A couple of weeks ago, I introduced you to the first of a series of flower applique posts I intend to do. I have designed many flower quilts and quilt blocks over the years, in fact, I'm probably known best for my flower blocks - a series that I developed in 2013, when I made one new flower every week for the entire year. So today I thought I'd share some of the process around my designs as I start on a new sunflower design for my next quilt.
Often I'm on the hunt for the perfect photo to make my design but more often than not, it isn't perfect and it isn't just one photo I need. When I find a flower I want to create, I take multiple shots at different angles and close ups of the leaves as well as the flower and stems. Then I use bits from several photos to start designing my composition.
Here are a few recent photos of sunflowers I took as I get ready to design this new quilt.
After collecting a lot of photos, I use GIMP (open source software) to cut bits of photos and arrange them in a pleasing arrangement. Using layers - a term used in GIMP and other software - I can move and resize each of the sections individually to come up with a pleasing result.
I've created a short video showing basic actions that I use....
It looks easy however I know sometimes this can be quite a challenge especially for those who are not familiar with such software, that's why I have an online workshop to help..... Free Software for Quilters
You can do this sort of thing with any photos and pictures you have to create your own unique quilt design. For me, I need to make a few more adjustments before I move on with the next step of the design phase. More about that next week!
For today I'm going to end by showing you the quilt designs I've already made using sunflowers as the focus. There is definitely something about sunflowers that catches the eye - which is your favorite?
