Dodie

I like all the answers and they are right we are all different I like lots of different quilts but I have a love for reproduction fabrics and their style quilts I do feel a lot of the younger quilters are missing out on a lot of the learning techniques as when I started quilting we learned to take patterns and draft them to the size we wanted--to make our own templates and so many things that I still use today that the modern quilter does not know at least the ones I know quilt shows were so different to see how a person put a pattern together and the hand quilting was wonderful now it seems it is all computer and speed I have really lost interest in quilt shows but again that is just me

mpspeedy2

As a handquilter I have a totally different perspective. The actual quilting is what makes it a quilt. I only do machine quilting on things no bigger than crib size. I just made a T shirt quilt and it had to be machine quilted in order to stabilize the fabrics used, not to fall apart. I couldn't have done it without my husband's help. He stood in front of my machine and held the quilt up as I fed it through the machine. I have some muscle strength issues that make it difficult for me to wrestle a quilt through my sewing machine. As long as it consists of at least three layers, held together with stitching it is a quilt.

Wonnie

Oh my...what an interesting thread. Guess I'm more of a traditionalist but with modern leanings. Finding that the bright, clear colors do appeal to me although my design would be simple and realistic as opposed to abstract and would, also, involved minimal color changes. Instead of the traditional swirls and feathers and intricate designs in the white spaces mine would be the straight line stitching in rows. The intricate quilting is beautiful but to me it feels like cardboard. I agree there's room for all of us in the world of quilting....some traditional patterns we'll love, some we'll dislike; some modern patterns we'll love, some not so much but we all love just DOING it.

applique

Historically speaking, there was a time when the price of "print" fabrics was so expensive that it was cut up and spread throughout the muslin to make it go further! I always manage to find something in each style which I really like and enjoy.

Rubesgirl

I have made both traditional and modern quilts in the short time I've been doing it. I can see merit in all of them but the more contemporary styles pique my interest more. I have been told that I am "color driven" which is true. I love bold colors against a black or white background. I do not care for the pastels of the 30's or the muted tones of the Civil War fabrics. That bring said, I have seen beautiful quilts made of each, just not my cup of tea. In our little group I an usually the one who will choose the "odd" pattern. Our leader will present a few and quietly say, "Wendy won't like this one" and she's usually right. I love the openness of the modern quilts; I prefer clean and uncluttered looks. They are not all easy especially if you want to add a bit of "yourself" to them. I have enjoyed making all the ones I've made, no matter what the style; I simply find the modern quilts make me happier when they're done.

Rubesgirl

I have made both traditional and modern quilts in the short time I've been doing it. I can see merit in all of them but the more contemporary styles pique my interest more. I have been told that I am "color driven" which is true. I love bold colors against a black or white background. I do not care for the pastels of the 30's or the muted tones of the Civil War fabrics. That being said, I have seen beautiful quilts made of each, just not my cup of tea. In our little group I an usually the one who will choose the "odd" pattern. Our leader will present a few and smile and quietly say, "Wendy won't like this one" and she's usually right. I love the openness of the modern quilts; I prefer clean and uncluttered looks. They are not all easy especially if you want to add a bit of "yourself" to them. I have enjoyed making all the ones I've made, no matter what the style; I simply find the modern quilts make me happier when they're done.

Lobster

I can't remember who it was in this thread who made a distinction between modern and contemporary, but you're dead right. I'd probably call my style contemporary if I had to call it something. Modern quilting is a specific movement, and it does not by any means cover all of contemporary quilting. It doesn't even cover most of it. I do sometimes admire "modern" quilts, but it's not the sort of thing I'd make. For starters, it tends to rely heavily on retro fabrics, using patterns from the sixties with brighter colours, and that's not really my style. I don't want to do large areas in white, partly for aesthetic reasons and partly because I doubt its practicality, and I personally don't really like light grey.

I draw from a wide variety of styles, including traditional American (while American quilting dominates traditional quilting, it is definitely not the only tradition out there), various contemporary styles, other traditions. For instance, the baby quilt I'm working on at the moment is drawing from Indian textiles and Welsh quilts. https://www.threadbias.com/projects/...-baby-quilt--2 I'm planning to make something based on Islamic geomtric designs at some point, which will involve piecing a lot of odd angles and messing about with mirrors for kaleidoscope effects.

For the people who fancy trying modern quilting but can't do free-motion quilting, I've also seen quite a lot of quilting in that style done with hand quilting, the big stitch quilting style with large stitches and thicker thread. It can look very attractive, and is quicker and easier to do. I've taken to using perle #8 thread for a variety of reasons: if I'm going to put all that work into quilting, I want it to be nicely visible, and you get a far better range of colours. However, I haven't been able to retrain myself to do larger stitches yet, and the biggest I've managed is 8 stitches to the inch (topside)! I'm going to have to practice for the next quilt, because I want more of a sashiko look with the stitch size.

I really like the way that quilters today feel free to mix and match styles. My last quilt was a traditional Welsh wholecloth, only I used perle #8 thread, a bright marigold colour in a soft sponge effect for the top, binding (Welsh quilts usually have a knife edge), and a wholly untraditional Valori Wells print of owls on flannel for the backing. I've done a few contemporary variations on log cabins, they're fun to play with. American patchwork is an amazing tradition to draw from, there's so much of it, but I don't like the old-fashioned fabrics and I certainly don't like traditional American quilting. Whereas Welsh quilting really does it for me, and adapts well to both traditional and contemporary quilt styles. So many possibilities...

trolleystation

I think, that as quilters, we should keep our minds open as to different quilt styles. Different stokes for different folks certainly is the phrase. I appreciate all quilts. I do think that younger folks like the more geometric patterns and they can be beautiful with the right choice of fabrics. The softness and charm of traditiomal cannot be dismissed. No matter what pattern you choose, make it with love and it will be a winner.

Zyngawf

I guess I love modern quilts and didn't know it. and now Ihave found out all of mine except one are modern. I don't think they are a cop out because I have had to line up points and do hard stuff on all of them. Because of this thread I did a google search of images and have a lot more ideas to go on and I'm all excited. If I'm allowed to say so nicely I don't think the quilt in the opening post is the best example of a modern quilt. If you do an on line search there are modern quilts that are very intricate to the point that I don't know how they are done just by looking at them. I think many of the older style very symmetrical blocks you can figure out how to copy just be looking at them and too many of them look like a star in some way. I'm also not a fan of the older style look of sashing and corner blocks maybe because it's be done to death. I think in no way is modern quilting a cop out.

tropit

I've been learning quilting over the last few years by doing traditional patterns, but I'm dying to try some more modern styles! I really like some of them...then again, I really don't like some of them...just like traditional patterns. I think that all styles have their place in the evolution of the quilting craft.

~ C