Research wall, design wall, research board, ideation wall, inspiration board, moodboard, pinboard — Working walls are known by countless names. Underlying them all is a single idea: that physically pinning our sources of inspiration and work in progress, and surrounding ourselves with them, can help us to rearrange concepts and unlock breakthrough insights.If you are thinking of putting up a design wall and aren't sure of the value, perhaps this article will sway you. It made me smile because of how I already know most of this because I am a quilter.
But back to my design wall ... if you are curious about the paper pieced scrap blocks on the left, I blogged about them yesterday. I like leaving them up there to jiggle my subconscious to think about setting ideas and to remind me to make more.
The six double chevron blocks are the January choice for the block lotto. There are several ways to make chevron or zig-zag quilts. I decided upon this one, using half-square triangle units and sharing the 8-at-once method for making them–perfect for this block because you need 8 units to make a block.
These blocks are 7 by 14-inches (finished size). You can find the print friendly directions: Double Chevron Block Pattern.
For the Block Lotto, we're making them in purple, chocolate or light-to-medium gray, combined with white. This color combination happened when I was playing with colored pencils and paper out and was designing the blocks for this year's Block Lotto. I happened to use a dark brown, light gray and purple pencil to color in three blocks (though not this particular one) and liked it.
If you like it and want to make blocks for the lotto this month, you'll find the guidelines here:
2014 Begins with Double Chevrons
It's funny how it's so easy for me to come up with the blocks we use for the Block Lotto and much more challenging to pick new/interesting color combinations. If you have great color ideas, be sure to check out the Block Lotto–I'm asking for help with color ideas (and something else) and there will be a very colorful giveaway.
5 comments:
I can't imagine how I ever worked without a design wall. I'm glad I have the space for it.
Hi Sophie! Your chevron blocks are really great! I also am a firm believer in the Design Wall and think it's super important in the deign process! I first learned about it years ago in my interior design college courses! We used them all the time! Thanks for sharing this with us!
I am giving away a fat quarter bundle on my blog today! I would love for you to come over and enter! Happy New Year!
Inspiring Creations Giveaway
Chevrons are on my to-do list for the month. Hope I get some made. I'd like to do a whole quilt one of these months, for one of my charities. My design wall isn't much, but it works for me, and the floor does, too. =)
I read the article. It was interesting.
I'm not a design wall person. My design wall for anything is always in my head. Whether working on a creative writing story, a computer program problem or a quilt design I think about it in my head before I go to sleep and then work things out in my sleep, believe it or not.
My grandma made beautiful quilts without a design wall. She was my hero.
I use my floor & a design wall but what really works is to take photos. If you are looking for unique color combos, I like to take classic combos and twist them. Like white, med. gray & yellow is a popular combination that I think is ok but changing up the yellow into yellow/orange like melon or real orange now that's interesting. You can take red, white & blue and change the med. blue to ice or french blue and you have a modern look. Also there are several color palette generators so you can pick a color scheme from your favorite photos. But you knew that didn't you.
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