Speaking about my quilts

My friend Michele invited me to speak about my modern quilts at the newly formed Inland Empire Modern Quilt Guild in San Bernardino.So I packed up the quilts I have at hand and off I went.  The topic was what does modern mean to me. Well to be honest, if I’m making it now, it’s modern. I love being a part of the modern quilt movement, but since I’ve been quilting for almost 40 years, my style is set, and that comes through.Thank you, Michele for taking pictures, I tend to be the photographer, it’s nice being on the other side of the camera. This is a quilt I made 30 years ago, but in it’ style, use of solids and some negative space, it would fit well into a modern show. This was still done when I was hand quilting everything.

Then there is my masterpiece from 29 years ago. I still think this is the best quilt I ever made and probably ever will. All hand work. Based on the title page from the book of Mark from the Lindisfarne Gospels.

This one was made 18 years ago, the final quilt I made before going on a long hiatus from quiltmaking.

And this one is four years old. See what I’m saying about how my style is very apparant?

A pillow made from one of the first Michael Miller chanlenges. This was back in the day when modern quilting was still a small group. If you belonged to a modern guild, you got a bundle of fabric. Today we are so numerous, you need to respond asap and hope that you are chosen for a bundle. Ah the joys of growing and expanding.

I returned to quilting about a year and half before I discovered LAMQG. I joined them in the second year of their existance. So This storm at sea was made for my son with a few newer fabrics as well as many map and travel themed ones.  He clearly uses it a lot, it was filthy. Since he has laundry in his apartment building, there was no way this was going to get washed. I’m a good mom, and I washed it for him.  Along with this next one, that isn’t as old, but why not? If I’m already in the mood to launder quilts.

The Chuppah collaboration that I made with my son in law Yochanan. He made the top, I added the borders and the corners and then I quilted it.  No question, he ‘gets’ the modern sensibilities much better than I do.

My 1600 hexagons, all hand pieced, but machine quilted. I tried to create color fields, I’m pleased with how I distributed them. No matter how scrappy the quilt – I never just throw things together, there is a lot of planning about the placement of the quilt blocks or patches.

A good example is this clam shell, I chose mostly floral prints and went to town. If you notice the orange/brown/white fabric, that is a good indication of how I laid it out row by row and made sure to disperse the fabrics all over, so there are no clumps on one color.

My California Dreaming of a New York beauty. This is my second favorite quilt. It has been accepted at a show in Ontario CA, Redesigning traditions. More on that as the show opens in December.

Smaller pieces, my water challenge for Valley MQG, this time, needle turn applique.

I am part of an Instagram swap with the paper piece designs of Quiet Play, by the end of the month I will be sending this off to its’ new owner.

And finally, the mini quilt I made in Luke Haynes class at Quiltcon. I enjoyed the class, I enjoyed the process, I don’t like the end result. It is so not me! But Michele loves it! She bought it from me and I couldn’t be happier! That is what I call a win-win.

The guild itself was delightful, every guild takes on it’s own personality. It is fun seeing experienced quilters discovering modern quilting and being willing to try new things. Along side new quilters for whom modern quilting is their introduction to the quilt world.