A Modern Quilt Guild

I'm almost too excited to sit still to write this post.  Of course, my friends know that in general I'm easily entertained, so this may not have the same knock your socks off effect for you as if does for me.  So here's the announcement -  I'm starting a Modern Quilt Guild in NE Iowa - New Albin to be specific. 

I'm not generally a joiner, and I loathe (is that too strong a word?) group politics and sitting through hours of grueling group decision making (over the brand of paper plates!), and yes, even Robert's Rules.  I know a few of you have those rules memorized, and I truly do not intend to offend you and I'm sure there are some situations where they're swell, but having endured hours of meeting time spent listening to people argue about whether this Rule or that Rule is appropriate for a certain situation has just hardened me into what appears to most as an anti-social, meeting hater.  Well, fessing up, I guess I am.  Have you ever spent time in a meeting only to leave feeling really frustrated, and well, maybe a little ticked off?  And it's not fun and you can't remember why you came, anyway.

Tripping backwards on memory's lane (would that work as time travel?),  I do have incredibly fond recollections of early quilt guild meetings in the late 1970's and early 1980's.  We were the young moms then, in our 20's and 30's and hungry to learn about quilting and to simply gather with like minded women to explore our new art.  Our meetings were fun, light-hearted, and refreshing times that got us out of the house (and away from our young children) for a couple of hours.  We were excited to see what each other was working on, and to gain advice from other gals who had been quilting just a bit longer than us. 

SO - if you're wondering what a Modern Quilt is, or if maybe you might want to be a Modern Quilter, or if maybe you already are a Modern Quilt maker and just don't know it, or if the concept of just making fun quilts and getting together with other people who like to make fun quilts and just hang out and inspire each other intrigues you - here's what Modern Quilting is (taken from The Modern Quilt Guild.com).

What is Modern Quilting?

"Modern quilting is a new twist on the traditional art of quilting. This may mean something as simple as using a traditional quilt block and updating it in a fresh fun new way. That includes using modern fabrics, modifying the block arrangement or even the scale of the block.   The piecing could be improvisational and wonky, or it could be very exact and measured, following a pattern or creating your own. The quilting could be traditional stippling, clean straight lines or a very “free” have fun, quilt as you go style. Fabrics could be upcycled vintage sheets, custom digital printed fabric, a yummy selection from one of the new modern fabric designers, or an old fabric from an ever growing stash.

Modern quilting is sometimes difficult to define because in many ways the definition is as individual as the quilter – changing from quilter to quilter. In addition to reflecting the individual personality and personal style of the quilter it also reflects the current aesthetic of the day.

Modern quilting is also about the attitude and the approach that modern quilters take. It respects the amazing artistry and talent of the tradition of quilting, while allowing the quilter to challenge the “rules”. In fact, if there were one rule in modern quilting it would be that there are no rules.

The concept of modern quilting is not meant to divide or segregate. It is meant to welcome new quilters, of all ages, to the world of quilting in a style that they can relate to. In many ways, modern quilting takes us back to the basics of the early quilters, when women of the day used the colors and styles of their time to express themselves creatively."

If this sounds delightful to you, check out TheModernQuiltGuild.com and take a look at the type of quilts they're making, read a little, and then shoot me an e-mail.  I don't have a real sense for exactly how this will all play out, but I'm pretty sure they're a lot of quilters in our geographic area - SW Minnesota, NE Iowa and the LaCrosse area- who might be ready for something else.

till later ~ Angela