Testing Out Your Creative Side

Have you ever wanted to try something new in your quilting but just did not know how to get started? Maybe you saw a technique at a guild class, admired a quilt at a show, or saw something in a magazine that caught your eye. As quilters, sometimes we collect projects and techniques as much as we "hound" fabric! Always waiting for that perfect project or the "someday" to try it out.

Let that someday be today! Never fear trying something new. Why wait for "someday" for that perfect project?

Here is a creative way you can try out that new technique and practice it before using it in a larger project.

Create a 12" X 12" or a 24" X 24" block and challenge yourself to include a new technique. This is a great way to learn and practice something new before trying it out on a larger or special occasion quilt project. Here I made a finished block using a few scrap fabrics I didn’t really love. I tried three new techniques and challenged myself to use the color purple. I learned to shade my fabrics with paint, added a ribbon trim, and turned a freehand drawing into a fabric art. I went from not loving these fabrics to falling in love all over again and learning something new.

I love trying out new things with a 12" X 12" mini quilt because my local quilt show accepts donations of these smaller quilts. They are auctioned off to the public and the money raised is donated to a local charity.

Don’t feel trapped into a 12" X 12" block. Here are some other great smaller projects for testing out new ideas.

1. Mug Rugs
2. Placemats
3. Table Runners
4. Postcards
5. Coasters
6. Pet Blankets

All of these are also wonderful ideas for donating locally where you live to nursing homes, hospice centers, and shelters for both people and animals.