I have mentioned the Design Board on our web site before. Just this week we added design number 225. All of these are free downloads and available in 6, 10 or 12 inch sizes.
As I was fussy cutting the paisley fabric for the points of this latest block, I realized I have talked about fussy cutting border prints (Anatomy of a Border Print), but not about looking for fabric with mirror-images to use in the same technique.
Here is an image of the paisley fabric I used for the triangles in World Without End, Block 225. The white lines indicate the “mirror” lines. These are places in the fabric where the design left of the mirror line is the identical reverse of the design to the right of the line. In the case of this particular block, the triangle can be centered anywhere along the mirror line. In fact, it is fun to try it in different places. And don’t forget you will get different designs if you turn the template upside down. See how many variations you can get.
The use of a fabric with mirror-image motifs can enhance the appearance of the block. See here the World Without End block with and without the mirrored paisley fabric.
Block 218 looks great as it is but let’s add a paisley design. Here is the block as it appears on our Design Board and another variation using the mirrored paisley from Renaissance Garden.
Block 144, Southern Pride, from the Design Board is shown here first the original form and, second, with paisleys used in place of two of the other fabrics.
Finally, see how different Southern Pride looks when multiple blocks of each variation are put together.
Look through the designs on the Design Board and see how many you can find that already use fabrics with mirror-image motifs and which blocks you think would benefit from the additions of a mirror-image fabric. E-mail us pictures of your designs at service@jinnybeyer.com, we would love to see what you create.
If I could ever have a wish, I would wish for at least one day to sit in Jenny’s studio and just be able to soak up all the beautiful fabrics and listen to her tell me how she came about this wonder life she leads.
I love Mirror Images”—although I’m not sure why exactly, so today’s blog of them has made my day. Thank you ever so much.
I’ve made only one Kaleidoscope quilt and was absolutely delighted as each block emerged – they all looked as if they came from different fabrics! But Jinny is a true Master when it comes to mirror imaging in her quilt designs and I find lessons and new ways of seeing fabric every time I study her quilts. Thanks for the inspiration!