Links!

Let's revisit our discussion of what's modern with a couple awesome posts from Blog Land.

Feel free to join in on the conversations at Naptime Quilter and Oh, Fransson, or just comment here!

A finished project!

Check it out! Colleenmds made a rice heating bag using the Broken Dishes block. I absolutely love the colors she picked too. Fantastic job!

IMG_8433
Originally uploaded by Colleenmds

This little rice bag makes me super happy. I put a lot of time and effort into making these tutorials. And before that, it takes a lot of mental trial and error before I even start working things up in fabric. So, to know someone liked one of my projects enough to make one of their own...well, that's just so cool!

Anyway, if you make one of our projects, please feel free to post pictures the flickr pool. We'd love to see them!

Sunshine Block

You might have already seen Jen's block in the flickr pool but I just had to feature it here in case you didn't.

"Sunshine" Block
Originally uploaded by jennewby71

Check out that fussy cutting! I've seen her fabric and the design she chose for this block isn't actually the main focus pattern. It's a secondary design created by the pattern repeat.

It reminds me that there's potential for fussy cutting even when it's not obvious right away. I get pretty annoyed when I don't have enough fabric left to fussy cut the main design but I need to remember that there are other designs that can be just as, if not more, stunning. Fantastic job, Jen!

Oh, and I just saw that Jen is having a giveaway on her blog...a "Snippets" charm pack by American Jane!

Antique Tile

Check it out! Amber of One Shabby Chick made five gorgeous Antique Tile blocks for one of her quilting bees.

for badlandquilts
Originally uploaded by One ShaBby ChiCk

This is my favorite but the other four are beautiful (and sassy!) as well.

This is such a flexible block, as Amber demonstrated. Visiting our flickr group is definitely my favorite part of this project. I love seeing how different fabrics and the use of light and dark can change a block so completely. So, don’t be shy…even if you make just one block, add it to the pool!

You know, it's funny...I've seen our tutorials pop up here and there and every time I do, I just sort of stare in disbelief. I can see that there are lots of people following the blog but I still can't believe people are actually reading it. And, you know, making blocks! And telling friends! It's just so satisfying (and kind of terrifying) and Jennifer and I have you all to thank.

So, you know, thank you!

SuperGirl's Finished Quilt Top

You guys are not going to believe this. I was emailing with Blueberrymoon (who quilted along with us in round 1) and she mentioned that our quilt-along inspired her 12-year-old daughter to make this gorgeous pinwheel quilt top:

SuperGirl's Finished Top
Originally uploaded by blueberrymoon

Are you as blown away as I am? Apparently, she loved the pinwheel block so much that she just kept going. You can read more about it on her blog here and here.

I'm trying to think about what I was doing at 12 and I'm pretty sure it was nothing as cool as this. I'm beyond thrilled to meet such a young and inspiring quilter. I love how quilting brings so many people together, young and old and in-between...how we all share a common bond, a common history. We may belong to different generations but we all belong to the same family. We are all quilters.

So with that, I say fantastic job, SuperGirl! Thank you for letting us feature your quilt today!

What's Modern: Quilting

Not that I'm to that point or anything, but I've been thinking about how I'll quilt my sampler quilt. But the more I think about it, the more I just don't know how to quilt a sampler quilt (in general) and a modern sampler quilt, specifically.

So for now, here are the ideas I like best...

First, I've always wanted to try this diagonal quilting from katie did.

Or what about Ashley's curvy line quilting?

Or wavy quilting to offset all those sharp angles?



Or what about parallel lines or some sort of a grid?

I hope once I get the top finished, it'll tell me what to pick. What about you? What sort of quilting are you going to do?

What's Modern: Layout

I've been thinking about the layout for my quilt. I had an idea in mind from the start but now I think I've changed my mind. Of course, the layout I want to try will take longer so I might not get it finished before the end of the year. But I'm going to try really hard to finish it before then.

Anyway, I wanted to share some of the quilts that have been providing me inspiration over the past month.

These quilts use blocks in rows to create a dramatic layout. I really love the simplicity of blocks in rows, especially off center or vertical.

These quilts use rows of blocks with some fantastic boarders and sashing. I was originally going to use Jacquie's quilt as inspiration for my layout. I like the double row of blocks paired with sashing and solids. Very nice!

But then I saw Ashley's quilt the other day and it got me thinking. I really love random groupings of blocks in quilts. The feeling is so modern to me, so dramatic. I've been searching flickr for days to find an example of a quilt that paired traditional blocks with multiple boarders and random layouts...but I've come up with nothing. So, that's my plan because I want to see how it'll turn out.

So, do you have a favorite "modern" quilt? What type of layouts appeal to you the most? Feel free to link to a picture so we can all see.

What's Modern: No Negative Space

We talked about the use of negative space in quilts but I think it's also important to talk about non negative space. I know some people are nervous about using "too much print" in their blocks but I don't think there's anything to fear. The key is to use value or color to give the eye a place to rest.

These quilts, while busy, feature contrasting values (light and dark) in order to make the design pop. The eye is drawn to the dark fabrics which are restful amidst the chaos.

These quilts use fabrics that are all a similar value. The lack of contrast makes these quilts feel calm (even though they're very bright).

And these quilts use color to give the eye a place to rest.

What do you think? Do you like the all pattern, no solids look of these quilts? Do you find they're too busy, too chaotic?

Color Quandary

When I started brainstorming this project everything fell together so easily-- except color.  I had a color crisis.  

I normally buy bright fabrics, but then get too scared to use them.  Not to mention my inspiration for this project was all over the place.  I kept seeing gorgeous photos with wonderful, muted, contrasting colors.  This nautilus sculpture was amazing me, as well as the browns of these deer against a green-blue fence.  This photo had just the right muted tone, and this one was calm, just as I'd envisioned my quilt.  

But then I saw this and this and thought that calm didn't have to be muted. 

So, you see my color quandary. 

Instead of focusing on color, I ended up choosing my fabrics based on texture.  I decided to work with a couple of shot cottons as well as some plain solids.  Fabric texture and feel can have quite an effect on how a quilt looks.  This quilt with blender batiks has a faux texture because of the dye pattern on the fabrics.  The colors are muted, but have an interesting visual quality because of how they were dyed.   Shot cottons, seen here, can create a whole new look with solid fabrics because of their iridescent quality.  When viewed one way, they're one color-- the other, another color.  They're especially interesting when paired with black.  They definitely add visual interest and subtle contrast when added to a quilt. 

Perhaps my color choices don't seem completely modern, but it's all about eye candy, right?

What's Modern: Lots of White and Neutrals

Jen already talked about using lots of white in quilts but I wanted to explore that idea a little further. The use of neutrals seems very modern but it's actually very traditional. For example, Double Wedding Ring and Irish Chain quilts have historically been set on fields of white.

Pairing a color with a neutral (especially a contrasting neutral) will usually get great results. For instance, take a look at this beautiful orange and gray block from cutter007:

ready to quilt
Originally uploaded by cutter 007

Isn't it stunning? Every time I see it in my flickr favorites I'm stunned anew! Neutrals, even though usually in the background, have the power to propel a design to new heights.

Here are two more examples of gray in quilts.

And, of course, more white.

Lately I've really been into tan in quilts.

And we can't forget about black.

So, what do you think? Why are neutrals so "modern" now, even though they've been used in traditional quilting since the beginning? What's your favorite neutral to use in quilts?

So far I've only tried white. But I just got some nice Kona solids in tan and gray and I'm excited to give them a try.

What's Modern: Solid Fabrics

Now that we've talked about prints, let's talk about solids. To many people, solids are the very definition of modern. Solids are sleek and streamlined, bold yet subtle.

On the other hand, solid fabrics have been used in quilts since the beginning of quilting. They give the eye a place to rest and provide a great canvas to show off quilting designs.

You've all probably seen Cherri's quilt: City News.

City News Quilt
Originally uploaded by cherry house quilts

Cherri's use of solids make this traditional quilt (do you see the bow ties?) feel very modern. The red/pink/orange is stunning and the black and white prints really enhance the modern feel.

It's also been a recent trend to make quilts out of only solids. The Amish have been doing it since the late 1800's, though...so all good ideas come around eventually. Check out some of my favorite quilts made of all solid fabrics.

I have a few more fabric ideas to share tomorrow but in the meantime, do you use solid fabrics in your quilts? Do you use only solid fabrics in your quilts? Do they feel modern to you?

What's Modern: Creative Use of Prints

The first "modern" idea I want to talk about is creative use of prints. Fussy cutting has been around forever but has seen a comeback in the modern quilt movement. I've seen a few traditional blocks make use of fussy cutting but I'd really love to see more. Also, keeping track of and manipulating directional prints can be a great way to add drama and movement to a block.

Check out this block that Julie made:

Sweet Dreams Quilt Bee Block for August
Originally uploaded by Julie Antinucci

Stunning, right? Julie says it took her three hours to make but that it was worth it. I agree!

The pattern of the block itself is interesting but what really catches my attention is the way Julie used her fabric within the block. The fussy cut corners really tie everything together and the stripes and serpentine print keep the eye moving.

Here are a few more blocks that highlight fussy cutting and directional prints.

I love this block because the fabric and the block layout meld together in such a natural way.

And check out this gorgeous patchwork pillow. The depth created by the directional fabric is fantastic.

To me, traditional blocks often feel rigid and cold. They don't seem to have as much personality as today's improvised quilt blocks. But by making the most of your fabric, a traditional block can have character and a unique personality while still feeling orderly and tidy, while still staying true to its roots.

What do you think? Do you like to use directional prints/fussy cutting in your blocks? Feel free to link to a photo so we can all see.

What's Modern: Fabric and Design

So, yesterday I said that all colors have the potential to be modern. Now I'm going to say that not all colors will look modern in all quilt layouts.

For instance, here's a sampler quilt done in pink and brown. I think this looks very "traditional". But what about this quilt? Modern, right?

Colors can be both traditional and modern...the way we feel about them is determined by the fabric choices and the block design/quilt layout.

Modern layouts have the advantage. So long as the design looks modern to the eye, it's easier to accept the color choices. Traditional quilts have unfortunate accociations that tend to get in the way. It's very hard for modern eyes to see a traditional quilt and think "whoa, now that's modern!"

This is the challenge Jennifer and I (and hopefully you!) want to take on with this project.

Deciding what's modern is complicated and there's no right answer. However, Jennifer and I have noticed a few trends that we feel are very modern and that might help us turn our traditional blocks into a modern quilt.

I'll post the first this afternoon. Until then, I'd love to hear everyone's opinion on this complicated question. What's modern to you?

What's Modern Part 2

modern munki munki martian quilt back
Originally uploaded by filminthefridge

Many quilters today are creating quilts with pieced backs. Those backs alone are works of art, and many times I find them to be more appealing than the front of the quilts!

Most of these pieced backs exhibit an irregular use of space. I definitely file this in the "modern" category, simply because it's different and completely not traditional. The off-kilter placement of the patchwork lends a crisp, geometric feeling, much like these quilts I found on google.

Check out these other examples of quilts that use space in an innovative or irregular way.

pink stripe edges flipped SM
Originally uploaded by ralexandra

Jaffa Cake Quilt - the Back
Originally uploaded by Red Pepper Quilts

What's Modern: Color

I spend a lot of time thinking about quilts but more specifically, I think about color. Color gives life to a quilt, gives it the power to affect our emotions, to draw out memories.

When picking colors for your modern-traditional quilt, it's important to think about how you want the quilt to feel. What colors feel "modern" to you? Is modern cold, machine-like? Is it bright and sassy? Is it subtle and subdued? I don't want to sound like I'm taking the easy way out but I really do feel that every color can feel modern...it's all in how you use it.

When thinking about modern colors, I don't let what's "hot" right now influence me. Colors have been paired up for centuries. For example, I love yellow, orange and green mixed together.



But remember when harvest gold, burnt orange and avocado were all the rage? Same colors, different names. Don't let "dated" color combinations scare you off and if you don't like what's "popular" right now, don't worry about it. Choose colors you love and you'll be happy.

More ideas below the cut.

What's Modern Part 1

Mini Patchwork Quilt
Originally uploaded by BooDilly's

Millie had it right when she sang that "everything today is thoroughly modern." Most quilts that I see exhibit modern characteristics.

One quality I consider modern is use of white space. Modern quilts, like modern page layouts, use white space (though not necessarily white fabric) to their advantage.

This modern Nine Patch quilt alternates blank white space with a printed fabric that includes a lot of white space. This technique gives the quilt a crisp, minimalist feeling. A quilt alternating two small scale prints with little white space wouldn't feel nearly as up to date.