Enjoy 15 of some of my favorite modern quilts from QuiltCon 2018 in Pasadena, California. All descriptions were written by the makers.
Statement: The Ribbon Quilt is a color study and a challenge to myself. Life most quilters, I tend to gravitate towards the same color groups over and over again. My challenge here was to use every color in the fabric line at the same time. Despite the amount of piecing involved, I pieced this quilt top in about six weeks. Sometimes you make the quilt. Sometimes the quilt makes you.
Techniques: Machine pieced, machine quilted on a frame.
Statement: The focus of this design is the negative space, the absence of the pieced blocks, that forms a hexagonal shape, echoing the shape of the half hexie pairs forming each column of the quilt. The half hexies could have been made in many ways but I chose foundation piecing so that I could replicate the wonkiness of my irregularly shaped, improvisationally designed block. If I had made regular, symmetrical half hexies, I do not think that my design would have the same feeling of motion or the same degree of interest. The quilt is matchstick quilted and faced, rather than bound.
Techniques: machine pieced, quilted without a frame, paper pieced.
Statement: In my imagination I see streaks of light against the graying sky of early twilight.
Techniques: Hand quilted, appliqued, machine quilted on a frame.
Statement: A sudden flash of inspiration struck me while I was trying to figure out how these fabrics could make my design more effective. The waves are like life—sometimes bright and delightful, sometimes gloomy and difficult. But hope always shines again. This piece reflects my life as a quilter.
Techniques: machine pieced, appliqued, quilted.
Statement: There’s something so magical about fireflies. I think that rings true for most people. I remember summers as a kid chasing after them on my grandmother’s lawn, and now I love seeing my daughter’s eyes light up as they do the same.
Techniques: machine pieced, quilted on a frame, paper pieced.
Statement: Exploring negative space in a literal sense. A simple design comprised of 729 two inch blocks. Some are negatives and some are positives. Each block was improv pieced and then trimmed back. The scrappy fabrics give this an aged (and weary) look. Made at a time when I really needed some positivity. It still lifts my spirits when I am overwhelmed by the negativity around me.
Techniques: machine pieced, quilted without a frame, improvisational piecing.
Statement: Above and Below is an experiment in color and shape. The quilt concept came about from the moments of quiet reflection that involved one line doodles for relaxation. The idea that a fluid shape could come from one continuous line. Raw edge applique was my technique and allows the edge to join almost seamlessly.
Techniques: machine appliqued, quilted without a frame
Statement: This traditional pattern of double wedding rings and strips of sashing speaks to me of marriage. It is a cautionary tale of how couples can have cycles of behaviors and patterns (which can be annoying or comforting) along with the crossroads and diversions that can divert our attention away from our loved ones.
Design Source: I hand drafted this oversized interpretation of a double wedding ring pattern, and added the rows of striped sashing.
Techniques: hand pieced, hand quilted, machine pieced, artist created hand-dyed solids
Statement: I wanted to explore a new palette and a new form with this quilt. I played with the value placement to create areas where the design flowed and then came to an abrupt stop. Quilted by hand in large waves a la Sherri Lynn Wood style.
Techniques: hand quilted, machine pieced
Statement: The second in a series of quilts, exploring dense quilting and using contrasting 12 weight thread to create a feeling of more piecing than is actually present, influenced by the handwork of Chawne Kimber and Heidi Parkes and the “ghost” quilting of long arm quilters.
Design Source: Hand quilting of Chawne Kimber and Heidi Parkes, Machine quilting that creates ghosts of pieced elements by Nikki Maroon, Angela Walters, Gina Pina and others.
Techniques: hand quilted, machine pieced, false piecing by dense quilting to recreate the idea of pieced shapes.
Statement: Increasingly I’m drawn to making from secondhand or repurposed materials, using we already have in the world, rather than always purchasing new. For some time I had wanted to make a quilt from upcycled jeans. I had in mind a star, and a big star at that, but I struggled to find a black that owuld work at scale within the limits of a jean-leg width. I finally came across a child’s wooden block puzzle that was perfect for turning into this quilt. The quilt is machine pieced, but I hand quilted using sashiko thread.
Design source: This quilt is loosely based on the Le Moyne star—a different way of piecing however, an extra extension of star points and more pieces on surrounds.
Techniques: hand quilted, machine pieced
Statement: Veer expresses my concern over the direction my country is moving and my disappointment in its leadership. It also reaffirms my commitment to political and community action and to be part of the solution.
Design source: The American flag
Techniques: machine pieced, machine quilted without a frame.
Statement: I wanted to create a quilt that focused on thin lines and shape. I wanted the shape to stand alone without the help of using many colors. I debated the color of the binding between the yellow and the beige but opted to create an invisible end. Lumen was foundation paper pieced.
Techniques: machine pieced, machine quilted on a frame, paper pieced
Statement: This quilt was created for my friend Lori who is getting married in March 2018. Her save the date postcard said “pencil us in”. It is leftover pieces from a class that I sliced apart and reconfigured. I planned the quilting to enhance the blue linear lines while keeping the match sticks imperfectly spaced allowing for texture.
Design Source: Workshop with Jacquie Gering, my design.
Techniques: machine pieced, machine quilted on a frame
Statement: This stunning beauty and grace of gothic architecture never fails to inspire me. This quilt is based on a picture of a corridor near the cloisters in Canterbury Cathedral (Canterbury, England). Eliminating everything except the bare bones of the architecture keeps the focus on the hallway itself and it draws you to follow deeper into the cathedral. Restricting the color palette to black and white avoids the distraction of color and keeps the attention on the architectural lines. The quilting further separates the path forward from the beautiful, airy space around it.
Techniques: machine appliqued, machine quilted without a frame
Statement: Terrace was an experiment in minimalist design and futuristic architecture. Drawn with curved piecing and simple lines, a residential development emerged. It’s possible I’ve been watching too much Star Trek Voyager.
Techniques: machine pieced, machine quilted on a frame
Do you have a favorite quilt you saw at QuiltCon (or online from QuiltCon)? If so, which one was it and why? Let me know in the comments below!
7 Comments
So thank you, love your choices but how do I do them and what about a Pattern?
Hi Deborah, If you’re interested in the specific quilts as patterns, I’d reach out to the specific makers/quilters listed above. If you Google their names, many of them should have their own websites!
It’s 12:15 a.m. It would be good if I were sleeping, but I’m exhilarated after finding you on Pinterest, then Googling to find this article that was referenced in Pinterest.
I am a new art quilter, and your information gives me so many ideas. My favorite modern quilt on your blog is Pencil Us In by Debra Jalbert. I even daydream and tell myself, “I could make an art quilt similar to this.”
Hi Elaine, So happy you found the blog! Happy quilting, Sheri
these are beautiful. I struggle with thread color choice for my modern solid color quilts. So I use Monopoly when I really want a cotton. I make large quilts and quilt on a long arm. Suggestions?
Thanks for your comment Annette! It certainly can be challenging picking the “right” thread color. I decide by determining what in my quilt top I want to accentuate or recede. There are a few strategies I use… perhaps this topic is a good future blog post! In the meantime, I do have a workshop that I teach all about walking foot quilting and the decisions that go into determining how I deciding on a quilting plan, including quilt thread colors!