This month Heather introduced her first book, Quilt Local. A collection of 40 projects inspired by your local surroundings, the book not only takes you through the basics of making a quilt, but through color theory and taking and taking a photo you shared on Instagram and putting it down on paper to turn it into a unique design created by you. Think about all of the fascinating buildings you see on your way to work – how would they look as a quilt top?
To celebrate the launch of the book, I headed from Detroit to Indianapolis to enjoy a book signing with Heather at local quilt shop Crimson Tate. Owner, and fellow quilter and fabric designer, Heather Givans transformed her store into a display space for some of the author’s quilts for her book and a place for conversations between admirers. We poured over examples of Heather’s sketches, which she keeps close to her in a Rhodia spiral-bound notebook.
I’ve been enjoying Heather’s book for the past few weeks and my list of quilts I want to make from Quilt Local is long. To get me going I made her Homage pillow. It’s a simple project to put together that results in a bold finished product.
To learn more about Heather, check out her website. There you’ll find updates on lectures and workshops she gives across the country as well as the latest news for Quilt Local.
The idea of my book came from one of the first quits that I ever designed and made. One day about four or five years ago I was so inspired by a painted grid in a parking lot, one that I surely had seen many times before, but for some reason it really stuck out to me that day. I grabbed my cell phone, took a quick photo, and drew out some sketches when I got home based on the repetition of lines that were in the grid. That eventually became my Mason quilt, which is a project included in Quilt Local. From that point on, I have continued to draw inspiration from my environment for my projects.
I have developed some habits that help me find local inspiration that I like to share with people. First, be aware of your surroundings, keep your eyes open, and literally, look at the things that surround you. Stay present and in the moment; keep electronics at bay and put down your phone. Really take in the places and objects that you see everyday and pay attention to the things that catch your eye. Be open to surprising sources of inspiration, which can come from literally anywhere around you, like the landscape you see as you drive, an architectural detail in your town, etc. And lastly, pick up your phone back up again briefly and take photos of the things you find inspiring. You can also make a note with your phone to record specific details about the things that inspire you. In the book, I share my process of turning these sources of inspiration into quilt designs using a sketchbook, pencil, and simple math.
The quilts in your book are heavy on solid fabrics, intense colors and lots of negative space. What do you think is so appealing to modern quilters today about these traits?
I think there is a certain timelessness about solid fabrics. They feel classic, and not dated, as some printed fabrics can. I think they are also be quite painterly when they are used because I am able to create large areas of color with them, much like a painter can with oil or acrylic paint. I also love to create unique palettes with solid colors of fabric so I’m not relying on a printed design as the basis for my color scheme. For me the design of the quilt itself is the most important aspect of the project and I feel like solid colors of fabric help me create what I want to.
What initially drew you to quilting?
I have a baby quilt that my great-great-aunt Ollie made for me when I was born and I think her work made me appreciate the art of quilting at an early age. I began to collect vintage quilts as a teenager, although nobody in my family, other than Aunt Ollie, quilted. A seminal moment in my career was when I saw the original Gee’s Bend exhibition at the Cleveland Museum of Art in 2003. I was struck by their incredible beauty and how they reflected some of the same thoughts and ideas that are found in “fine art” made around the same time; as someone who studied art history and loved the art of quilting, it was really an amazing experience to me. I was also really inspired by the work of Denyse Schmidt, although I was somewhat intimidated by the art of quilting still at that point. It wasn’t until I had my children and began to make things for them, including a few quilts, and later started the Cincinnati chapter of the Modern Quilt Guild that I began to make quilts on a regular basis. I finally got over my fear of the art and just started to make things.
Focus on things that excite you. Maybe it’s a group of colors that you like together, maybe it’s a bold graphic design of something that you see that you’d like to incorporate in your project. I think inspiration is something really personal to each of us, but you know what it is when you find it.
Has there ever been something you saw that was challenging to translate into a quilt pattern?
Yes! They are all challenging in a way, but I’m excited by the challenge to translate my inspiration into a design.
You mention that your work is labeled as modern but feels more like traditional quilting. Do you have a favorite classic quilt block you like to experiment with today?
Two of my favorite traditional quilt blocks are the churn dash, which I included in a project in Quilt Local, and the log cabin block. To me they are both timeless things.
Of all the projects in your book, do you have a favorite?
That’s a hard question! I think my favorite is the Central Parkway quilt, though.
Is there one part of the country that stands out for local quilt design inspiration?
I think there is inspiration to be found for any creative outlet, not just quilting, literally everywhere. And that’s the beautiful thing about being able to draw inspiration from your own environment. You don’t have to travel far to find it!
The Creative Genius series on Made + Remade features fabulous DIYers and makers who inspire us. Meet more Creative Geniuses and help us share the spirit of DIY!
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