MODERN or TRADITIONAL??

Modern or traditional?  A small group of quilting friends discussed the two styles last night, trying to decide which group each fell into.  Most of my "quilting BFFs" are close in age.  They lean towards the traditional category creating the most incredible treasures worthy of passing down for generations to come.  We only hope those we pass on to treasure them because of the time and care (not to mention the cost) we put into each quilt.  For those not clear how modern and traditional differ, I will work with visuals.

See the difference?  The top one I named "falling off a log", a modern, wonky approach to the traditional and beloved Log Cabin pattern.  The bottom I named "heading home" a very traditional version of the Flying Geese pattern. To confuse you more, the top one is also an art quilt, a third category I'll talk about at a later date.  Yes, that is me, standing on the deck of my favorite spot in the entire world, at Red Point Cove, Swans Island, Maine, during a quilt retreat with my Quilt ‘besties’ September 2011.  Ahhhhh…. nothing like a walk down memory lane to invigorate the soul!

The modern quilt movement seems to draw mostly younger quilters.  I’m mostly thrilled because I want my love of quilting to be passed down to future generations.  But the conflict seems to reside in use.  Practical or show?  Display it on a quilt rack or put it on a bed to be used, dragged around the house, washed and loved… ending up worn and frayed? My quilt friends spend hours and hours planning, cutting, piecing, appliquéing, and hand quilting their works of art.  Sometimes we dare to have it long armed (machine quilted). All this time can make it hard to let go of, like raising a child. During our chat last night, one of us said they can’t bear to see their finished quilts dragged about because they put so much work into it.  So we made it to give away, but not really?  I can relate.

Back to the modern movement......our daughters and daughters-in-law watched us craft these INCREDIBLE fussy quilts.   They couldn't wait to receive them.  Then they weren't allowed to use it.  Perhaps this was when they turned their backs on quilting because it didn't make sense to them.  Sort of like building a house but not letting anyone "live" in it.   Maybe they wanted to pick up a needle, cut into a chunk of beautiful cotton fabric, or scour thru the never-ending list of quilt books and patterns.  In the end, they want to snuggle up on the couch with their kids tucked tightly inside the quilt alongside them. Hmm….our kids are pretty darn smart.

Renowned quilt expert Marianne Fons wrote on her blog:

"Finally, I could not be more enthusiastic about the Modern Quilting movement going on now, and it’s exciting to see my own quilt style changing a bit as I incorporate their new aesthetic. I find as I am getting older, I embrace change more readily than I did in the past. One of the characteristics I love about the Modern quilters is their desire to make quilts that can be used."   USED?  Sigh....  Form over Function???

The modern movement ‘mostly’ consists of bright colors, lots of white, random seams (no perfectly matched points to be inspected by the quilt police of my generation), redesigned 
from traditional patterns, made of fun and happy fabric designs, all made by loving hands using the most efficient tools.  Wow....sign me up!  These new quilters have it figured out. Have fun sewing and use the quilts they make, passing down well-worn  quilts in the end.  

So.....I personally think we can, and in fact should coexist....traditional and modern, side by side.  We can learn from each other, enjoying the quilting we both love. We can enjoy a cup of coffee or tea together, share our lives, needle in hand, technology set aside for a brief moment and......in the long run, pass down our passion for quilting to the next generation.  We can ensure our grandchildren carry the tradition that began with our grandmothers, making quilts to keep them warm at night.  I wonder if my grandmothers were conflicted when we began quilting for show.  Sadly, they can no longer be asked.  But my gut tells me they would be happy to see us share the tradition, and coexist, traditional and modern, side by side.   As Marianne Fons said, be open to change. We owe it to our grandmothers to make room for the modern quilts.  Move over Barbara.......there is a chair just waiting to be filled next to me with a modern quilter.........