Eight Design Guides: Ideas for Original Compositions

July 10, 2026

I’m so excited about the updated second edition of my book, Art Quilt Collage: A Creative Journey in Fabric, Paint and Stitch! Let me give you a peek into how the “Design and Composition” chapter came together and how it’s been updated.

The updated second edition of Art Quilt Collage: A Creative Journey in Fabric, Paint and Stitch includes everything we loved in the first edition plus tons of new artwork, details about your favorite techniques, and new ideas for creating original textile art.

Hey, that’s me in my home studio when I finally held the new book in my hands! I can’t wait for you to see it.

Engaging with the Creative Process

Design is my favorite part of the creative process. I’m fascinated by the way different shapes, lines, colors, and patterns work together. (Or don’t work together.) Lots of people are intimidated by the elements and principles of design. For the “Design and Composition” chapter, I wanted to offer some ideas that could easily translate to anyone’s creative practice.

Developing the Eight Design Guides

I wanted to provide a framework, ideas, suggestions, and spring boards for creating your own unique designs. So, I created what I call the Eight Design Guides. They are based on classic, proven, visually appealing compositions. They aren’t patterns. In fact, they can be interpreted in many different ways. When you’re looking at a pile of fabric and wondering, “Now what?,” you can pick one of the design guides to get you started.

The Eight Design Guides are presented in several different ways in the book including simple thumbnail sketches. These line drawings allow you to imagine translating the compositions into different shapes, lines, colors, and patterns.

Sharing Ideas About Design

The Eight Design Guides were one of the most popular sections in the first edition of Art Quilt Collage. My lecture about the Eight Design Guides is one of my most popular, and I love showing examples of each design guide including traditional, modern, and art quilts—plus examples from the world of fine art. I’ve taught tons of workshops based on the exercises in the “Design and Composition” chapter of the book.

Students in my workshops create small fabric sketches based on each of the Eight Design Guides. I love seeing all the different interpretations of the same concepts.

In the exercise from the “Design and Composition” chapter, I challenge you to use just five fabrics. This is a great way to focus on trying different shapes and colors—but not get overwhelmed by too many choices.

New Examples in the Updated Second Edition

In the updated second edition of Art Quilt Collage, I am excited to share examples of the Eight Design Guides from eight artists who were students in my workshops. It is so cool to see the similarities, differences, and unique interpretations that come from the same Eight Design Guides.

The chapter is full of different ways to consider and interpret the Eight Design Guides including several examples made by students in my workshops.

Stitch as a Layer of Design

Once the fabric sketches have been composed using the Eight Design Guides as inspiration. They can be embellished and enhanced with stitching. I especially love hand embroidery which can create visual connections by repeating shapes and colors. It also adds texture and personality. The “Stitching” chapter in the updated second edition of Art Quilt Collage includes several ideas and examples of how to use stitch as a layer of design.

I created this workshop sample as another interpretation of the Eight Design Guides. I added hand embroidered motifs to each. I especially like the arched line that is repeated on three of the designs. It is created with several small stab stitches.

New Inspiration & New Ideas

I’m so excited to share this book with you. Even if you have the original on your bookshelf, I know you’ll find new inspiration in this edition. If you’re new to creating collages with fabric, you’re going to love all the ideas packed in these pages.

I’ll be sharing lots more art and book updates in my newsletter and social media. Sign up for my newsletter here.

Follow me on Instagram @DeborahBoschert or on Facebook @DeborahBoschertArtist for updates about what’s happening in my studio.

Blog Post By Deborah Boschert