I had the fabulous pleasure of meeting Cherri House at Market this spring. I got my hands on her new book, City Quilts, and fell in love. Absolutely beautiful!
I’m always intrigued as to how others go about the design process so it was quite fun to pick Cherri’s head!
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Do you design a quilt and then pick colors, or do you pick a palette and then design the quilt?
It can work in a multitude of ways – here a few:
1. pick the colors (solids), then design the quilt
2. design the quilt, find the best colors (solids)
3. pick the fabric (prints), design the quilt
4. If I’m working with a magazine, or manufacturer, it is a completely different process. They assign the fabric, and give general guidelines as to size, level of difficulty, and even # of fabrics to be used. They have very specific constraints for the needs of the quilt/pattern. While this can be a real challenge, it is also the best type of exercise for me as a designer.
Do you try to limit your palette or just use as many colors as you feel like using?
Again, it just depends on the quilt. Most of the quilts in City Quilts are kind of a ‘everybody in pool’ as long as the colors fall within the palette that I am using. The only truly constrained quilt would be City Harbor – but that was for a very specific effect, with a very controlled palette.
Do you sketch on paper or computer?
Most of the time it begins by scribbling on whatever I can find – depending on where I am when the inspiration hits. Dinner napkins, programs at church – anything will do. I officially have a Moleskine graph paper notebook that I carry all the time, but anything is fair game. Next, I’ll put into EQ6 and work out all details.
Does your personal taste in quilts match your professional taste in quilts?
That’s a very interesting question! Personally I make lots of scrap quilts, that are string pieced. I also have lots of ‘’soft” colored quilts, made with my favorite Moda 3 Sisters fabrics. Professionally, my quilts are generally very graphic, and very contemporary, made with all solid fabrics. I love them all, and they all speak to who I am as a person, and as a designer.
How to select color for a quilt?
Many quilters have a great deal of anxiety over selecting color for a quilt, what seems to trip people is have too many choices. You walk into a quilt store, and are overwhelmed by all of the options. My best tip would be to have an idea of the quilt you want to create before you ever begin shopping. Make some decisions, an internal flow chart of sorts. Will you be working with solids or prints, will the quilt piecing be complex or simple, will the fabric be busy or calm. Determine where you want the quilt to go, before you start going. Don’t just say ‘I want to make a quilt’, say ‘I want to make a blue/green quilt using solids, and near solids, that will work in a my blue living room, for use on the brown chair. By giving yourself a framework to stay within, so many issues are eliminated before they arise.
How do you match prints to solids for combining in a quilt?
If I were combining a print and a solid, I would choose a solid that was either slightly lighter, or slighter darker than the main color I was trying to match. Match it exactly and it will all fall flat. Colors darker or lighter in value will create a visual interest, and add depth to a quilt.
What’s next for you?
Lots more quilt patterns in the upcoming months, thoughts on a new book, I would love to license my patterns for use in rugs, and bedding…does anyone know anyone at Crate & Barrel??? Thoughts on fabric design – I think Lizzy may start giving me drawing lessons! Sharing my love of solid fabrics…do you know, lots of quilters have said they have been discouraged from using solids by quilt shop employees…what is that about?!?
Thanks Cherri for your wonderful insights!
Super Fab Giveaways!
Here’s what you could win!
And… Cherri picked her favorite Carolina Patchworks patterns that will go to four additional winners (one pattern each):
To enter: Comment here by Sunday, July 25th at midnight ET. Winners will be announced Monday, July 26th.
Check out Cherri at the other stops on the blog tour to learn more about Cherri, City Quilts and win more prizes!
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