Have you every seen something that seems to vibrate when you look at it?
This is because your eye does not know where to look first. We have all seen those quilts that make you feel hectic and tired just looking at them.
Working with quilts, picture walls or scrap books all involve arranging things. Here is how I have learnt to tackle it.
Start by arranging the images from lightest to darkest with darkest at the bottom. Blurring your eyes will cut out the detail and just let you see the overall lightest or darkness of each block or picture.
This tells your eye start at the top and move to the bottom.
Next arrange horizontals so that like images are separated. Try to create contrast. A busy block or image next to a simple one, bright next to dull etc.
This part is about trying to avoid visual holes that look particularly flat or busy.
Now go over the vertical line of images or blocks looking at the same contrast issues.
Finally choose a colour – yellow is great one but it can be other colours too. I try to create a zigzag line of images or blocks that contain that colour. Ideally that line should be from the top left to the bottom right.
Your eye will pick up on even the most subtle of path and follow it through the overall quilt or whatever you are arranging.
That process is sometimes enough to resolve the overall effect into a stillness. It’s more likely that you’ll have to keep moving a few pieces around.
One quilter I know will always devote at least two hours to this process of block arranging.
I’ve seen people take digital photos in case they get it right and then lose it again. I’ve seen others stand on stairs and look down – just to get an overall effect.
There is definately a magic moment when the quilt or set of images suddenly look very still. It is worth the time to get there.
Maybe you have some arranging tricks you would like to share. I’d love to hear from you.
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