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Quilting the Quilt: Modern lines for modern times
As the concept of “modern quilting” continues to blossom, I often think about the idiom “what goes around comes around.” I remember 1950s fabric and fashion, but grew up during the flower child 60s and disco fever 70s. Several design elements that modern quilting embraces today are strikingly similar to what we considered “modern” over 50 years ago.
According to the Modern Quilt Guild national website, modern quilts are typically characterized by “the use of bold colors and prints, high contrast and graphic areas of solid color, improvisational piecing, minimalism,expansive negative space, and alternate grid work.” Aha! That’s why I get such a feeling of déjà vu with modern quilting—and probably why I am so attracted to it. The graphic shapes, bold colors, and negative spaces provide lots of room for quilting, and give me flashbacks to the “modern” curtains that hung in our family room!
The modern quilting movement that’s been gaining momentum is inspiring quilters of all ages with a fresh perspective on what it means to be “modern.” Lots of parallels are evident between vintage or retro fabric designs and today’s modern quilts. But you’ll also notice distinct differences; namely, the texture created by quilting, the minimalistic designs, and unique approaches to traditional patterns.
