justflyingin

I tend to agree with the OP. - not 100%, but it does seem that way.

But the same is with sewing patterns--"fast and easy" is the way to go. The same with cooking, "done in a flash"--"spend 10 min. or less in the kitchen and have dinner on the table (slight exaggeration)."

But what can we expect? I've seen bloggers who had never sewn until there years ago and now they are selling quilt patterns with a blog of their own. Theirs aren't going to be the technically proficient patterns out there--it just isn't possible. Some skills take years to learn--not 1-2 from start to complete proficiency.

It seems like that it is often the case that modern quilters go with "minimalist" designs--translating into "easy peasy", quick, and not high proficiency required.

I think it is a shame that more of our 60 year old+ highly skilled quilters don't have more computer skills. We could benefit from their blogs. Sigh. Instead we have more quilts with lots of white with bright colors quilts (which I also like, but are quite easy to make).

It's like seeing minimalists homes (as seen in magazines)--they have the feel of an office or a hotel--not a home. Lately they've remodeled our McDonalds and taken away any "warmth" in it--it now feels all plastic chairs and stainless steel--and not a place you actually want to stay--which may be their point, I realize.

But I don't consider 3-D, geometrics, or labyrynths, or like the one that racerh posted so "modern". I love those--and I know that designs like that are not easy--either colorwise, or skill wise.

I wish that more people like Polly at http://threemennonitequiltingsisters...ys-quilts.html

would do blogs and show us their work and sell patterns! That is an amazing quilt!

But in the end, if modern quilters will buy fabric, keep the quilt shops alive and fabric manufacturers in business, we'll all be better off. And as, they mature in their skills, they will also mature in what they post on their blogs. So, we all benefit.

But I still can't quite wrap my mind around one I read that really looked just like quilt backs I make--literally, there was no design, but the blogger was quite happy with her quilt and her new direction.

But really, to call zigzags, chevron strips, polka dots, new, is beyond crazy. These are not "new"--they may be "popular again" but they aren't new.

RST

I'm old enough, and have been around quilting ladies long enough, to remember similar comments/complaints lodged against the newfangled quilters in the 70s who were starting to use poly-batts and throw polyester scraps into the mix. Time sided with tradition on that one.

But I also remember the traditionalists ranting about the innovation of the rotary cutter and rulers and cutting mats. And this chain piecing, and all the little tips and tricks for speeding up the process! Where is the precision? Where is the artistry? Where is the skill? Give us cardboard templates, a sliver of soap, and the old sewing sheers, because anything else is an abomination! And there can be no such thing as machine quilting unless you are constructing matress pads in a sweatshop in a third world nation, for everyone knows that quilting can only be done with a between needle with a waxed 100 % cotton thread, with a hoop or a frame, and one must strive for 10 - 12 stitches per inch. On that set of ideas, the majority has been quick to jump ship and accept rotary cutting and machine quilting. Many of you traditionalists would have been considered *way modern* in the 1980s.

Quilting always has been about innovation and taking advantage of what's available. It's also an art that is interactive with the environment in which it's made -- be it the climate or the decor sensibilities. Modern quilters are following the rules in that respect.

Take color choice: Gray in quilts is not depressing. It's the neutral that prevails in home decor now. Gray and/ or white in quilts looks good in houses that have current color schemes, while a lot of the beige and off whites just look grimy. Done well, the neutrals, whether white, gray, beige or black, allow the eye to rest a bit and give room for the visual focal points. An overly busy quilt is like a crowded sales circular. What many of us quilters think of as bright and cheery, to non-quilters looks like way too much color and "stuff" all crammed into a smallish space.

I do hear you all on the comments about sometimes knowledge base and technical level is lacking with some of the newer quilters. However, if you really want to see them look to you for input on essential skills, you'll have to temper your presentation and not come across like cranky and critical old biddies. I've made that mistake in presentation myself. I was attending a modern quilt guild sew-in, saw a young woman pressing her quilt top prior to layering. She had not pressed any of the blocks during construction, and she was making a regular mess of it. It hurt to see her doing the things she did to what was really a lovely top, made with very expensive fabrics. I wanted to be helpful and give her some tips. What she heard coming out of my mouth was not help, just mean old lady picking on her. Is she likely to ever ask me for help? No. She will just keep on mangling her quilt tops and having big lumps at the seams, and then older quilters will make snide remarks about how her construction skills are not going to stand up to the test of time, blah blah blah.

In the discussion of traditional vs. modern styles, I think there is an unspoken but very real concern/anger from the traditionalists that their craft which has taken decades to perfect, and their quilts, which are large, carefully constructed, and technically precise, are not being valued as much as oddly shaped, improvised, quickly constructed pieces put together by a 20-something blogger who threaded her first needle 2 years ago. A lot of the modern quilts are priced very high, and apparently are selling on etsy or by the bloggers privately. I admit to being among those who shake their head in surprise that a 28 x 34 "baby quilt" which is essentially one block and a lot of sashing can sell for $150 while some very elaborate queen sized numbers sit forever unloved, despite being priced so low that it's hard to believe the cost of fabric can be recovered. The thing is, the baby quilt maker had figured out her market. She's made an item that is designed to sell, as opposed to following a bunch of rules learned over a lifetime of quilting classes and retreats and guild meetings, obsessing over every matched point, and producing something that doesn't fit anyone's current decor preferences.

For myself, I had some hard thinks on that, and came to the conclusion that I am not cut out to be a seller. I make quilts because they make me happy. I get my pay-off because while making my quilt, I can let go of day to day stress and just enjoy creativity. The bonus is that family and friends love getting my quilts as gifts, and if occasionally I produce a stinker that nobody loves, then no big deal, I keep it in the back of the closet and pull it out when someone's cold.

When I removed external affirmations (either in the form of sales or of praise and positive feedback) from my equation for why I quilt, then I no longer felt threatened of so annoyed by people whose quiltmaking aesthetics are different from mine. I'd like to think that now I'd just compliment the young lady ironing her quilt top on her color and fabric choices, chat about our favorite shops, and have a pleasant conversational exchange. No need for me to show her the right way or to set her straight.

ghostrider

Well said, RST, with much thought and insight. Kudos.

Luv Quilts and Cats

I do like your quilt and the colors. On the whole I am not a fan of modern quilts but that's just me. I know there are people out there that love them and don't like traditional. It's a personal choice really, like anything that is created. There as many ideas as there are people quilting and it helps quilting as a whole. Have fun and work with what you love!

Dalronix

I had never heard of Waggas before so thank you for an interesting amount of time spent on Google.

AngeliaNR

To me, these low volume quilts look like my grandmother's quilts--and I love them. She always used scraps and muslin--they don't feel modern to me at all. Old things are new again.

Dalronix

Love that expression not that I wear, or have ever worn, skirts.

Rodney

I'm new to quilting. I like them all but tend toward older patterns in my choices. The little bit of history I've gathered about quilting indicates that quilting historically was very relevant in the lives of the ladies who made them. Many of the quilts they made reflected what was going on thier lives at the moment. Civil War quilts, quilts of the underground railroad, wedding quilts, etc. I'm currently reading "Quilts of the Oregon Trail' that goes into the background of some of the quilts that were made during those times. I enjoy the quilts of the 30s with thier bold geometric patterns. What is traditional now was new at some point and there may even have been some of the same controversy back then. Why not quilts that reflect the styles and attitudes of today? I think there's room for the more traditional patterns along with modern quilts and art quilts even if the modern ones don't follow all the rules. Time will sort out the ones with enough merit to become traditional from the ones that just don't measure up for one reason or another.
Rodney

asimplelife

I attempted my 1st quilt as a teenager cutting strips for a log cabin using sewing shears and a tissue paper pattern. Note the word attempted! Of course nothing fit right and the piecing was a nightmare. I went back to sewing clothes.

When my Mom showed me her rotary cutter, ruler and cutting mat I was all in again and took a beginning quilting class in 2002. Those tools made quilting fun!

I think it's a very exciting time to be a quilter. There are so many trends to chose from, a wide array of fabrics to use and so much inspiration and sharing of ideas. It's all personal preference. I love to look at modern quilts and very complex traditional quilts... But the quilts I make tend to be somewhere in the middle. Modern quilts don't look right in my home. I don't have the dedication or attention span to make a Baltimore Album or Dear Jane for example. It's all good and I look forward to what comes along next.

mom-6

I'm one who knows what I like (or don't) when I see it.

Now the thing that draws me to it may be the pattern, the color choice, the uniqueness of it, the fact that it reminds me of something, the simplicity or intricacy of it, or that undefined sense of beauty revealed that just reaches out and pulls me in.

So it is not a particular style or era that pushes my buttons. There are quilts from every style and era that I like and also ones that I don't particularly care for (including some of my own).

I can still admire the creativity and workmanship in the ones I'm quite happy for someone else to pick as their favorite since its not mine.

I've also discovered that my taste evolves and what might have been a favorite twenty years ago may or may not be as appealing now.