Update … we are now offering a giveaway – so please leave a comment below to be in the running to win.
I am very excited to be kicking off the Blog tour for the C+T book Quilts Made Modern: 10 Projects, Keys for Success with Color & Design, From the FunQuilts Studio
What is the process of designing a quilt?
There are generally two ways that we design quilts. The first is to just sketch ideas, often with a sketchbook and a pen while we’re waiting somewhere. Many, if not most, of our designs start in the waiting room of doctors’ offices, on the bleachers waiting for our daughter’s swim team practice to end or on a plane somewhere. Sometimes we’ve seen something that has inspired the form but often it’s just intuitive. In this case, we don’t have any fabrics in mind, we’re just looking at forms. Once we have the form and proportions down, we look at fabrics.
The other method is the inverse. We start with a color or fabric or collection of fabrics that we love and we think about what form would show that fabric or group of fabrics to their best advantage. We both have to like it before it’s a go.
Some people also find it surprising that we select the backing, the binding and often the quilting pattern before we even prewash the fabrics. We’re very methodical and organized in this way. Each project has a basket with all of the parts in it as well as a worksheet with all of the dimensions figured out. Most of our quilts become patterns either published by us or in books or magazines so we have to be able to document the fabrics, techniques and measurements we’ve used on every quilt. In some cases we’ve even decided where we’re going to photograph the quilts and how we’re going to style them before we’ve even sewn a stitch.
What are the processes of designing a collection of quilts that hang together to both teach skills and give variety and appeal to a broad aesthetic?
We’re very aware that we will only get to write so many books in our careers so we are very careful in how we organize the collection of quilts that we show. We don’t just want them to look good together. For Quilts Made Modern, we actually developed a spreadsheet to ensure that we had good variety in techniques, palettes, sizes and fabric styles. In our minds, each design has to audition to be in the book. If there are too many quilts that are made with the same technique, we have to eliminate some. We want to have quilts made with modern prints, hand dyes, solids, retro prints and tone-on-tones. Some projects we wanted to hand quilt and others needed to be machine quilted. We wanted hand appliqué as well as machine appliqué. It would be helpful to the reader, we reasoned, to have some wall hangings, others in a napping size and others as bed quilts. We really needed that spreadsheet to make sure that we had all of our bases covered. It’s also paramount that our quilts not look like anyone else’s.
We also keep a board in the studio with swatches of all of the fabrics that we’re considering and thumbnail printouts of each design so we can see how the fabrics are going to look together once they are in a book and we can see that the designs aren’t similar to one another.
We decide what we think will be the most inspiring group of quilts for our readers and if we have to work harder or longer to make that group of quilts, we just live with that. Small Change took eight months to hand quilt but we really felt that there needed to be a modern version of hand quilting in the book so we just scheduled time every day to work on it. We want every quilt in the collection to be integral to the whole look of the book so if there’s one we’re not 100% enthusiastic about, we keep auditioning other designs until we come up with a group of designs, techniques and fabrics that looks really cohesive and strong.
In the back of my mind, I’m also thinking about the photoshoot and how the colors and forms are going to look in the book. Although Bill and I scout the locations for the photoshoots together, I’m in charge of styling and propping each of the shots. (Note: below you can see under the pen that we actually drew the shot that would become the cover of the book based on the scouting shots on the left).
We’ve had to eliminate fabrics that we love because we know that some fabrics aren’t very appealing when photographed at a distance and then shrunk down to fit on a page. Most of our readers will never see the original quilts so we have to make sure that they will look as good in print as they do in person.
Many people tell us that their copies of our second book, Modern Quilt Workshop, are tattered and dog-eared because they keep going back to it and rereading parts or looking at various designs. That’s what we are always thinking about: how can we put together a group of quilts and text that makes the reader want to go back to the book over and over again. We really hope that we’ve done that with Quilts Made Modern as well.
Thank you Bill and Weeks. Make sure to follow along on the rest of the tour… there are chances to win a copy – although we are not giving away a copy at this stop we are now offering a giveaway – please leave a comment here to be in the running – you have 48 hours to enter -We are extending the giveaway until the end of the week (friday or saturday depending where you are in the world). Now closed – the winner will be chosen at random and then contacted via email. The winner is number 111 – congrats Kate – you have been emailed.
- July 25 WhipUp.net
- July 26 Sew Mama Sew
- July 27 CraftGossip.com
- July 28 boltneighborhood.com
- July 29 Generation Q Magazine
- July 30 Connecting Threads
- July 31 Craft Nectar
{ 141 comments }
Thanks for the great interview with Weeks! It is wonderful to get some insight into how she and Bill create.
this will be a fun and informative week! thanks for being part of it.
Thank you for a glimpse into the thought process! I love these modern quilts and am thrilled for a new book about them.
Great glimpse into your work progress! Love Modern quilts!
I love this book. I picked it up in person at their studio and was able to see the quilts in person. Although the photography is fantastic, it will never do the quilts justice. They are great!
This is a fascinating account of all that has to happen to make such a wonderful book! I appreciate Weeks sharing the process with us. I look forward to making my quilts a bit more modern and less traditiional.
Especially interesting to hear about the decision-making on which quilts get into the book.
I preordered this book on Amazon. I love Modern Quilt Workshop and refer to in constantly. This interview was great. Maybe their next book should be about how to write a thoughtful quilt book. :) The next friend at guild who pitches me a book idea is getting a link to this post. Thank you!
I have been wanting to try quilting for awhile now, but haven’t been inspired by the right project. Maybe this book is the jumping off point I need!
Love the contemporary styles. I just got a brand new sewing machine and I can’t wait to start on my next quilt!
Have just started patch working and quilting and am looking to explore more modern designs – even if I don’t win this book it may have to be a purchase!
Ooh, I don’t enter many contests, and I’ve seen a lot of quilting books, but this looks like somethin’ special. I would very much like to win this book and dig into it!
Great interview…i am a beginner to quilting and it would me awsome to have a chance at this give~away
Good luck to everyone!
Seriously crossing my fingers and toes for a copy of this one! So inspiring!
I just finished going through the workshop book. I love the theory and practice created for these modern quilts. It is renewing my quilting desire!
Thanks for sharing the behind the scenes info. I have been a long time follower of Weeks and Bill.
So inspiring! I’m headed to the quilting convention in Long Beach this weekend for more inspiration!
I have both books and LOVE them! I have dream of the day that I can make any of them. I have started sewing my seams open and have been extremely happy with the outcome.
Thanks for this behind the scenes look. Very informative.
Great interview~ My Modern Quilt Workshop book is well loved, kind of like the Velveteen Rabbit.
Many thanks for the interview – really interesting to see the thought processes involved. All very inspirational – the quilts are fantastic!
I’m also gathering courage to try quilting.
So maybe this book would be my sign to actually get into it.
Thank you for the giveaway.
I want to try quilting out, my MIL does and I think its rubbing off on me!
Thanks for the insights into your creative processes!
Thank you for the interview, interesting to see how things take shape.
Happy days.
Bev.xoxo
Oh, I would love to win. I would love to win this. I would love to win this book!!!
I love knowing more about the process people use when designing! Thank you for the interview!
I love this book, both for the quilt designs and the wealth of information it contains. And Craft Nectar is the first blog I have ever followed; it is lovely to get a glimpse of the real, wonderfully well-rounded woman who is half of the creative duo. Thank you.
I absolutely adore the quilt on the cover. So simple yet stunning.
We have lots of quilts in our house, all but 1 made by my mum. And while I love them (and her, of course) they’re not quite as modern as I would choose – guess I need to get some books like this one and get serious about making quilts myself.
this is great information. thank you for sharing.
It is really quite fun to read about the design process. I really hope soon enough to start trying to design some quilts myself. Thanks for getting my mind going into overdrive.
Wow! I had no idea that they had a new book. This week is going to be fun.
I love this book already, but following the thought process that went into it is very interesting! I think it has made me a little braver about trying my own ideas out. Thanks for being part of the blog tour!
I’d love a copy, thank you.
Thank you for continuing to share such inspiring things with all of us!
What a wonderful inspiration for quilting! What a wonderful giveaway!
Thankyou for a really interesting interview, and for the chance to win a copy of the book.
I love classic fabrics (Liberty, Morris & Co.) and I think this book would be a fantastic way to use them in a modern way — man, I hope I win this book. . .
I adore quilts that look like my grandmother would make but I love the modern style of their designs. So original!
Thanks for sharing the process. I loved their first two books and my copy of Modern Quilt Workshop is a bit tattered and well loved. I have a goal to stitch one of every quilt in that book because it is such a great reference for different techniques.
I would love to win the new book.
fun fun thank yoU!
I love their quilts! I would love to win the book!!!
Aren’t these two just the best? I met Weeks at a quilt show and not only did she talk about quilts, she also talked about how wonderful & talented her husband is!! Their creative brains are amazing together!! thanks for the opportunity to win this book–I’d love to own it!
I love hearing about people’s creative processes! Thanks for sharing this one!
This looks like a great book! Thanks for the chance to win a copy!
Very informative! Thanks so much!
I just received a copy of Quilts Made Modern and am in love!!!!!!! I can’t wait to try some of the quilts in the book.
I love this sort of quilting and have been lusting after this book – thanks for the giveaway and I have my fingers crossed! :)
Thanks for the great interview with Weeks. It was fascinating to learn what the behind the scenes activities are that go into their very creative books.
This book looks very inspirational! I haven’t ever made a quilt, this book would help me get started! Thank you!
The tour is off to a great start. You can bet I will be hitting every blogstop on the way. I love that handquilted quilt and someday I want to make one for myself!
This book sounds good.
melodyj(at)gmail(dot)com
It was really fascinating to hear how you choose/develop projects for a book!
Love seeing the nuts and bolts of someone else’s creative process – that spreadsheet is such a great illustration of how organisation is just so vital to creativity. Thanks for the competition Kathreen!
I love the look of this book. There are so many quilting books but this looks informative and very contempary! I would just love to get my hands on this!!
Thanks for giving me the chance to win this!
Great interview! Thanks for the giveaway!
Have a nice day!
My son is getting married next year. Been looking for a more modern quilt pattern. The cover of this book really has me inspired. I didnt realized so much went in to making a book.
Bill and Weeks are like ducks, aren’t they? All serene on the surface, but furious activity underneath. The resulting quilts are just magical, they look so RIGHT, simple and perfect.
This book seems to be even more interesting than the one I already own….lovely to look at!
KarinM.
What a great book! I love the thought process that goes into making a quilt. So much more satisfying to make one I have designed myself than taken straight from a book
this book does sound very interesting. now I think I need it as a reference, I love a book that you keep going back to.
it was great to see how much thought goes into quilt designs. Very informative…thanks! :)
Your book planning is wonderful. I love the fact that you put in a variety of projects – and the fact that they are all so appealing and versatile.
What a lovely book!
I would love reading this book, I loved this post! I go right to digital designs and don’t sketch the idea on paper first-why don’t I do that?? I am going to rethink my process!
This book looks beautiful!
Wonderful newsletter….like your style and would love to have your new book. Am a fine artist turned quilter always looking for a way to combine both in a textile format.
Thanks for all your ideas that provide so many smiles and inspiration.
Fascinating. I didn’t realize creating a quilt from design through construction and completion was so intensive. Thanks for taking the time to explain all this to us, Weeks & Bill.
Loved the interview – thanks for a chance at the surprise giveaway! :)
Would love to win this book – and the behind the scenes info is intriguing.
Thanks for making quilts look like “art” instead of just pieces of fabric sewn together.
The interview with Bill and Weeks was informative and inspiring. I’d love to win a copy of “Quilts Made Modern”. Thanks for the chance.
This looks really good. I haven’t really gotten to try my hand at quilting yet, though I have enough fabric to make a nice small wall quilt for starters.
It is interesting to read about how you approach the projects. The book sounds geat.
Thanks for the opportunity to win! I really enjoyed hearing about all of the work behind the creative process even though I doubt I’ll ever be involved in publishing a book.
OOOOO, thank you, thank you, thank you! I’d love a copy of this book! Such fresh ideas!
Wow I am slightly freaked out at how organised Bill and Weeks are, only in my dreams could I imagine being like that, so to get my hands on a copy of the book would be awesome. thanks for a great interview and giveaway.
This book looks great! I love the quilt on the cover! Thanks for a chance to win!
I love their books! This one looks super interesting!
It’s true, my copy of Modern Quilt Workshop is much-loved. I’m so looking forward to their new book…thanks for the chance to win a copy!
I love seeing how they work. I am really chomping at the bit to make some quilts that are more complex than the tied quilts I’ve made thus far, but I need a little….direction! Thanks for the chance to win a copy of their latest. These folks are the best.
YUMMY!
Thank you for the interview and review! The book looks wonderful!
Very interesting interview! I would love to win a copy of the new book.
This book sure peaks my interest! Thanks for having such a nice give-a-way! I am always looking for new inspirations and ideas.
I would love to get a closer look at this new book. thanks for the interview and the giveaway.
Quilting is one sewing project I haven’t yet tackled, and this book looks lovely. Thanks for the giveaway!
I have had this book on my wishlist so I am stoked that this tour gives me more insight on the book! Thanks!
Great interview!!! I can’t wait to read the rest of the week!!
Thanks!
Love seeing the inspirational yet also very methodical thought process that goes into making the quilts!
I’ve been eyeing this book and would love an opportunity to win it!
I love the quilts in this book. Thanks for the chance to win a copy.
Great interview, thanks for sharing!
I’ve always admired your designs. Can’t wait to get (one way or another) your new book.
So inspiring — would love to win a copy of your book! Thanks for the chance.
Thanks for the chance to win this book.I love seeing other peoples thought processes!
Enjoyed the interview. I am not independently creative. I need a pattern or some guidelines and then am able to move forward. I admire the ability to imagine a design.
Lovely to see more modern quilts from Weeks and Bill. Inspires me to one day get around to starting a quilt.
Just found your blog (it’s listed as a resource in the back of the 1-2-3 sew book. I would love to win a copy of this book. It’s on my wishlist!
Oh Wow! I didn’t know that – thanks for the heads up.
Am dying for a copy of this book after reading their process. How cool! Thanks for the insight into the process.
I really loved the insight into the design process. That was a gift in itself but I would still like to win the giveaway.
Wow such lovely images! Definitely full of inspiration for my next quilt!
Thanks for sharing the behind the scenes glimpse. Wow. What a process! I think Weeks Ringle and Bill Kerr make an incredible team. I’m a huge fan of The Modern Quilt Workshop (it’s one of my favourite quilting/inspiration books) and am now looking forward to Quilts Made Modern. Thanks for a chance to win!
It was really interesting to hear a bit about the thought process going on behind the scene. Thank you.
What inspiration! I’d love to have a copy of this book. Thanks for sharing!!!
This book looks fabulous, and I loved your interview! I was fascinated to read about all of the steps (in planning and organization!) that go into producing such a collection of quilts!
Great interview! I too “quilt” with spreadsheets. RR
Great interview! The book looks great-added to my wish list now!
Have been a fan of their quilts for a while. This book looks as good as their other I have
I’m trying to learn to quilt and could use all the resources I can get.
what a great book!! thanks for sharing!
What a beautiful book. It has fabulous photos and the projects really do have a wide variety of skills and difficulty levels.
Great interview! And thanks for the chance to win a copy of the book.
I love the look of this book. Great giveaway – thanks!
Thanks for the great info and the chance to win! :)
I saw this book in person and loved it. I hope I win.
I’d love to win this inspiring quilt book.
Yes, please! Can’t wait to get started!
Looks great!! Catching up here since I didn’t realize that there was a blog tour! So glad I found it and know about the book! Thanks for the giveaway!
Thanks for the interview and the giveaway!
So interesting – love reading about the process.
Great interview and wonderful to see some sketches and hear about their design process.
I LOVE the birds on the line quilt. That just might be the next project on my list…
This looks like a fantastic book, thanks for the giveaway! Looking forward to their upcoming Transparency Quilts book as well!
Looks like such a fun book!
It’s really interesting to read about the process of how this book all came together. Wow! Thanks.
Thank you for the interview. I learn so much from them, and would love to win this book.
I love learning about books on blog tours. This one looks great! Weeks & Bill do such beautiful work. Loved the interview you did; so interesting to learn about the designers.
I so enjoyed reading the interview and learning more about this book. It’s going to the straight to the top of my “Want It, Need It” list!
I love modern quilts because they’re so bright and colorful. Love the simplicity, too. i’ve never heard of these authors but would love to read their book!
i loved reading this interview, thanks!
If am so fortunate as to win, this would be my first book on modern quilts. It would be great to make a quilt based on their concepts.
This book looks so awesome. Thanks for giving away a copy :-)
Wow. I guess I need to get out my graph paper book. That probably makes more sense than using the little scraps of paper that I usually do.
Thx for a chance to win.
Great interview! It is wonderful to get a peek into Week’s and Bill’s process.
I love the cover quilt: they are my colors. I would love to try making one of my own.
Thanks for the give-away!
The quilts in this book look lovely and I would love to make one.
Such a fascinating process! I have usually just laid fabric pieces all over the floor until I like it…
Thanks for all the design insights, and for the giveaway. I love your wooden strawberries, btw…
Great interview, really enjoyed it. Thanks
I like the way you plan everything out, I tend to grab fabric and start stitching. But then I like the crazy quilts and the basic log cabin patterns. It helps me use up a lot of scrap fabric from the clothes I make. Other then a recent backing I usually match things after the top is put together.
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