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Originally Posted by stillclock
(Post 6459394)
i wanted to add something about long arm and/or heavy, ornate free motion quilting. i remember the first time i saw a quilt with a complicated over all pattern and i didn't understand how it was made. now i do, but i increasingly find the quilting overwhelming. far too often it takes precedence over the piecing and composition of the quilt and frankly i find the machined precision cold and mechanistic, often in terrible collision with the harmony of the colour and pattern choices. this is not to say the artistry is less, or the skill somehow less than handquilting or anything of the sort. it's just one aspect of the evolution of quilting that i don't find at all alluring.
aileen |
What's the difference again between "modern" and "contemporary" quilting? Maybe we can start a new thread...
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I'd say that batiks fall into the realm of contemporary. Solids and specific large scale prints are prevalent in modern. Contemporary is often traditional designs done in updated fabrics or colorways. Modern is more likely to be innovative or improvisational. Contemporary will go with stitch in a ditch or pantographs, and is more likely to be minimal. Modern is most likely to be straight line quilting or improv free motion, and fairly heavy.
For starters. |
Originally Posted by RST
I'd say that batiks fall into the realm of contemporary. Solids and specific large scale prints are prevalent in modern. Contemporary is often traditional designs done in updated fabrics or colorways. Modern is more likely to be innovative or improvisational. Contemporary will go with stitch in a ditch or pantographs, and is more likely to be minimal. Modern is most likely to be straight line quilting or improv free motion, and fairly heavy.
Dreaming in Color, by Jen Boucher (an Elizabeth Harman pattern) http://i39.servimg.com/u/f39/13/49/59/13/dreami10.jpg Not Your Mother's Sampler, by Jane Fitzpatrick (a Laurie Smith pattern) http://i39.servimg.com/u/f39/13/49/59/13/not_yo10.jpg There is much overlap between modern and contemporary, and with good reason. Modern grew out of contemporary, to the extent that the main 'parents' of the modern movement, contemporary quilters/designers Denyse Schmidt and Weeks and Ringle, now call themselves modern, no longer contemporary. The Modern Quilt Movement (and therefore the modern quilts produced) is intentionally very loosely defined. To do otherwise would limit the innovation, the improvisation, and the freedom of the design style...the very things at its heart. |
Ghostrider -- was not trying to be definitive but rather broad strokes tendencies as I've observed them. I think that looking through a flickr stream of Modern Quilts gives a good sense of the variety, but also of the prevailing flavor. And I'll stand by my comment about batiks being a contemporary choice, but largely shunned by modern quilters. Doubtless someone will pull up tons of examples of modern batik quilts to prove me wrong. But it's my observation that batiks are not used by the modern quilters who I follow.
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I found a couple of mistakes in the measurements but fortunately on the larger side so I could trim off the excess. I did not use the kit, just the directions. I don't buy kits - they are expensive and I generally buy more to add to my collection.
Originally Posted by MeLuvQuilts
(Post 6459181)
I do like this design, but did you have problems with the instructions? I made a quilt by the same designers a while back, and I was really disappointed. It was also a kit, and there wasn't enough yardage. But, I wasn't sure if I cut it incorrectly. As far as the modern, I am pretty eclectic - I just love textiles and the beautiful art that women (mostly but not always) make with them.
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Originally Posted by Holice
(Post 6458906)
It appears to me that the style has evolved somewhat over the past two or three years and has become more mainstream.
sandy |
Originally Posted by RST
(Post 6458092)
Quite honestly, I've never once seen zippers or really any dimensional applique or "Stuff" on modern quilts. I do recall when it was all exciting to put beads, ribbons, lace, trinkets, recycling, bangles, sequins, etc. on quilts, usually wallhangings. That was one trend I had to step far away from. Shudder.
Modern in its day! |
I think of a quilt as a comfortable pair of pajamas. Pajamas can be made of traditional type fabrics and designs as well as with more modern types of fabrics and design. They should all be comfortable.
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I'm just now trying to decide how to quilt this - will definitely be straight lines of some kind. I'm showing it [ATTACH=CONFIG]452125[/ATTACH]as an example of what I consider contemporary. The fabric and white space make it that, however the block itself and the way it's put together is, in my mind, traditional. It is the Swoon pattern.
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Personally I'd call that traditional. It's not as much white space as you can see in a modern quilt, and it's certainly no more than I've seen in many old-fashioned quilts. There's a long tradition of red and white quilts, often with a fair amount of white visible. Put "red white quilt" into Google Image and you'll see what I mean. Obviously this isn't just red and white, but it does seem to fit into that tradition more than any others.
Lovely quilt, by the way. Are you sure you don't want to do curves? Those generous white areas would be lovely for showing off some nice curvy quilting designs in red thread. Are you hand or machine quilting? |
I like this quilt way too much to attempt anything other that straight lines - my FMQ skills are not nearly good enough, and colored thread.... don't even want to think about how I could make a mess of that! I doubled the size of the block and put one great big one on the back - it's 48 inches, so need to consider that also, which is why I'm thinking straight lines.
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A quilt is a quilt and I love them all... some more than others. I do not think people who make modern quilts are lazy, I think they just like that style of quilt better than the traditional patterns. If they were lazy, they would just go out and buy one of the cheap ones made in China that are sold at the dollar store and the big box stores.
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I've seen Modern quilts that I've liked, and some that I didn't. I think it's a matter of personal preference. I also think it's a bold statement about the times in which we live. People are more pressed for time, so they make quilts that require few or no matching points or seams, or whatever. We are also living in a recession/depression. That has an impact. I think the more "minimalistic" modern quilts are a reflection of the economic conditions we currently living through. Quilting is an art; art is often a reflection of the society. I don't know anyone who hasn't reduced, or minimalised, their standard of living in these economic times, or who isn't looking forward to more the the same, or worse.
As for me, I have yet to make a Modern Quilt, although I've seen some interesting patterns. Just not my "style". |
Originally Posted by MacThayer
(Post 6461000)
We are also living in a recession/depression. That has an impact. I think the more "minimalistic" modern quilts are a reflection of the economic conditions we currently living through.
I think that both modern and traditional American quilting have enough possibilities that you can make either a quick and easy quilt within that framework, or a difficult quilt that takes a long time. The same goes for the other styles of making a quilt. Not necessarily all of them: I've never seen a basic-level Welsh quilt, for instance, because Welsh quilting was traditionally done by professionals, so while the piecing is sometimes quite simple, the quilting is dense and fairly advanced. And I don't know much about quilting traditions from other countries, so I can't speak for them. I think there's a tendency to think that quilting is just traditional American quilting. That's a very big genre, yes, but it's far from being the only one. Similarly, modern quilting isn't the only type of contemporary quilting out there. Am I the only one who finds that a lot of modern quilting actually looks very retro? |
I love your quilt. The white spaces make the star pattern stand out. Really love it so if it is contemporary, I love contemporary. Great job. May have to put it on my to do list. Sigh!!!
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The reason I asked about the difference between modern and contemporary is because I was given some old quilt magazines (early 90's) and inside are some pictures of quilts done back then-- possibly 20 years ago with traditional patterns but done in nontraditional colors.
So, I'm really confused, overall, with what defines "modern" and what defines "contemporary" and when did it all start? If something was being published in a quilt magazine in the early 90s, but is now being done and said it is "modern"--can that be? Was the "modern quilt movement" alive in the early 90's? |
Hi,
There are lots and lots of modern quilters who crank them out - such as the filminthefridge.com lady. Lots of wonkiness, which I started with, but ended up not liking. I think she gets most of her fabrics for free. Others, like Faith from fresh lemons quilts, takes traditional patterns and does them in bright colors. She has been researching Nancy Cabot patterns, and making them in modern colors. Personally, I got bored very quickly with the wonkiness, no straight lines quilting. Through Faith's website, I tried a few star blocks and had success and kind of got hooked. I love stars and any star type block. I love how they come together at the end. I started paper piecing after this, but that might just be a bridge too far for this ADD woman! So I make traditional patterns in bright modern colors! I adore bright blocks with white sashing! I think that's my favorite! Nancy |
Originally Posted by RugosaB
(Post 6458619)
I posted earlier a quilt that I made, with 'Wonky' in its name. Yes, it was a cop out. By making it I was freed from matching points
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I saw a lot of modern quilts at Quilt Festival in Houston and loved them. I even bought a book and a magazine featuring modern quilt patterns. I do a lot of wearables and I think that these patterns would work nicely for jackets.
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Originally Posted by Lobster
(Post 6461068)
You reckon? I'm broke and can't afford much fabric, so I spend a long time on each quilt, making something detailed. I see people making quilts really fast, and apart from the fact that it's just not my quilting style, I do sometimes wonder how they can afford all the materials.
The other thing is that people in the states put less of an emphasis on vacations and may put their money towards something like fabric (instead of vacations) than Europeans. Here in Europe, vacations are REALLY important to people and most actually take them and go somewhere. I can't say the same thing necessarily about the states. I know my parents haven't "gone" on vacation for years and years. |
Her website is
http://jacquietps.wordpress.com/ and is titled RETHINK QUILTING. The first quilt on the page (today 19-12-2013) is: bang, you're dead. Be sure to scroll down (and down and down) to see the rest of her quilts. They will give you a whole new perspective on what "modern" means. I pinned some of her up-close photos for quilting inspiration. What do I love? I'm more of a traditionalist with Log Cabins being my favorites. As had been said, the more the merrier in the quilting community. Anything that keeps our shops open and filled with fabric is fine with me. And, who knows, as they mature, the modernists may become more traditional. :D
Originally Posted by sparkys_mom
(Post 6457263)
No, it isn't that easy!! And then there is matchstick quilting which is straight line quilting about 1/4 inch apart all across the quilt. I was lucky enough to attend a Jacquie Gering trunk show a few weeks ago and she had a couple that were quilted like that. The texture it gives to a quilt is amazing and the perserverance it requires to do it is mind boggling. And some of her takes on traditional blocks blow my mind - like this one:
http://jacquietps.files.wordpress.co.../01/cogs12.jpg I started quilting about 5 years ago and began by making "kid quilts". I think I did it because the traditional colors and patterns just didn't appeal to me. If I hadn't discovered the modern movement in quilts I seriously doubt that I would still be quilting. It isn't that I don't appreciate and admire the skill that goes into traditional quilts but I don't want them for my home and I definitely don't want to make them. |
Amen, sister!
I'm old enough to remember when quilts that weren't hand-pieced and hand-quilted were automatically disqualified from being accepted in a quilt show!
Originally Posted by RST
(Post 6456357)
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. |
The sheer act of quilting whether it's "Traditional" "Modern" or somewhere in between keeps quilting alive and well.
Just MHO |
Nancy if you likecdtars and bright colors check out the tute i did called Scrappy Star. Its easy and sounds like its right up your alley.
Originally Posted by nancylee
(Post 6463644)
Hi,
There are lots and lots of modern quilters who crank them out - such as the filminthefridge.com lady. Lots of wonkiness, which I started with, but ended up not liking. I think she gets most of her fabrics for free. Others, like Faith from fresh lemons quilts, takes traditional patterns and does them in bright colors. She has been researching Nancy Cabot patterns, and making them in modern colors. Personally, I got bored very quickly with the wonkiness, no straight lines quilting. Through Faith's website, I tried a few star blocks and had success and kind of got hooked. I love stars and any star type block. I love how they come together at the end. I started paper piecing after this, but that might just be a bridge too far for this ADD woman! So I make traditional patterns in bright modern colors! I adore bright blocks with white sashing! I think that's my favorite! Nancy |
This is a great discussion. Keep it coming!
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Quilting, like art, is "in the eyes of the beholder"...
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I love modern quilts, especially when keeping the patchwork simple and the quilting beautiful, if quilting doesn't encourage new ideas it may die. There is plenty of room for all types!!
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This is the final finished quilt from the Urban Windows pattern that McCall's provided. Not sure if its really modern, but they called it modern. Its pretty at any rate.
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Girlfriend-your quilt is beautiful and I love most modern quilts along with many of the more traditional quilts that offer simplicity(e.g churn dash).
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As long as Quilting keeps living I don't care what "style" they are. Just don't let all quilters die off!!
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I have been looking at some modern quilt blogs today, and actually have one of my owns that I barely bother with, but I this is how I feel about modern quilting blogs: I. get exhausted when I read modern quilting blogs. The women are mostly younger than I am, and irrepressibly chirpy and cheery. They make me want to go lie down on the floor. And they are always saying, "My friend from this blog..." And "My friend from that blog..." with uplifting stories of their many commercial and creative successes. And contests, with blog hops. It all just makes me tired. But they are all pretty young, and I am not anymore.
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Originally Posted by JNCT14
(Post 6465212)
Nancy if you likecdtars and bright colors check out the tute i did called Scrappy Star. Its easy and sounds like its right up your alley.
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Back before it was a "movement" I had issues with the more modern quilts that started cropping up. It wasn't because they weren't traditional or because they were different - it was because the construction on the quilts was ... wrong, I guess? Poorly constructed would be a better way to put it maybe. And I'm really very sorry if it offends anyone here, but I don't see where taking a bunch of jelly roll strips and sewing them together is any great feat. I do have a lot of respect for the quilts that at least LOOK like there was some design plan for them, but the ones that just look thrown together escape me.
That said, I wouldn't call the quilting I do "traditional" in a traditional sense. I would agree with whomever called it contemporary - I like traditional patterns done in more contemporary fabrics. If I had stuck with traditional patterns made from reproduction fabrics (30's, Civil War, etc) I would have stopped quilting long ago. I HAVE done more traditional work ... but I prefer a more contemporary look through fabric selection. I've also never really been a fan of "scrappy" quilts though I've done a couple myself - I call them controlled scrappy quilts. All in all, I think that if the construction of a quilt is durable, that's all that really matters. There's no reason we all have to agree on whether or not a particular "movement" is legitimate or not, and I think that the resurgence that's happening as a result of the modern quilters will only increase the fabrics, threads and tools available to all of us. In fact, I think the recent resurgence of sewing in general can only be a good thing for all of us. |
Someone linked to this blog.
http://jacquietps.wordpress.com/ If all modern art quilters were this good--none of us could ever criticize them. This person is fantastic! |
I'm not sure what modern quilting is, but I do like the abstract and contemporary quilts I have been seeing.
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I personally would call the pic near the beginning of this thread a scrappy rather than a true modern. Granted the squares are muted and almost blend into each other...some anyway, but to me modern is more abstract in design and almost cold. Whereas traditional is restful, your eyes travel around it seeing things differently like when liking into a kaleidoscope........just my opinion. I do like some of what I call modern, but not on my beds or walls or tables......
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Well put. :-)
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When I think of a modern quilt, I think of a quilt pieced of big blocks and bold colors. They make you smile. The quilts are functional. Swirly Girls are my favorite modern quilt designers.
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Some aspects are: not relying on perfect symmetry, also an unexpected element. Like: rose rose rose skull rose rose.
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