Value and design Part 2

    Value and design go hand in hand for me.  I think that the Trip around the World design is one that lets you use both to get fabulous looks.  My quilt, the World is a Garden, is probably my all time favorite using only floral fabrics.
  I used the Eleanor Burns method for this, and about 14 or 15 different floral fabrics.  Actually, one of the strata has 2 different fabrics used, as I did not have enough of just one.  I just found a very closely matching print and mixed it in.








   Anyway, my point here is to show the value change from very dark---black background does it---to light.
   As the background value changes, the overall value of the fabric changes, too.  That is why I look for fabrics with black or dark green background, tan/ beige, and cream/ white backgrounds.  It makes the transition from one fabric to the next easier.
   Note, too, the different scale of the prints.  Some are large with little background showing, while others are smaller with background that does show.  You need both for good transition.

   Evening Serenade was done with batiks and tonal fabrics using the same method to create a bargello look.   This time I really concentrated on the value since I did not have a lot of print in the fabric to do the work for me.  This little wall hanging lead me to try several bargello designs recently.









    And finally, Sir Old Man's retirement quilt.  The blending was much harder with this one, as he picked out the fabrics!  But we got that central "glow" that he wanted by concentrating the lights, then the accent color, and blending the tans and browns.
   Note here:   I laid out the fabrics in a run, and took photo.  Then I viewed it on the computer and turned the photo to black and white to have a better look at the value.  Just don't ask how many times I did that!

   And that's the archives trip........as recently I have tried bargellos, coins, and quarter log cabins using floral fabrics and value.

  Insight:   Good design principles work, you just need to use them!



On the up side......the back is better.   Happy stitching.