Just because a blog post must have a picture, and because I hope spring is on the way, here's a picture of a small quilt I made some years ago..
Wednesday, 4 February 2015
What IS "modern quilting"?
This is a question that has been exercising my brain a lot lately. I have seen various suggestions as to what constitutes a modern quilt, ranging from quilts not having borders, quilts with a lot of white in them, quilts that only use plain fabrics and various other suggestions. So I thought I'd throw this one out to you lot. Who can define modern quilting for me?
Just because a blog post must have a picture, and because I hope spring is on the way, here's a picture of a small quilt I made some years ago..
Just because a blog post must have a picture, and because I hope spring is on the way, here's a picture of a small quilt I made some years ago..
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Sue I think it depends on who you ask, LOL. But to me modern is simple lines/shapes in the quilt. Lots of negative space on the quilt too. Geometrics, solids and tone on tone, but yes there are flowers on modern fabric too! Just my humble opinion, haha.
ReplyDelete"That all depends on what your definition of "is" is." A famous quote from a infamous lawyer/politician.
ReplyDeleteI see quilts that I think look modern but they are labeled traditional and vica verca. It'll be interesting to see what others think because I've yet to figure it out. By the way...your tulip quilt is super cute and appeals to my traditional quilting style.
Is there a definition? I think of modern quilts as having lots of white (or gray is the hot color right now). and more geometric patterns than my traditional baskets, log cabins, hexies and Dresdens. I've seen some that are one large image of a bicycle, or a gaming character.
ReplyDeleteDoes it depend on your personality as well? I can see some of what you said in quilts of 30's vintage, but then they are called "vintage", so maybe it's how we interpret it. I just love quilting and fabric and think I go through a lot of phases, especially seeing I made my first one in 1977, which is 38 years ago, so have seen much in the way of styles come and go in that time. I agree with everyone above as to what it might actually be. Take care.
ReplyDeleteI would like an answer also. There is a Modern Quilt guild movement. I looked online at some pictures of quilts shown at a meeting and some of them looked very traditional to me.
ReplyDeleteThe definition has changed depending on who I ask. There seems to be larger pieces, open areas, less focus on perfection and more focus on composition.
ReplyDeleteI guess it depends on what you want a modern quilt to be.
I love that question. I think everyone has a different definition. What is funny is that I have magazines about the "modern quilt movement" which a friend gave me years ago and those mags were from the 70's
ReplyDeletegood question..lol Sometimes I think modern is just funky so what's funky then...hmm well i don't know..LOL
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ReplyDeleteIt's all of the things your friends have already said. But it also seems to me to be patterns which can be pieced very quickly.
ReplyDeleteI find that sad because an awful lot of what I look at is about shortcuts and getting stuff done as fast as possible. However, that is (sadly) the world we live in - nearly everyone wants instant gratification. It seems increasingly few people are prepared to put a lot of time into making something more complicated, more intricate. Perhaps 'Modern Quilters' would justify that by saying they have busy lives and cannot spare hours to make Feathered Star blocks?
I gave up buying the British P&Q magazines years ago because they seem to contain nothing but projects which can be completed in next to no time, with often very little skill. Now I'm all for encouraging people to take up quilting and you have to start on something easy, but another decade of this and so many skills will be lost . . . but that is probably true of many other crafts, so I'm just an old curmudgeon :}
So, in a nutshell, Modern Quilting seems to me to be shortcuts and quick fixes and I'm not a fan. So there :}
The one and only "modern" quilt I made ended up being one of the most difficult to piece and a total blast to quilt! I see "modern" quilts as using traditional elements in unexpected ways and the quilting is "outside the lines" - not using the blocks as "lines" to contain or differentiate the quilting. Because more of the emphasis seems to be on the quilting, there is usually more negative space for the quilter to play in.
ReplyDeleteI waited til today to comment because I wanted to see what others had to say. All interesting. Each and everyone of them reflecting thoughts I've had about Modern Quilts, both positive & negative. My thought yesterday was that if it fit into an Art Gallery exhibit of Modern Art, or something you'd see in a University Art Building then it would/could be considered a Modern Quilt. Check out the Smilebox slide show on the Woolie Mammoth Blog from yesterday. I would say those are modern quilts. Because whimsy is my favorite...the kitty quilt wins!
ReplyDeleteGood question, I think it depends on who you ask. It seems to be traditional blocks are made modern by what fabrics are used and how simple it's done. I think almost any pattern can be made modern with the right selection of fabrics. To me it's all about the fabric chosen.
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