Creative Nudge – The Yin and Yang of Quilting

Dear Fabric-Loving Friends,

First of all, I want to wish you a beautiful Valentine's Day, full of fabric, chocolate, old movies, or whatever it is that makes your heart go pitty-pat!

If your sweetie is at a loss for last minute Valentines Day gift ideas, you can always drop a hint with our Wish List, or ask for an eQuilter Gift Certificate.
*smile*

Above is a detail shot of one of my favorite quilts at the Tokyo show – "Swing Jazz".
Please check out my photo page for more photos of this and other quilts.

Some thoughts, as I anticipate QuiltCon next week:

No trend exists all by itself.
There is always a counterbalance – either an
opposite trend – or an established norm against which the new trend stands
in contrast.
There is no yin without a yang.
They need each other.

Our quilting industry is still trying to figure out the Modern Quilt
movement.
In some way, the Modern Quilt movement is still trying to figure
itself out, in that it has unfolded so rapidly and continues to have
incredible momentum…sometimes away from its origins.

What an exciting time to be a quilter!

We live in a world full of polarities.
Groups of people tend to separate
into polarized groups, even though we all know it is better to work
together, rather than stand on opposite sides of the gym and throw balls at
each other!

For many years in the quilting world, it was the traditional patchwork
quilters vs.
the contemporary art quilters.
Not everyone participated in
this polarization.
Many of us like to go both ways – somewhere in the
middle – or perhaps spread out from one side to the other.
(That would be me: I want to do it ALL! *grin* )

Now we have several potential ways to become polarized amongst ourselves:
Mature quilters vs.
youthful quilters.

Embellished layered complex quilts vs.
the modern design aesthetic.

Experienced quilters vs.
newbies.

Complex art statements vs.
clean simple lines.
Handmade vs.
machine-quilted.

The problem is – creativity is just not that black and white! There are older
creative quilters who want to start their own Modern Quilt guilds.
There
are younger quilters who are recreating their grandmothers' complex paper
pieced quilts.
There are modern quilters who don't care for negative space.

Some of us are tired of the super-layered-embellished trend, but find modern
quilts too simple.

What's a trendspotter to do?!?

The good news is…
our beloved art and craft has exploded into such exquisite variety that
there is truly something for everyone! If you get bored with one
creative doctrine or quilting creed …
there's always something completely different to pursue with equal
passion!

Whenever I see a group of people polarizing, I see it as an opportunity for
us to redefine and redirect.
Every art or design movement that ever existed,
had to change and morph with time.
It is just human nature.

So just about the time we quantify the Modern Quilt movement, it is
organically changing and growing, and moving forward….
with or without the
rules or founding principles.

What an exciting time to be a quilter!

In the end we all come back to what unites us: our love of color and fabric.

I hope we all get to sew something that makes us happy on Valentine's Day.

*correction from Keiko Goke re last week's newsletter:
Her
house survived the tsunami because it is located far from the seaside
areas, and she can live there, after fixing outer wall and roof.

* Hurricane Sandy Quilt Relief Info *

* Sandyhook Elementary Memorial Quilt Project *

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See my photo page for travel images, comment on my blog, follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram or Twitter for more color and design ideas.
Quilt show reviews on the eQuilter Video page.

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