Taking a Break to Find New Quilt Inspiration

If you’ve been quilting for a long time it can be hard to continually come up with new ideas. ZJ Humbach shares some of her tips for finding new quilt inspiration.

Learn Something New

Many people have a favorite quilting technique they like to use or even a favorite block they like to make. While it’s good to have favorites, continually making the same thing can make it hard to come up with new ideas. To break this cycle, ZJ recommends taking a class and learning something new. Whether it’s a different way to quilt or just a different way to look at pairing fabrics, learning something new can open up new possibilities for quilt inspiration.

Branch Out

Stepping outside your quilting comfort zone can also help when it comes to finding new quilt inspiration. ZJ shares how changing it up by buying different fabric types or colors can help spark creativity. She explains how seeing different colors paired in nature inspired her to combine many colors she wouldn’t normally use into one colorful quilt. When it comes to trying new colors or ideas, you may not like everything. Keeping a quilt journal can not only help you remember ideas that worked or didn’t work, but can be a great way to try out new design possibilities on a smaller scale.

Learn Through Other Mediums

Quilt inspiration doesn’t have to only come from other quilts. ZJ explains how using another crafting medium, like painting, can help boost creativity. She shares how stepping outside her comfort zone and trying something new made her look at colors, depth of field and the overall process of creating differently. She also explains how trying a new craft or learning something new with a friend can also help inspire creativity, as something you do together may inspire new ideas.