Inspiration - The Design Process

So how do designers take their inspiration to final product?

I'm sure everyone's process is a little bit

different...but I will share mine with you.

First I build around a theme.

The quilt in process that I have been sharing with you titled.......Meet Me Under The Mistletoe

started with of course....Christmas. 

I then fine tuned it to a few things:

Mistletoe, ribbons and hearts.

From there I started sketching.

I sketch, I play with fabric, I throw that sketch out, I start again....

over and over again.

Until finally I come up with something I am happy with.

This doesn't mean there still won't be changes.

I do not work with EQ6. If only I knew how!!

Mine all happens organically.

And then, I commission fabric after fabric, sometimes
 making several templates with several different colors.

I adjust

I readjust...

and I readjust.

Until I finally have a finished product.

A quilt that has been pieced, appliqued, quilted and
 bound.

All the while I am writing the instructions to share with
 you my beloved customers.

I then completely make another quilt from the instructions I have made, correcting any errors.

I then send it to my darling "Marla" who is my angel!! No
other word for her!

You all need a "Marla" in your life.

She then makes the quilt and catches any of my errors
 and sends them to me.

If there is time I too like to run a class on it, to make sure
 everyone knows what I am saying.

Then the final quilt goes to the photographer.

And those pictures and instructions to the printer.

From beginning of thought process to final result will
 take hundreds of hours.

This my dear friends is why us designers are such 
 sticklers about copyright.

It costs us not only hundreds of hours, but hundreds o
 dollars to get a pattern off the ground right.

And it is how most of us make our living.

So a big huge yummy "Thank you" to all of you who do
respect the copyright issue!

We love you!!

(P.S. The picture above is of the pieces I am working on
 for the final border of.

"Meet Me Under the Mistletoe"

They may be too big...

They will probably have to be minimized...

we will see...

I know all of you at the shows whom I have shown this 

"quilt in progress"

are dying to get your hands on the pattern...

I'm working on it girls....really I am!

Quilting Hugs to all of you quilters out there busily
 working away today!

Johna'Lee