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.