If you enjoy minimalist modern quilts, you’re going to love this! I saw the Minimalism Modern Quilts exhibit by SAQA (Studio Art Quilt Associates) while I was exhibiting at H+H Americas in Rosemont, Illinois this past May. The quilts were full of simple shapes, clean lines, and bold colors. They weren’t fussy or complicated—just really striking in their simplicity. There were so many quilts in the exhibit that I couldn’t fit them all in one post. So this is Part 1 of a blog series. I’ll be sharing more quilts from the exhibit soon! Enjoy these photos of the quilts, along with statements from the artists.
Before we get into each of the Minimalist Modern Quilts, here is a walkthrough video of all of the quilts:
Let’s take a look at just 10 of the Minimalism Modern Quilts in the exhibit:
A Bedrock of Calm Quilt
by Debbie Grifka
Artist Statement: “Hand appliqueing one curve each day during sixty days of our COVID-19 lockdown was my Bedrock of Calm. While the world was turning upside down, spending an hour a day away from the alarming news helped me cope with the changes and challenges of that unprecedented time. As I completed each day’s curve, I added it to the growing pile and did not look at it again. At the end of the sixty days, it was exciting to take them out and see how similar and different they were. The blocks are sewn in chronological order. This work is part of my Grifology series about symbols, making marks, and daily practice.” Hand appliqued, machine quilted.
Autumn 21 Quilt
by Margo Yang
Artist Statement: “Architectural designs are all around us—we see them everywhere we go. Even the simplest form and function makes everyday life easier, like handrails on the steps.” Machine pieced, appliqued, quilted
Balancing Act Quilt
by Cindy Grisdela
Artist Statement: “Balancing Act explores the relationships between large, curved shapes and open, negative space activated by dense free motion stitching. The shapes were cut freehand without patterns or templates using my rotary cutter as a drawing tool.” Improvisationally designed and pieced, free motion stitched
Blue Line Quilt
by Joanne Alberda
Artist Statement:
“Blue rhythms…
shaped by line,
bound in black and
defined by a narrow blue line.”
Machine pieced, machine quilted
Celestial Swirl Quilt
by Kelly Spell
Artist Statement: “Celestial Swirl is a part of an ongoing series of work that explores movement and energy. Inspired to make a minimalist version of the series’ signature swirl motifs, I chose a muted, monotone palette of cool blues. Metallic thread adds a sparkly, ethereal quality to the piece.” Machine pieced, longarm quilted
Circles #34 Quilt
by Michele Hardy
Artist Statement: “I love color. And lines. And shapes. And fabric. And paint and dye. And thread. Portraying features at different scales, both macro and micro, overlaying and overlapping, and using color and contrast, I create a new world of abstract forms that combine to make a whole.” Dyed, painted, screen printed, machine stitched
Convergence Quilt
by Polly Bech
Artist Statement: “Inspired by a workshop with Jane Dunnewold, who challenged her students to work with only materials at hand, Convergence is part of a series of quilts using scraps of my solar printed fabric. The pieced squares are arranged to convey the coming together of opposites; a merging, a convergence.” Solar printed, machine pieced, hand quilted
Conversations Quilt
by Kathy York
Artist Statement: “This piece is an abstraction about talking and listening. Do you listen? Or just talk? My ability to listen seems inextricably linked to how closely I agree with the speaker. As I begin to disagree, my thoughts wander and I lose my ability to really listen. I suspect this affects us all, and may contribute to our country’s ever-widening divide.” Batiked with painted dyes, machine quilted, hand stitched
Help Me to Balance Quilt
by Judith E. Martin
Artist Statement: “A patchwork of used and mended cotton sheets and towels is hand stitched with a red thread grid. The middle layer of this quilt is a recycled flannel sheet. The softness and weight of so much cloth that has been touched repeatedly over time creates an incredibly intimate support blanket.” Hand mended, machine pieced, hand quilted
Here and Now Quilt
by Connie Rohman
Artist Statement: “In this piece, dynamic lines spell out “Here And Now,” one word per panel. Each panel shows layered lines that create the letters which spell out each word. The lines were created from fabric on which I wrote my thoughts and feelings about what it means to be present, unaccompanied by ghosts from the past. Though we carry our past with us, it does not have to define our present reality. Being here and now is to be able to take in the present moment, and to live our lives to the fullest.” Machine quilted
Get inspired by more minimalist modern quilts!
See more of my highlights from QuiltCon 2024 and previous QuiltCon shows here.
1 Comment
Thank you for a great peek at the SAQA exhibit. So glad you had an opportunity to enjoy it.