Do you find your quilting style changing as you become more involved in this art?  For instance, I started out making traditional quilts using the patterns handed down throughout the years.  More recently, I’ve been drawn to art quilting and smaller pieces.  I haven’t made a bed quilt for years.
My daughter has done the same.  Beth made her first quilt for her bed at college.  Her work now involves art quilting and fiber art.  (Actually, my venturing into art quilting resulted after seeing what Beth does.  See examples at her Meandering Threads blog.)
Are we finding our style or voice?  Are we following a …read more

When I began making quilts again in the 1970s Bicentennial Era, a controversy was going on regarding the “correct” fabric to use in quilts…100% cotton of cotton/polyester blend.
The traditionalists insisted you should use only cotton as the early quiltmakers did.  With cotton/polyester blends becoming popular for clothing and household items, some quilters began to use this fabric in quilts.
I did use a great deal of the blends because they were easy to care for and didn’t wrinkle easily.  I figured the pioneer homemakers would have used them if they’d been available.
I did make one quilt with blocks of corduroy because …read more

During this season of storms and hurricanes, quilters might incorporate these themes into their creations.  Some of the traditional quilts of years ago also were inspired by events in nature.  They include Storm at Sea, North Wind, Four Winds, Falling Timbers, Ocean Waves, and Streak of Lightning.
Today’s fabric artists may recreate storm scenes or combine colors that give an energizing, even stormlike appearance.  Because of the brilliant color combinations in Kumiko Sudo’s quilts, some may bring to mind the vibrancy and action of storm.
Her book, Harmonies and Hurricanes: Color and Line in Japanese Quilts will give you some ideas for designs of your own.

Other quilts, although …read more