Traditional Quilts vs Modern Quilts
September 22, 2016
Hello marvelous makers!
After going to Quilt Market last spring, I became fascinated by all the types of quilts that could be made. I use to think that they were just cozy blankets made to keep you warm at night, but there's a lot more to them. Quilts are a true art form! As I grew more interested in this subject, I started researching about it because it was very interesting to know the differences between a traditional and a modern quilt.
One popular definition I found was by the Modern Quilt Guild and it states:
"Modern quilts are primarily functional and inspired by modern design. Modern quilters work in different styles and define modern quilting in different ways, but several characteristics often appear which may help identify a modern quilt. These include, but are not limited to: use of bold colors and prints, high contrast and graphic areas of solid colors, improvisational piecing, minimalism, expansive negative space, and alternate grid of work. "Modern Traditionalism" or the updating of classic quilt designs is also often seen in modern quilting."
Not every quilt will have all the features that this definition mentions, but if it meets one or two characteristics would you call your quilt design modern or traditional? I think I would! I also read some books about modern quilts and I found other interesting characteristics. I made a little graphic to show you what I found!
Let's take a look:
Here at AGF HQ we describe ourselves as a modern fabric company. Our quilt designs are a mix between modern and traditional but always keeping that elegant and clean touches that describe our "contemporary elegant" style.
Now, I'm going to show you some quilts done here in our studio and let's see which characteristics these quilts have!
This quilt is considered modern, because it has negative space, an alternate grid of work, and most of the colors are bold. It also looks modern at first sight. What do you think? The collection used to make this quilt was Prisma Elements.
Now, this quilt looks more traditional because of its design but I would say it's a combination of both traditional and modern (or like the modern quilt guild would say "Modern Traditionalism"). The fabric used for this quilt is very modern which makes the traditional design look updated and unique. In case you're curious, this quilt features Observer by April Rhodes.
Well, after looking at all the different quilts I realized that sometimes it can be a subjective opinion depending on how you feel about a quilt and what it transmits to you! Just like art! Now my question for you is...
Do you prefer a traditional quilt over a modern quilt or you just like them all?
I hope you all enjoyed,
Caro
P.S. Just in case you want to learn more about this interesting subject these are the pages I visited:
H. (2016). What Defines a Modern Quilt? Retrieved September 19, 2016, from http://www.seasonedhomemaker.com/what-defines-a-modern-quilt/