I went to a quilt show last Thursday. I was invited to bring in 2 quilts I had made. I chose this one:
and this one:
Now I've never been to a quilt show before. This was our towns first one held here sponsored by the local sewing machine dealer shop. I went into the show with an open mind and came away very dissappointed. I've never been to an actual quilt show but I know enough about them through flickr friends and photos as to how they work. I was terribly disheartened to see my first quilt "thrown" on a chair. How is one to get a full view of the quilt's workmanship and design all folded up? I went searching out for my second quilt and could not find it anywhere. I asked one of the organizers and we did find it in a room where they were displaying so many other quilts on pvc piping. Many of the quilts were folded over. The lighting was very poor in this room.
My first impressions were what I was most fearing leading up to the show: my quilts "didn't belong". There were many, many well constructed quilts. I've been quilting since 1995. I've been around so to speak. I've seen the trends and know what's out there. What I saw at this show was the same stuff I saw in magazines in 1995. I've evolved as a quilter. I'm highly influenced by flickr and the modern quilting movement.
I chose the two quilts that I had made for this show for their differences, their bright bold use of colour and to give people an idea that it's okay to think outside the "box". My blocks are not cookie cutter repeats of the same block. I break the rules of traditional quilting. I would have liked to know what others thoughts were. I left feeling defeated and saddened that I had to be different and my quilts stood out amongst the rest. The saddened feeling was short-lived however because I have learned with the help of other great quilters I have met through flickr to do what you love to do and nevermind the "haters". I have my own particular style. Those of my real life family and friends admire and love the fact that I can actually make quilts. I can be
happy with that!
Here are some of my favourites of the show:
The bottom right corner was a reminder to me about the pink/red quilt I want to make someday. The bottom left corner was an amazing quilt with all the wonderful piecing. The other two I liked because of stars and scraps!
Fridays Self Portrait challange was bathroom mirrors. This was taken Friday morning at barely 6.30 am. No smiling involved but by the time I had taken picture 30 I was starting to smile but they were all blury. So I posted the very first photo.
9 comments:
The heck with the traditional quilters...you do what you want. I bet there weren't many young people there either, were there? It makes a difference! Younger people usually go for the more modern quilt styles, I think. (We won't tell anyone how old I am, okay?)
I love your two quilts and so would all the fresh modern quilters. I love the rule breaking and improv piecing and bright modern colours and fabrics and combinations. For me that's what makes quilting fun.
Do you sell your quilts, Laura? Was it that kind of show? I love your work, and would be very interested if you do sell them.
Brenda
Yours are awesome even if they didn't fit in! You're avent gaurd in your area, which is pretty cool! And I do fall into the more traditional category.
Hopefully you get another chance at a show that is more diverse, better organized and better lit!
I love your quilts, and good for you for entering them!
Don't you ever stop quilting for LAURA and not for anyone else :) I wish you'd open an etsy shop I'd save up to buy one of your wonky house quilts!! xoxo mel
I'll bet that people remember your quilts because they were different. The certainly look much more creative than the others you have shown.
and hey- look at these comments. Maybe you should start taking orders. Or auctioning your quilts so that people will have to fight for them!
Oh, but Laura, don't you know how REFRESHING it is to be different? Me, personally, I like doing things outside of the norm. Being unique in different ways. If you were cookie-cutter, I probably wouldn't have followed your blog. And seriously, I am always INSPIRED by your quilts and want to make some in the future a la Laura!
I guarantee you there were people who attended that quilt show that were happy to see your quilts since they were different from the norm. And cooler, I know it!
Laura, I just discovered your blog today and I LOVE your work! Don't compare your stuff with anyone but yourself! EVERY SINGLE ARTIST is unique. A real artist has their own vision of what they like, and eventually the world comes to appreciate and admire. I don't have to wait because I LOVE your vision. In fact it is my vision, but I haven't been able to make it happen like you have. I'm working on a sting strip quilt right now all hand sewn and am using used/ironed drier sheets to attach the string scraps. Don't know exactly how I'll put them all together, but I LOVE IT! :)
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