Quilt Designer News

Barbara Douglas, Stone Cottage Designs
www.StoneCottageQuilts.com

Q:  Why are you a quilt designer?  When did you start designing quilts and quilted projects and what has been your inspiration throughout your quilt designing career?

A:  I am a quilt designer because I love the tactile nature of textiles. Fabrics are my artistic medium. I can’t paint and my drawing is very poor, but I have a knack for manipulating fabric.  I don’t remember a time that I didn’t design something – doll clothes, my clothes and quilts.  I started my very first quilt when I was eight years-old.  As a business and career, I began in 1999.  I can be inspired by almost anything, a shape, a shadow, an object or a plant.  Often, I find myself looking at things and wondering if I can translate it into fabric. The historical connection with women of the past is also part of why I do this and to have a tiny place in what will become quilting history is also incredibly intriguing.

Barbara Douglas, Stone Cottage Designs
www.StoneCottageQuilts.com

Q:  Is there a special time of the day, day of the week or emotion that you find yourself in when you sit down to design a quilt block or quilt? Can you tell us about it?

A:  I don’t create at any particular time of the day. The desire to design grabs me at all times of the day and night. Joy is the emotion that best describes how I feel when an idea begins to emerge. Excitement and peace go hand in hand, and I can’t wait to begin.

“Caladiums & Anthuriums” by Barbara Douglas, Stone Cottage Designs

Barbara Douglas, Stone Cottage Designs
www.StoneCottageQuilts.com

Q:  If you could pick any ONE quilt block (old or new) that you’ve either made or designed that exemplifies how you feel toward quilting, what block would that be – please name it and show us a picture (drawing or photograph) of it.

A:  I can’t pick one ‘block’ but can choose one piece that I have created that exemplifies how I feel toward quilting. “Fire Within.”  This was created for an Art Quilt Challenge on overcoming insurmountable challenges. This piece depicts breaking through the darkness and allowing the fire within to burst forth in color, warming the heart and keeping the darkness at bay. The original name was Rain of Tears Spiritual Growth, which was more of a description of the journey through the darkness. Fire Within was the name I chose when I turned it into a pattern. A fire within is what drives me to create.

“Fire Within” by Barbara Douglas, Stone Cottage Designs

Barbara Douglas, Stone Cottage Designs
www.StoneCottageQuilts.com

Q:  If you were to describe your quilt designing style by comparing it to food, what “recipe” would you say your quilt designing is made up of?

A:  Tabule’, an eclectic salad of not so traditional, yet textural cooked whole grain, with a mix of  very traditional, yet vibrant vegetables, with a little spark and bite of garlic, onion, and herbs. Texture, neutrals mixed with vibrant colors. Sounds like a quilt to me!

Barbara Douglas, Stone Cottage Designs
www.StoneCottageQuilts.com

Q:  Please tell us a little about yourself … your name, your website, some of the names of your recent quilt designs.

A:  My name is Barbara Douglas, Stone Cottage Designs, http://www.stonecottagequilts.com.  A few names of my recent quilt designs are:  Anthurium, a tropical wall hanging. Caladiums & Anthuriums, also a tropical wall hanging. Ozark Mountains, a bargello style pieced quilt, and Fat Quarter Folly I, a fat quarter quilt great for beginners.

“Anthurium” by Barbara Douglas, Stone Cottage Designs