Shape is an element of design that is very familiar to quilters.  Patchwork blocks are constructed from a variety of geometric shapes; appliqué patches can take on any form or shape.  And of course, quilts themselves come in a variety of shapes and sizes.

A shape is a two-dimensional form defined by boundaries that separate it from its surroundings.  The edges can be perceived by a line, or by color, value or other changes between the shapes.  A shape is a distinct visual unit.  In the following three examples, you can clearly see the shape of a circle with or without a line to define the edges.

Shapes can be categorized into groups.  Interestingly, my resource books defined these categories differently, with no two texts producing the exact same list.  There are similarities and overlaps, but also some differences, so let’s take a look at them all.  (The numbers correspond to the books listed in the bibliography; the color coding highlights the similarities and differences.)

Geometric shapes are the essential elements in patchwork blocks.  Included in this category are squares, rectangles, triangles, hexagons, octagons, trapezoids, diamonds and circles.  Design Concepts and Applications subdivided this category further, classifying basic geometric shapes that are not used in combination with one another as simple geometric.  Complex rectilinear shapes combine simple geometric shapes that result in straight line and surface configurations; complex curvilinear shapes incorporate curved as well as straight lines.

Natural shapes are derived from anything in the natural environment, including the human form.  A shape that is categorized as realistic could also be natural; however, natural wouldn’t likely include anything man-made whereas realistic could.

Organic shapes are described by free-flowing curves – loose, non-specific, non-rigid shapes.  Organic shapes can also be found in nature, so perhaps they could be considered as part of the natural category of shapes.

An abstract shape is an altered natural shape.  It can be stylized, simplified or otherwise transformed from a real object.  This definition for abstract surprised me, as I would have considered it to be more like the description for this next category.

Non-objective shapes do not originate in any recognizable shape or object.  They are similar to abstract shapes but they do not represent any idea or object.  This categorization was completely new to me, but it was a common grouping in three out of four of my resource books.

At first glance, I thought that perhaps accidental shapes would be non-objective as well.  These shapes are created in an unintentional, unplanned manner – like throwing paint on a wall.  They are defined more by the process that was used to create them; the result might then be described as organic or non-objective.

Next week, we’ll start looking at examples of how the element of shape is used in quilt design.