Very interesting, Kate! I agree - my inspirations/choices change over time, too. I imagine everyone's change!

Seeing your current choices reminds me of your post about the last quarter of 2013 for you. I remember some years ago the guild had a class with Jan Krentz making her spiral lone star pattern. The class was in the fall, I think. Her pattern calls for hot, hot colors and I ended up selecting a palette of cool, cool greens, blues and aquas. I remember thinking that I needed the cool colors because of the craziness of the holiday season.

Right now my main inspiration is Quiltville's Celtic Solstice. It's green, yellow, blue and orange. Quite a bit more orange than I usually use! LOL Anyway, one of the blocks used is 54-40 or Fight, and I've always loved that block and wanted to use it in a quilt, so this is one I can cross off my quilty bucket list!

After that I need to make a baby quilt, so I'll be searching for inspiration for that one.

Donna

Tastes do change. A few years ago I offered to make my niece a wedding quilt and asked her about color preference. She surprised me by asking for a very light neutral, creamy colored quilt. OMG! SOOOOO not my colors! It was a struggle for me but in the end I loved the quilt and have wanted to do a neutral for my own bed. When I saw that picture above of the giant Swoon block in those shade I fell in love with it. I think I need to add it to the 'Someday' list.

Funny you should post this right at the time that I am in a struggle to come up with something for my next project. For the last week I've been making tote-bags, something to fill the void of not coming up with anything major. I've made 3 large ones and one small one. (Gave away all but one.) I'm pretty much done with that little quilting side-road but for the life of me I can't focus on the future. I've searched online, watched videos, looked at back issues of magazines. I know eventually something will bite me, hope it's soon. I've got a huge stash of all kinds of fabrics so it's a shame.

I totally agree that tastes change, and that inspiration changes. However, I can firmly and accurately say that I will NEVER like Civil War prints! I can look at a quilt and appreciate it, but it will never inspire me (& you can quote that 20 years from now, if you'd like!)

I have always been drawn to traditional styles. But my fabrics have changed over the years. I can say I'm much more drawn to batiks than ever before because they offer the bold, bright colors that inspire me. But more and more, the intricate quilt patterns intrigue me, rather than basic.

Modern still doesn't do it for me...

Rita, I've never experienced what you are experiencing ;) I have never been in the position to not know what to do next...There's always been something pressing, or a quilt that I can't get to because of something else.... I'm sure something will come to you at some point. (I did just see a really neat quilt pattern on the carpets at the movie theater!)

Never say never, Jen! I also don't care for CW fabrics (too dull for me), but I made a CW BOM in 2012 that I like a lot and I bought a CW wall hanging kit at a quilt show early in 2013 that I'm itching to get started on! LOL

Donna

Next year at Retreat Jen will be leading a demo called "Scrappy Civil War Quilts and How I Came to Love Them".

(I could barely even think about that without spitting coffee on my keyboard. LOL)

NEVER!!!! I will not do it, you can not make me!

I have some boards on Pinterest that I try and keep track of quilts for inspiration. And of designs I like, might do, and also to remind me of what might work and what I don't care for how it worked out. I have already done a few in the Bucket List and currently am working on the novelty strips. Pinterest works for me. :-)

SharonG/FL

Here is a link that might be useful: Sharon's Boards

Kate, Will Jenn's Civil War class be before or after your Sunbonnet Sue tutorial? Sign me up for both... :D

Faye

LOLOLOLOL!!!!

Weeeeelll, if Kate does a Sunbonnet Sue class, then I'll do a Civil War sampler class. Double dog dare ya! (I think I'm pretty safe saying this)

Yeah, you're safe!

The American Patchwork & Quilting's Scattered Leaves quilt is really inspiring to me. I bought the fabric for it in the beginning of 2013 and drew it out from scratch and made plastic templates for it. Hoping to find time to start cutting fabric for it this year, this will probably be a quilt I keep for me and maybe put on our bed in our motor home. Wanting to do it in autumn tones which will be a change from all the bright colors I usually have in my stash.

Best to you,
Sandra

Here is a link that might be useful: AP&Q Scattered Leaves Quilt

Well while Jen and Kate duke it out over civil war vs. sun bonnet sue sessions during the retreat.....I'll be happy trying to create this quilt...just came across this, not sure where, but I love it.
V.

Ooh, V, I like that one! You reminded me that someday I'd like to try a seven sisters quilt. :)

Donna

Here is a link that might be useful: Seven Sisters

Donna,

That quilt is similar to one I've been hand piecing for 12 years now! Was to be a baby quilt for my oldest, then the 2nd, then the 3rd, and then the 4th! lol It'll get done someday! (But not for the first grandchild who may arrive any day now!) lol

It is very fresh when seen against a white background.

Kate,

I'd say that the 'time of our life' changes what inspires us in our quilting. We see things that affect us differently.

But I also think the time of year changes our outlook, as well. On this dreary grey winter day, I'm inspired to work with lots of COLORS! However, my bargello project, that is trumping all else, has all the same dreary blah colors as outside. To say I'm not inspired to go work on that is an understatement!!

Val, is it paper piece? I like it!

Jen, you must have a big spread between your oldest and youngest kids! LOL My brother is 17 years older than me and 19 years older than my sister! WOW - I just realized something! My birthday is Aug 19 and my sister's is Aug 17 - the opposite of the difference between us and our brother! How weird is that? And how weird that I never realized that before?! Duh...

Anyway, I need to make a baby quilt soon for Mark's coworker, so maybe I'll take the opportunity to try seven sisters. :)

Donna

Kate, Val's picture is made from HSTs. Easy! It's all in the layout.

Donna, my DH has boy/girl twins that will be 25 in June....12 years older than our first DD. My kids range from 12 to 2 1/2 years old. My oldest DD will be 12 years older than her first nephew (who is likely to come within the next week, we hope)

Kind of cool when you compare things. (Not so cool that your youngest is only 2 1/2 years older than your first grandchild!)

I find inspiration everywhere~too much!
Val's Inspiration pic is a Camille Roskelley pattern, Round and Round, sold in her store.
Scroll down a bit and see the block. I like her quilt made with a navy background also. Also one I am considering making :)

Here is a link that might be useful: Camille Roskelley

Jen, I'm only 10 years older than my brother's oldest son. :). And his son is 16! Kinda scary to think I could be a great-great aunt before I'm 60!

Donna

Thanks for the link. Very tempting.
LindaB/CA

What a great pattern. I didn't automatically see that it was all HSTs. Thanks for pointing that out and thanks for the link to the webiste. It's very clever!

YES...thanks Marsha...that is where I found my inspiration quilt! It's been moved up on 2014 project list. I realized it was HST, and I figured I'd be spending my evening working it out on paper, but you save me that chore...which I do consider a chore.

Donna , we're in the same boat, I'm only 9 years older than my nephew and his children are in high school...I still struggle that I now have 8 great nieces and nephews!

V.