When Michael and I visited a beautiful church in Italy (sadly, I can’t remember which town), I looked up—and immediately saw a quilt design…

The ceiling is filled with ideas that could easily be translated into fabric or thread. The circular design begins with a strong focal point and radiates outward in sections. Repeated stars create rhythm, while the squares, lines, and decorative borders add layer after layer of detail.

It reminds me of a quilted mandala. You could begin in the center and work outward, changing the design with each new round. Some areas could be densely quilted, while others could remain open to let the design breathe.

I am especially drawn to how the geometric framework gives structure to all those small details. Even though the ceiling is ornate, the repetition keeps it from feeling chaotic.

Of course, I’m not planning to reproduce the entire ceiling in a quilt! But I could borrow one element—a ring of stars, the radiating wedges, or the framed squares—and use it as the starting point for a quilting design.

That is one of my favorite things about creative inspiration. We don’t have to copy what we see. We can notice a shape, a pattern, or an arrangement and ask:

How could I interpret that in fabric or thread?

Sometimes quilting inspiration is right in front of us.

And sometimes, we just need to look up.

For this Inspiration Wednesday, I’m sharing a thoughtful post from my friend Deb Messina at Quiltblox.

As quilters, we often look to other quilts for inspiration. But Deb reminds us that creative ideas are everywhere—in gardens, buildings, artwork, clothing, household objects, and even the things we pass every day without really noticing.

The secret is learning to pause and ask: What caught my attention, and why?

Deb’s post, “Learning to See: Inspiration for Your Next Stitching Project May Be Hiding in Plain Sight,” offers practical ideas for noticing, capturing, and eventually translating those small sparks of inspiration into something uniquely your own.

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In 2015, we trekked in the Himalayas, and—as always—I found myself photographing things that made me think about quilts.

This beautiful wooden window was one of them….

I loved the shapes, the repetition, and all of those little details. Even now, I can look at it and immediately start imagining how those elements might find their way into a quilt.

But I’ve been thinking about the Himalayas for a very different reason lately.

Seeing the news of the devastating flooding in Nepal has brought back so many memories of the places we visited and, especially, the people we met along the way….

It is strange how a photograph can start out as simply “Look at that wonderful design!” and, ten years later, hold so much more.

Today, this one reminds me not only of inspiration found halfway around the world, but of a beautiful place and the people who call it home.

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I have been processing the scraps that my friend gave to me and realizing that I have WAY TOO MANY scrap strips. Something MUST be done!

As a result, everything I look at makes me wonder if I could piece it with scrap strips.

For example, I saw these drawing ideas on a Facebook post…..

There are tons of ideas here…..FMQ, applique and….yes…. SCRAPPY STRIPS.

How about one of these…..

Which one would you pick??

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When we were in China, we visited several Buddhist temples, and I was always inspired by the colors in the architecture.

I asked ChatGPT about the meaning behind the colors, and this was what I learned…..

Red/Blue — associated with the heavens, tranquility, wisdom, and the infinite.

Green — harmony, renewal, growth, nature, and life.

White — purity and spiritual clarity. In a Buddhist context, it can represent freedom from ignorance and defilement.

Black/dark tones — can represent depth, mystery, water, or the unknown.

It is interesting that the colors aren’t simply decoration…they have meaning!!

Enough about Asian theology…..

Would you ever use this combination of colors in a quilt?

It might be interesting to play with…. I’ll get to it someday!!