Welcome to All Quilts with Mary Walter!
Exploring Elements of Quilt Design: Contrast
There are many ways to approach designing a quilt successfully. Quilters often use familiar images or favorite themes as a tool to begin their quilt design.
I admit, I am easily captivated by the quilts I get to see, and when a quilt captures my eye it makes me want to dig deeper. I ask myself, what is really attracting and holding my attention? For example, I was instantly charmed by this new quilt by Ruth McDowell.
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| "Blue Moon Chicken" by Ruth McDowell |
Let's consider some of the reasons why Ruth's quilt demands a closer look, and focus on contrast as a design element. Contrast in quilts can be achieved by using color, texture, pattern and stitching. In this quilt, fabrics were chosen using color and value to visually set apart the shape of the chicken using lighter shades of blue against a darker background.
Looking more closely within the chicken, Ruth chose fabrics with more subtle value and patterns to further define the body parts, successfully capturing the posture and character of her chicken. The chicken is so believable that it takes a moment to realize that it's blue!
Behind the chicken is a darker collection of fabrics with a less defined and larger scale. These fabrics hint at an architectural element - maybe a fence or chicken coop doorway set against a colorful field, enhancing the slightly more realistic view of the chicken.
Essentially, we are given abundant visual information through Ruth's sophisticated use of fabrics that provide contrast through color and texture.
If you have been experimenting with contrast or are inspired to try this design technique in your next quilt, please share your thoughts! If you would like to see more of Ruth McDowell's quilts, be sure to visit her website at www.ruthbmcdowell.com.
Happy Quilting!
Mary
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