took the angled folded shape in cross pattern then replicated the same colorful stitches in the background.
Thank you, Alyce for an insightful, thoughtful week of photo's!
Qdad - May 24 to May 30
This week was a change from inspiration photo's to inspirational music! Thanks again to Kim Andersson each day we were "sparked" for designs by colors and lyrics from popular songs. Every music genre from Kermit the Frog to Queen to (I must admit-) one I've never heard. Kim posted videos so we could refresh our memory of the tune. A big thanks to Kim!
First up is "What a Wonderful World" as sung by Louis Armstrong. Colors are vibrant and I went for organic flowing flowers.....
This design was also influenced by the OMG - Organic Modern Graphic Quilts on Facebook. Helen Godden and Michelle Pearson posting beautiful quilting on organic applique shapes.
I love the blue orange color shades and tints in this "Don't Stop Me Now"". Its a more traditional design but works subtly with the lyrics.
Dixie Chicks were always one of my favorite groups. This post on Facebook had some of the best designs of the week. Just how do you show a landslide - I could do several more designs off the lyrics and I think the colors Kim choose are perfect. I like the tree illusion with the down arrows created in between.
If I chose to make one from this week - which design would it be? I think "Don't You Want Me?" because the quilt stitchess could add another layer of meaning to the quilt.
Qdad - May 17 to May 23
A week of great photo sparks by Kim Andersson. Thank you Kim! Such interesting colors in the first colors - I would never associate these with buildings and signs but so it is. I think it made for an interesting dynamic for design elements
The Park Chairs were a great inspiration though some thought the design had Roman numerals. I can really feel sitting in a park square listening to a band play in this design. Love the two toned chairs that give movement and definition to each chair.
This one so much fun - first design posted was a lego man! I followed suit adding more connectors and illusion of depth. I think the quilting would enhance movement on this design.
Well, I just did not do this old typewriter justice! Such a classic with soft colors. I went for the keys showing direction, had planned words layered on top but just didn't plan out. I love the typography the other designers posted!
Love the bright blue pop of color but the orange and grey together just click for me. I stayed away from the pink thinking pink/grey just too much of a cliche.
Qdad - May 10 to 16 May
This week's "spark" photo's were by Yvonne Ellefson. Many gorgeous color combinations were present. 1st up Sunday a beach photo (no white Siesta Key sand here). I thought the cross-overs looked like lobster claws... maybe around a pool too. lol
A three color challenge! Fun to play with especially with the icons -
My favorite of the week - a shimmer! I really like the shimmer quilts by Jenny Bowker and played with a more modern style.
Dragon Kite I was pretty lost on... had an organic idea but could not execute it. So I would consider this just a very rough thumbnail for design.
Love the color and lines in the "gondola" spark photo. I was inspiried by book by Jessica Schick of Digi-tech Patterns.
And the final photo - a beautifully focused scuba blues. This is drawn to Fibonacci numbers narrowed. Design is flipped and rotated with endless possibilities.
QDAD - May 3 to May 10
Inspiring variation of photo's this past week by Elli Molstad. Great color blends to inspire and work with - Thank you Elli!
We started off the week with a button display - don't you just love the green shades here! I went for conceptual here and am loving this design. It would be fun to find just the right fabric for each button.
Just how do you make threads shine and show movement? That was my goal for this photo of thread highlights. I like the different colors here too. I learned to do curved text by watching tutorials on this one.
Again I love the bright jewel tone colors..
This is my favorite of the week tied with the buttons.
Love the yellows!
This photo was a challenge of flowers clusters of petals seem to work.
This week Michelle Wilkie led us on a world photo tour. All photo's were meaningful sites in famous cities. The colors ranged from neutral for the WWII Monument in D.C. to so colorful in Venice and Lisbon. I so totally love all the QDAD designs for the Venice and Lisbon inspiration photo. I truly hope many will be made. Thank you Michelle!
First up is San Francisco, this is on my to see list. With Quilt-Con in Pasadena next year, I am planning to extend my time in CA and see San Francisco and the Coastal Highway.
New York City is next, and actually I was so busy liking everyones great designs, I forgot to post one.
Venice has great colors and be sure to check out all the QDAD designs for this day on Facebook. They are great.
Lisbon also had great colors and fun designs. This one's my fave of the week.
Rome, I love the basic shape but how to show??? Maybe bias tape then how to put light in? this one needs more time...
Paris Museum - I do realize that what draws me most is conceptual design. To step into the design then add color, and texture. This one also would take more time but wouldn't they all - 15 to 30 minutes a day is a good start.
QDADs - April 19 to April 25
Quilt Design a Day returned to the beautiful colors of design-seeds.com. Though most design-seed colors are flower petal soft the first one reminded me of retro style.
I think this would make a good fabric design also.
Soft colors and petals inspired this design. Photo was an added touch :)
I was pretty much at a loss for this one, I think its the fresco color blocking me.
Love the yellows and flower shapes...
this photo worth further study, love the orchid...
This is my favorite of the week. The light colors and stitches - I may have to make this one when I get resettled and set-up.
Qdad's - April 12 - 18
Great photo's from Joy Cochran and very varied in color schemes to the point of being surprising!
Bright clear colors to get us started - gotta love this red, white and blue and especially the orange - just makes it pop
The next photo was a surprise in colors generated. Soft colors for a hard driving race track. Ovals for the track lap.
Maybe these are jazzy colors, not I really have colors in mind when I think jazz - more or tunes or rhythm. I do like the font style I drew....
Beautiful sunset colors, I love the way they reflect in the windows.
Goofy but so fun!
Love the owls too and especially this green!
Who would have thought so much brown with Cherry blossoms? This one stumped me for awhile so I just decided to study fibonacci's dequence layouts that we did in a workshop at SMQG.
Qdads Week 5 - 11 April
This weeks inspiration photo's by Andi Herman are from LACMA - Los Angeles County Museum of Art. They are so pop, so fresh, so modern and challenging inspirations. To start off we have Andy Warhol - Cold Shoulder...
To see the rest of the weeks Qdads - Read Here...
Modigliani was the next inspiration photo - logical shapes and negative space quilt stitch area.
Hands - very eclectic design
fun but to make? applique I think!
Thanks, Andi for the artful photo inspirations!
Medallion Week! From centerpiece to row by row we added on to the same Quilt Design a Day this past week. This was interesting to blend daily designs from different inspiration photo's into one quilt. Thanks Amy for the modern colors this week!
To start Day 1 with the center I used a "rail fence" background in the more neutral colors to show slight spin then added the bright yellow flags spinning. Many thanks to YouTube's Scarff Art Channel for the tutorial on Rotation placement for iDraw.
For the next row in Medallion Week click here...
Day 2 added a colorful border to center
Day 3 -
I thought the checkerboard corners would give an interesting background to the central medallion shape.
Day 4 -
I love the polka-dot coffee cup and saucer! So I added neutrals with a polka-dot!
Day 5 -
Added the colorful corners, aren't these two shades of orange just so retro!
Day 6 -
Love the green color, seems to anchor to previous borders.
Day 7 -
Adjusted some triangles, put the "piano keys" border to accent the "rail fence" in center piece. Added more color to corner blocks and more polka-dots. Ta-da...
I really like it. I plan to make it after I move, travel, and resettle!
Thanks again Amy Gunson for great inspiration photo's for Medallion Week!
Here's two more coloration's that I also like ..
This weeks photo's by Gillian Smith were just amazing and inspiring. Thank you Gillian!
The week started off with a Gallery photo -- not a drawing. Very different and challenging... I love the colors and transparencies, and the angles and shapes. The eye moves everywhere!
For the rest of the week inspiration photos click here.
This next photo is of the popular Chihuly glass display and a similar photo has been made into a quilt that won many awards. However my challenge was to make it modern - get the essence in a modern style. I love how it turned out.
This board game is so colorful! I especially liked the hues yellow and green.
Isn't this one fun! My design reminds me of listening to a transistor radio while at the beach.
This one was the hardest to design from. It is such an amazing photo - the old in the new, stone versus glass etc.
Love the subtle colors on this one. The iron grate above would be neat to add into the design somehow
Lovely blossoms! With my favorite style of improv piecing... just going around and around. I think the green stripe background really sets the blossoms.
Qdads - March 15 to 21
The photo's this week included a snake, peacock, and other interesting photos. Thank you Stacey Day! We started with a winter scene. I love the colorful tree!
To see the rest of the week click here.
March 16 brought Spring. I varied the checkered background to indicate the small branches of the dogwood tree.
March 17, St Patricks Day brought a very green snake. Taking elements of snake skin and facial components for the design, but it's not quite there yet. I will keep working on this one.
Such an interesting palette...not sure I did it justice. Again may come pact to play with this one.
Veggies, just love the purples and fushia! These colors are awesome, reminds me of the Home Economics posters from earlier years.
Isn't this crab photo amazing. I wanted to represent it with grey all around and the orange crab in center but just could not figure out a design. I really love the dark stripes in this one.
Peacock again and I found the rotate tool that will enable circles, wreaths...must play with it more...
March 8 - 14
The inspiration photos this week were from New Zealand by Adrianne Reid - beautiful settings in sometimes unusual vivid colors. Thank you Adrianne!
Great location photo for colors and shapes. I just read in the news this morning they had a cyclone so I hope this beautiful area was not damaged. The ladders reminded me of a flag pole so I just googled the NZ flag and doesn't it go perfectly.
For more photos and designs click here.
A tree lined street, this one challenged me until I thought what an opportunity to add the trees by sketch stitching...ah ha a new name for adding quilt stitch details without going into full threadpainting.
Zucchini fritters or even a loaded baked potato! This one would be fun to make using the rotary cutter to "shred" the fabric for toppings.
Oh la la, can this coloring be real? So intense...
I think this is my weakest design of the week. I just love the photo, the ivy, the colors, the perspective and most of all the sunlight reflection in the windows.
A sailboat photo, but design needs more development. Or maybe I was thinking of all the sailboat on water paintings I see here in Florida and did not reflect on true photo. It's a start....
Surprisingly this ended as my favorite design of the week. I started freehand clouds but went back to shapes with Negative space, slashes, areas for interesting textural quilting...It may go on my March to make list...
QDADs March 1 - 7
I just had so much fun baby shopping on Facetime for my first grandchild with her parents-to-be in Germany, and I live in Florida---love being connected! Back to Qdads this past week gorgeous inspiration in color and architectural elements by Jerriann Massey. Thank you Jerriann.
This peaceful view is I believe Jerriann's back yard - just give me a fishing pole, boat, hammock etc.
Building were the inspiration for the week and I loved them all. So many design elements to choose from and I learned (via YouTube tutorials) some new paths for idraw. The circle intersection is a combine then subtract of grouping. I really like this design.
I often visited the Library of Congress during out time in D.C. I believe this is the second floor.
These red and green colors just
pop! I like this color combination.
Oh Ah Oh Ah vintage car lines..Is this an Chevy Impala? It's a beauty,
another favorite design of the week.
I think this is the US Capitol and I missed labeled it but the one in Austin, TX is nearly identical.
So abstract, and for a quick design its intriging...a start for abstract townscape.
My favorites this week are March 2, 4, and 5th. Which one to bring to life?????
Qdads Feb 22 - 28
This weeks posts had many design elements within the photo's. Thanks, Nurdan!
Love this photo....
See the rest of the week's photo designs here.
I like the shadow effect...
ooooh, eerie design, but I like it!
cool background, it moves....
I like the blended color effect... The stitching would define the design too.
I was thinking of the "iquilt" winner at QuiltCon. This is X to represent the crochet stitch.
Qdads Feb 15 - 21
Variety and design challenges this week, thanks Alyson!
One of my February favorites, and after seeing the curved bias at QuiltCon, it can be done!
love the red outlines...
Stitching on top layer...
wonderful earthy colors, nts learn texture
On second glance, I'd change the inside of bowl background...
Minimal due to hanging out at QuiltCon...
Abstract columns, very abstract
Qdads Feb 8 - 14
Colors varied from bright to close tints challenges this week....Thanks, Jennifer!
Wonky Squares
Blue and yellows are a favorite of mine
Pretty Purples and Blues, one of this months favorites. The improv piecing would be fun!
Inserting the wrought iron was a learning experience...
Many elements to play with...
Embracing my literal self...lol
a big smooch for Valentines day...
February 1 - 7
Where does time go? I've been keeping up daily with Quilt Design a Day just not getting them posted. Thanks, Juliette!February 1st is one of my favorites....threads, every quilters dream supply. I tried to angle the perspective as one would see the threads.
Great and colorful inspiration photos followed the rest of the week.
Love the warm, subdued autumn colors
Color flow design here. This one has Feb bring to life possibilities.
I'd like these colors in my stash too!
Snowflake computerized stitching idea...
Makes me realize how much more I need to learn about idraw
Abstract for me and I like the layers
January 25 - 31
This week inspiration photo's from "sparker" Joanna Lemon have been most amazingly unusual. Thank you Joanna! They were taken with a plastic camera using double/triple exposure or more. The colors pulled from the photos were wonderful blenders and the last day were actually complementary colors. I learned to look at photo's differently, more deeply this week. My favorite one this week? I haven't decided yet. I like the last four best...still want to play more with the color waves on January 29 As Light Turns and will write more about it tomorrow.
Qdads January 18 - 24
Qdad designs this week included some from Italy, thanks, Jenn. My favorites are the fish design or turtle. I think the turtle pictured is just the start of a design...
Qdads January 10 - 17
Quilt Design a Day this week offered variety in color and shapes. Thanks, Ailish!For a favorite... I do think the rug sampler is a piecing delight, the duck chicks are cuties, and circle in a circle would entice some interesting stitching.
Qdads January 1 - 10
For a goal this year I'm going to post my Qdad (Quilt Design A Day) Facebook designs every week. Then I'll chose a monthly design to actually make! So let's get started... Thank you for the great photo's this week, Karen!
My favorite design this week is between the Capitola beach/town scene and the Buttons. (I can just see that one bumpy button made with Tyvek.) I think the Jars of Trim maybe, but that would be a big piecing adventure. Sea Nettles Jellyfish would be fun with all the tentacle stitching. Sun Dial Bridge is impossible, what was I thinking?
I'm going to post weekly then choose one a month to make! Yep, that's my goal and I'm sticking to it!
