The Making of an Art Quilt

I’m really excited with my new project, an art quilt based on a painting I finished last April, Day/Night Blooms, 12 x 12″ acrylic on board. This is actually the first time I’ve ever made a painting using colors from a palette of fabric swatches! I snipped and taped these beautiful swatch colors on a page as the start for a color combination I found inspiring. That is my usual process when designing quilts, and why not try it for a new painting plan? Color is color.

rough line drawing for art quilt

Here is the very rough line drawing, enlarged to be the plan for a 15 x 15″ art quilt. It’s resting on the base layer of fabric sewn into three shapes of color. The drawing process simplifies the original painting into the most basic, essential shapes. These fabric shapes will do the work of introducing interesting textures and patterns that a painting’s brushwork normally creates. I need to keep this line pattern simple as I can, it’s already a complex painting image!

base layer fabrics and paper template, seen in left image

I cut out paper templates for each shape to compose the base layer of fabric which will be the background of the abstract floral composition.

My line drawing pattern with coloring helps me see the basic groupings of shapes to be cut from fabric. I keep a photo of the actual painting handy for reference.

Now comes the process of cutting out fabric pieces from the shapes seen in my line drawing pattern. I keep a photo of the painting source handy to use as a color guide.

I put a small dab of fabric glue on the cut fabric pieces once I’m happy with their placement. When I’m finished getting all the pieces in place I’ll stitch them down with my good old Necchi machine, probably a zigzag stitch around all the edges.

Challenge for me, can I make the art quilt look as interesting as the original painting, considering it has fewer shapes and less blending of colors? Hoping so.

Stay tuned for the final finished art quilt!

Tags: abstract painting, art quilt, florals