Arcus by Monica Johnstone - Wall Quilts - Machine Quilted
Today I am going to start by sharing some more of the quilts that were hanging in the juried show portion of Quilt Week by the American Quilters' Society in Grand Rapids a couple of weeks ago. These quilts are quilts that, in my view - you might disagree with me as I am no authority on the boundaries of modern quilting - are also quilts that might have been put into the Modern Wall Quilt category of the show but were in other categories.
My post of the quilts in the Modern Wall Quilt Category is here.
Summer Fling by Doris Larson
I really enjoyed the opportunity to go to this show in person. I visited it three of its four days and took two classes as well. My favourite part was to see the quilts.
Pineapple Log Cabin by John E. Putnam - Wall Quilts - Machine Quilted
There were basically three separate areas of quilts. One was the juried show quilts which were competing for prizes. Secondly there were a number of quilt showcases on display. Thirdly there was a section that featured the Quilt of Belonging and show and demonstration by Aileen Stannis. For the most part, I took pictures of the quilts in the juried show part of the exhibits.
Coloring Outside the Lines by Mary Kay Price
Now, I did like many of the quilts that had no white in them, but then they seemed to contain some clearly modern elements - improv, alternative grids, negative space, etc. Again, there was little debate in my head about whether or not these quilts were "modern" quilts - while there may be grey areas around the edges of what the modern quilters feel is modern, I do feel like I know modern quilting when I see it.
Amoeba by Jackie Perry - Wall Quilts - Hand Quilted
Morning Star by Heidi Teachout - Bed Quilts - Made by Machine
Modern Art in Quilt Form by Sue Cortese - Wall Quilts - Machine Quilted
Altar Stone by Jennifer Emry - Wall Quilts - Hand Quilted
I took a few photos of the quilts from the Modern Quilt Challenge as well. These quilts were not in the competition part of the Grand Rapids show. Rather, this was the last stop on the tour that these quilts have been on since they competed in an AQS show in the fall of 2013.
Ripple Effect II by Marianne Haak - this quilt won first place in the Piecing category of the AQS Modern Quilt Challenge
It was so nice to see Marianne's quilt, she blogs at The Quilting Edge and is a real life friend who I get to visit with in person often (but not often enough).
Common Affection by Debbie Jeske - this quilt won in the Creative Use of Neutral Fabrics category in the AQS Modern Quilt Challenge in the fall of 2013.
It was so nice to see this quilt, by Debbie, who blogs at A Quilter's Table. Debbie is one of my real internet friends and I hope one day to meet her in person too.
Modern Mirage by Lee Heinrich
This quilt was part of the Modern Quilt Challenge showcase. At the very end of the Grand Rapids AQS show, you can collect your quilt from the show if you like. Since I was there, I arranged to pick up my quilt, Snowfall. As I waited, I saw Lee, who came at the end of the show in time to get her quilt as she was in town visiting some family. It was great to visit with her and catch up - I was able to meet her in person in Pittsburg last spring. Lee blogs at Freshly Pieced.
Modern Views by Victoria Findlay Wolfe
Victoria, who blogs at Victoria Findlay Wolfe Quilts, had this lovely quilt in the travelling Modern Quilt Challenge too. I had a great time with Victoria at Sewdown Nashville both in her class and getting to know her better.
Buckles and Belts by Linda Hungerford
I have gotten to know Linda on Instagram, and she blogs at Flourishing Palms. It was so lovely to see her quilt in person. It was also part of the Modern Quilt Challenge showcase.
The Road to Love by Elizabeth Dackson.
Elizabeth has been a long time blogging friend, she blogs at Don't Call Me Betsy. It was great to meet her in person at Sewdown Nashville. Her quilt was also part of the travelling exhibit of quilts from the AQS Modern Quilt Challenge.
There were many more beautiful quilts in the Modern Quilt Challenge, but I was not able to photograph them all. I hope that you have enjoyed the ones I have shared here. I have a few more thoughts to share about this lovely quilt show, but they are for another day.
If one of these photos is of your quilt and you would prefer I not show it off here, please just email me and I will take it down.
And if you have not yet entered the lovely giveaway of some of Violet Craft's Brambleberry Ridge fabrics sponsored by the Fat Quarter shop, go here to enter before tomorrow - Thursday at 6 pm MDT.
Best,
Leanne
12 comments:
Such lovely quilts.....so wonderful that you included mine, thanks Leanne. Arcus and Modern Views are making me swoon!!!
thank you for sharing these quilts, it is great to see what is beiong created over the pond, There seems tro be much more in the modern style going on but now the Quilters Guild here are making a branch for modern quilters we might be seeing more. Must now pin some of these
I've always like Lee's Modern Mirage quilt- the colour choices are just spot on, I wouldn't know where to begin!
Thanks for posting my quilt! I do have trouble with categories--Sue Cortese whose quilt is also in your post told me the same thing! I do a bit of mixed technique--"Arcus" has some hand work, for instance. Really happy to be in the show. Wishing all of you an excellent quilting journey and much thanks for the support.
Thanks for sharing your photos! These shows seem so far away from me, and it's nice to feel just a little part of it all!
So pleased to see Marianne get that prize! I think sometimes the 'official' definition of modern can be too constricting and actual modern quilts cover much wider a criteria. Thanks for all the photos, Leanne.
I like the very first one most of all. xx
Well they do say there's nothing new under the sun, I guess those first entrants didn't think they were modern!
Thanks for sharing more pictures from the show, Leanne. I'm still indecisive about which quilts are modern and which are art quilts. But I definitely see the colors and quilting that gives them modern elements. It's nice of you to share the picture of my quilt too. Actually, your photo is the best I've seen to show off the free motion quilting! I have a block in Debbie Jeske's modern quilts - she's a Mid-Century Modern Bee mate. My favorite of all those modern quilts will always be the one Lee made - Modern Mirage. I love the color combo and the way the design fairly shimmers. I've had the pleasure of meeting Lee once, at quilt market. She's a sweetheart. Now, I hope to meet you someday too!
Thanks for the quilt show review, and happy I could see Linda's quilt in more detail. (Great photography!). I think that many of the modern classical artists had this same dialogue when they broke the boundaries of traditional art. And I think that while it is true that Monet looks conventional to us now, at the time, he was earthshaking in the salons of Europe. (Think how Rothko or your favorite, Albers, would have looked to them.) I think today the better approach is the one you have, noting modern elements, but not being constrained by them. It's interesting to see that Elizabeth Hartman's next book is a sampler quilt book, with more fracturing, more elements interacting than have been seen in her earlier quilts.
Elizabeth
Thanks for sharing the quilts. Sometimes I think there is a fine line between modern and art quilts and then sometimes it's fine line between modern and traditional. Personally I keep reminding myself to just make what I feel compelled to make regardless of where it "fits" even if I do belong to a modern guild.
Beautiful quilts! Yay for Mariianne! I agree, categories are very subjective.
Post a Comment