The ABC's of Patterns..... J

A little book I made...



J for Japanese Fret...



...cut-work fret design from my little book...



... used as background decoration for textiles, cloisonne, lacquered work, screens, and much more





... from Suggestions in Design, 1880 by John Leighton... amusingly, at the time Leighton's conception of Japanese decoration was held as old-fashioned... I wonder what they would be thought of as now... also makes me wonder why we have distinct ideas of how and where particular designs are appropriate...

... old fashioned things...or modern... both suit me... if they are designed well...



... details from Japanese instructional manuals..... taken from Grammar of Japanese Ornament, 1880 by Thomas W. Cutler, an architect, had a excellent understanding of the information required to design in the Japanese manner...

... these patterns although they appear quite complicated, are very simple, when basic steps are followed, layered and embellished...



The Japanese Fret is based on geometrical design and works well as a background... and once you start looking for it... its influence abounds...



...from my "ABC's of Patterns" book ... Click for the introduction of ABC designs....... the DEF designs ... and the GHI designs posts

approx. 6" x 7" x 1"... ...handbound...

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The ABC's of Patterns....... GHI

...From a little book I made...

G for Geometrical... ornament based on patterns made of lines, squares, circles, etc...




I like that designs based on geometrics can begin with simple elements and become quite complicated with their repetition....




... I loved the geometrics in this 13" x 12" x 26" cabinet, that I found at a flea market... I use it for bead storage... I like looking at the repeating rhythm and knowing it is a functional object...



Simple triangular elements where color makes the pattern bolder... Although I love making quilts I found this one at another flea market... rather Amish feeling...




H for Hippocamp... mythical marine monster with a head, body and forelegs of horse .... tail of fish; ........Poseidon's horse.........




Sometimes referred to as hippocampus in Greek and Roman mythology... the ancients believed they were the adult form of the sea-horse...

...there is also a part of the brain referred to as the hippocampus... it is involved in memory forming, organizing, and storing.... It is particularly important in forming new memories and connecting emotions and senses, such as smell and sound, to memories.

... mosiac from Sousse Museum, Sousse, Tunisia... Imperial Roman Period, C3rd AD.






Poseidon (Roman Neptune) with trident in hand... drives a chariot drawn by four Hippokampoi through the sea... a floor mosiac from Ostia Antica, Rome, Italy





I for Interlacing... ornamental patterns of bands, woven or plaited together





Over.. Under... In ... and Out... ............That is what this is all about...




A appliquéd portion of a front panel of a vest I did representing interlacing, twisting, twining Zoomorphic bird necks... I love Celtic art and the patterns and designs created from that period...





..a few fringes of a striped blanket I spun and wove back when I kept sheep and Angora goats... I love the heft of these fringes and the flip-flop that they make when moving the blanket...

All of the colors were natural in this... no dying...The natural fleece was from my sheep... the colored fleece was from a friends..... we traded.... I taught her to spin and weave... she gave me some beautiful Border Leicester fleece... and her friendship...




...the interwoven canes of a very large, 24" across basket I use to hold lots of teased fleece. I keep it in a spot that I can't miss, so it will draw me back to it one of these days... spinning is so meditative and relaxing... if you have never tried it, you should... it really helped me to understand how threads, yarn and fabric were created...


...from my "ABC's of Patterns" book ... Click for the introduction of ABC designs....... and the DEF designs post...  and here for J

approx. 6" x 7" x 1"... ...handbound...
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The ABC's of Patterns....... DEF

...from a little book I made...

D for Dragon... a fabulous creature representing spring to the Chinese and Evil to the Christians



The symbolic meaning of the dragon is sharply divided in Western and Eastern cultures. In the Orient, where it is the fifth sign of the Chinese Zodiac... the dragon is seen as a positive symbol... with connotations of joy, health and fertility... protecting man from evil spirits...

In Western tradition, however, the Dragon shares the negative, satanic symbolism of the snake, representing destructive power, the defiler of innocence and the guardian of hidden treasure.
.......Sometimes winged, with a scaly body, lion's claws and lungs of fire... the Dragon's hybrid form symbolizes a primal unifying force...





E for Eagle... this is an ancient Mexican version representing power and victory...




With its majestic appearance, soaring flight and acute vision, the Eagle is a universal symbol and represents the all seeing sky-god. It also represents courage, height, thunder and storms...

As king of the birds, the Eagle is an emblem of royalty... an association developed by its status as the most popular heraldic symbol...

To the ancient Greeks and Romans, it represented the victorious Roman Empire on the banners of the foreign legion..

In Native North American cultures, the Eagle's feathers symbolize the suns rays...

Many states have adopted the Eagle as a symbol of nationhood and sovereignty, including the United States... where the Bald Eagle is the national symbol.





F for Fleur-De-Lys.... a stylized lily ... an emblem of the Virgin Mary...

...as it depicts a triple lily, it also represents mankind's body, mind and soul...




Also spelled Fleur-de-lis... meaning "flower of the lily" in French... a much used floral heraldic symbol signifying perfection, light and life... and traditionally represents the kings of France...

Its resemblance to a spearhead also links the Fleur-de-lys to masculine martial power...


Here in Canada, the Fleur-de-lis is the symbol for Quebec and they have 4 of them on their provincial flag... showing their connection to France...

It is also the symbol of Florence, Italy, known as the "City of Lilies"...

International Scouting uses the Fleur-de-lis as their main element in their logo...representing outdoors and the wilderness, which is the major theme of Scouting....




Each one of these designs have numerous meanings and symbols... I listed just a few...

...from my "ABC's of Patterns" book ... Click for the introduction of the first ABC designs....... approx. 6" x 7" x 1"... ...handbound...

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The ABC's of Patterns

This is a book I made and bound  representing patterns with the letters of the alphabet for inspiration... the pages were made from heavy watercolor paper of which the designs were cut ... with colored paper behind them to highlight the patterns...

I have always been fascinated with... letters... playing with calligraphy, colored inks, the origin of alphabets, the development of fonts... cutting my own original stencils.... books and the steps involved in the creation of a book... creating my own designs for a multitude of uses such as quilts, appliqué, embroidery, house design, clothing, painting, toys, woodcarving, ornamentation, etc... the list is endless as design and pattern are everywhere and they certainly keep the mind occupied...

This project brought several interests together for me... I'll start with A... B... C...




A for Ankh..... Egyptian symbol signifying life...





The Ankh's key-like shape also encouraged belief that it could unlock the gates of death...

.....today it has come to symbolize Peace and Truth..





B for Borders.... early printers often used them to frame their text pages.... among other uses...





A border portion I made of a Mock-up for a medieval design book cover.





C for Cable...represented twisted rope...





Cables are found in everything from quilt patterns... to woodcarving... to knitting, etc... they also make great borders...



Pattern and design are so adaptable.... from one method of use to another completely different... they are everywhere... to the limits of the imagination...

...I tried to keep these patterns simple so they could be easily adaptable and easily cut...




.......the ABC book of Patterns is approx. 6" x 7" x 1" thick... handbound...

... click for the DEF....