Wednesday, April 18, 2012

V and Co: are you a traditional or modern

as i mentioned this last week my sister in law was visiting. and on friday we got the husband and the youngest noisemaker to play hookie and we took a trip to the nauvoo temple. it was a fun little trip and we were able to go inside some of the historical buildings in the "old nauvoo" town.
in one of the buildings there was a room with old quilts. i was in love with this one up above. i instantly gasped when i saw it.
with it's mini pleats i couldn't stop staring at it and thinking that i was going to go home and make something like it. or something with that idea. the juices started flowing and i felt inspired.
and that got me thinking.
traditional quilts vs modern quilts.
both beautiful in their own right.
heck. every quilt beautiful in it's own right. 

when i get asked if i'm modern or traditional i hesitate to answer.
honestly?
i just make what i think looks pretty and i have no idea if i fall in any category.

i think my style is this:
traditional and modern get married and have a baby and each time they have a baby it comes out slightly different.
yeah...that's my style.


my latest kick is applique. my bag is probably a great example of what i mean. of traditional and modern having babies. and these days i find something so rewarding (and gorgeous) and relaxing in hand applique.
yes, watch for more projects with applique from me.

another little love and obsession i have going on these days is that of the love of different shades of the same color family. this log cabin shows what i mean. i love that the quilter took one color and then used all different shades of that same color.

to me a lot of different things make a quilt beautiful. let it be monochromatic color, or some kind of texture, or applique, or whatever i want to try my hand at...you'll see it in my designs. i kind of just close my eyes and think "oh yeah...that would look really cool if i try that."


oh am i giving some hints of things that i'm working on?
absolutely i am.
am i going to be showing you soon?
yeah.
i will.

but not yet, i'm still working on it. so for now, i pose you the question.
are you a modern + traditional married and had children kind of quilter like me? or are you traditional through and through, or modern all the way?
:)

39 comments:

Natalia from Piece N Quilt said...

That pleated quilt is beautiful! I agree! I wouldn't say I'm traditional or modern, but a mix of both :)

Three Birds Inspired said...

I started as a traditional quilter but I have recently begun dabbling in more modern looking quilts. That is what I love about this art form. There is room at the table for everyone.

Pam said...

I love both! Todays vintage traditional quilts were probably made by the modern quilters of their day. It comes down to great design sense and creative use of color and fabric.

LeAnn said...

I'm not much of a quilter these days but I really like a good variety of modern and traditional.

I love your pictures from Nauvoo. I have a block from a crazy quilt my great grandma made back in the 1880s while growing up in North Carolina on a plantation. When I look at the variety of fabrics and prints I just know that she had to have made it from the dress scraps she had. I wonder about the dances and activities she attended while wearing the dresses. I really wish that she had kept some sort of quilt journal. :)

Ramanda said...

I am traditional and modern's barren aunt that hovers around admiring their beautiful creations, in hopes that one day she too will be blessed to make such crafty things of her very own.

Rebecca said...

I like both as well... especially when they are mixed up to make a beautiful mod-itional quilt

ellen said...

I love traditional quilts (and have a few from my ancestors) but all the quilts I make a modern. So a nice mix!

pinksuedeshoe said...

Illegitimate child of modern and traditional. Neither of my parents want to claim me :)

Jennifer Mathis of Ellison Lane said...

I love your definition b/c I am totally modern and traditional married and had kids. That is absolutely me.
Love that first quilt too.

A.J. Dub. (Amy) said...

Just today I saw a post from Marie BOstiwick that she posted April 9th on a technique that looks like that pleated quilt you showed.
http://mariebostwick.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogsection&id=11&Itemid=41
The post is titled Folded Courthouse square.

As a quilter, I am in the middle. I like both quilting styles.

Tiara said...

I am super traditional, you just cannot beat an old fashioned sampler quilt, unless its done up in modern colors :)

trish said...

Oh man Vanessa! I thought for sure that the first quilt was your creation until I read your post. It reminds me so much of you. :o)
For me, I love sweet and little prints: ginghams, florals, etc. But I love them in all different types of blocks. I don't know what that makes me. :o)
I know exactly what you mean about the hand work. I love to hand quilt. It is so relaxing and rewarding when finished.
I hope you have had a wonderful week!!
love ya, Trish
ps. Can't wait to see what you are up to. :o)

Leila said...

I have thought quite a bit about this - I wasn't sure I wanted to join the local modern quilt guild because lots of the things that I like wouldn't be considered "modern." I have decided that I am "vintage modern." I love older quilt patterns and vintage looking fabric, but I think my stuff has a fresh modern feel too.

Oh, I always have to bite my tongue not to say something about the few crazy quilts that are on display in the historic homes in Nauvoo. Don't they know that no one made crazy quilts until the early 1880's? Shouldn't the quilts be representative of the time portrayed, not just old? Oh my...you know you are a quilt nerd when... :)

Unknown said...

My world views it a bit differently...pieced quilters vs. art quilters. It doesn't matter what colors, patterns or stitches you use, if you cut fabric apart only to sew it together again to be shared with others you love, you're a pieced quilter. If you create quilts that will only ever hang on walls as art, possibly using other mediums besides fabric and paint, you're an art quilter.
I'm a pieced quilter....

Kari Sweeten said...

I'm a "Vanessa kind of quilter"...love every single one of your quilts and can't wait to make the ruffle argyle quilt next!!

KnittingBetsy said...

I'm definitely an all-inclusive quilter. I love traditional 2-color quilts, all types of modern quilts, all sizes of quilts. The clean look is my favorite, but I love to cuddle in a warrm and soft scrap quilt also.

Emily said...

I'm commenting mostly because you went to Nauvoo! That's my best friend's favorite place in the world! I'm pretty sure she'll get married there when she finds that guy. :) Traditional or modern - it doesn't matter, make pretty things and enjoy doing so! :)

Rachelle said...

I have no idea what I am, I'm working on a disappearing 16 block atm, and planning a very modern looking plain colours quilt for my eldest; the first is probably quite traditional, the second not so much.

Michelle Jensen said...

I agree with you. I think that modern right now could mean a lot of different things because a lot of people are almost doing these bright colors with white back grounds and it is kinda getting a little bit of a style but compare that to a modern monochromatic quilt that is just strip piecing and they look totally different. I think that we are lucky to have a marriage between modern and traditional but there are so many variances between all of those that it really isn't possible to tie any one down... but I love traditional and I hope that in a lot of ways that it comes out a little bit stronger in the near future because it is easy to get tired of modern because traditional is beyond trendy :)

Michele said...

I am both!

Jen Crutchfield said...

If I ever actually FINISH a quilt, I'll let you know for sure! But, in the mean time, I would say I'm a mish-mosh quilter myself.

kelli said...

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this post! You have hit the nail on the head. Quilt patterns haven't changed much, only our fabric choices (which can be trendy), and our piecing techniques! I'm definitely a traditionalist with a modern sassy twist! I love the log cabin with the folds -- I'm thinking ruffles or folds alternating directions... something with more movement like the thow pillow with frosting in your book. Love your ideas and keep it up!

gmp said...

I appreciate the traditional quilts, but I really do love the modern/contemporary quilts. I love the vibrant colors, and the clean uncluttered look. It makes me happy!

Katie Z. said...

Married and had children, although you might think traditional to see my quilts. I love it all (well, almost)!

Anonymous said...

Since I was there...I thought I should mention that you actually started tearing up when you saw one of those quilts!!! I thought, "Wow, you know you're with a quilting nerd when she is overcome and starts crying" It was nice of the docent to take down the rope and let you get up close and personal--it was a "special" moment-ha,ha!

lisa said...

I am somewher in teh baby-making path....sometimes it's very traditional with a hint of hmmm, and once in a blue moon it's what were you thinking? with a pinch of tradition! mostly its whatever makes me happy or matches what I think the person I know will like, I don't like WILD

Glen QuiltSwissy said...

Started out really really traditional. Even thought art quilts were not really quilts. Go figure that. But then I made one, won a nice prize and a blue ribbon and have not stopped yet! I love it all.
glen

Heather at Happy Chippy Junk said...

I do not quilt..but I did read this http://www.amazon.com/Quilts-Women-Mormon-Migrations-Transition/dp/1558533990 book once. (I think it was this one!! Seriously amazing!!

Heather at Happy Chippy Junk said...

I think it might of been this one...but either...amazing!! http://www.amazon.com/Salt-Lake-City-Album-Quilt/dp/0874807921/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1334810412&sr=1-2

Thimbleanna said...

Oooh, I've been wanting to go to Nauvoo for years -- you'd think as close as we are that we'd actually make that trip! I'm traditional + traditional got married and then had traditionaltraditional. Then modern + traditional got married and had moderntraditional. THEN those two children got married and had ME = traditionaltraditionalmoderntraditional!
Can't wait to see your new project! (And hey -- are you going to marktet???)

chris said...

My style has evolved quite a bit in the last few years. Blogging has a lot to do with that. I love traditional with a modern twist, and bits of industrial thrown in.

Emily Herrick said...

I LOVE your style description: Get married, have a baby, each baby is slightly different. :o) SO TRUE!!! Can't wait to see you and your goodies in KC! :o)

Evelene S said...

That first quilt has your name written all over it, it is so you!
Speaking of you I saw an auction online that had shoes that said you all over them and if I win them they go straight to you:-)

gi quilt said...

Quilt says it all no matter what type. When I started quilting seriously in 2000 I had some set ideas, but today anything goes. I am working my way through monochromatic, orange x2, green, brown, currently red. It really gives you some ideas of color. Hand appliqué is so soothing. PS the question in 2000 was to hand or machine quilt.

Patrichter said...

Pepper Cory just showed this type of historical log cabin " the original quilt as you go quilt" on The Quilt Show. I think she saw it in a Santa Fe Museum
They are so beautiful

bdaiss said...

Oh my gosh the pleats!!! *swoon*

A few years ago I would have said traditional all the way. Now I'm starting to loosen up and be more of that cross-marriage baby like you.

Although applique has NEVER been my thing. It just aggravates me. :)

Jennifer Blosser said...

V - I am a modern fabric kind of girl pieced into a traditional blocks. I love the meaning in the names of old blocks. I still like to see the art in a pieced quilt. I appreciate modern designs, but I like my Bear Paws and Dresden Plates.

Hugs & stitches,
Jennifer

Kendra said...

One of my favorite things about the trend of quilting lately is the traditional/modern mix. The quiet importance and attention to detail of the traditional and the unique non fussiness of the modern blend perfectly. That's why I love your quilts. Great inspiration for me.

Una said...

I love this post! Every quilt is beautiful in its own right. YEAY! My take on making quilts is founded in love of traditional quilts and their history. Still I find that we have to 'watermark' our works, so that they become our own. What a gift it must have been for you to find that room, and to be inspired to make your OWN quilt:) Una in Norway

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