Modern Quilt Month 2022 (1)

We really enjoy modern quilts and examining the design elements that make the finished pieces come alive. Summer seems like the perfect time to feature contemporary quilts, so it's become an annual tradition at Quilt Inspiration. Here is part 1 of Modern Quilt Month for 2022!

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 Sanity by Karen G. Fisher

This beautiful contemporary quilt, designed and made by Karen G. Fisher during the pandemic, is a fascinating juxtaposition of red and black prints, circles, and squares. Karen says, "The background of squares-plus-sashing had stalled. During Covid, I got out and immediately saw my solution - circles!"

Buttons were added to create even more interesting patterns. Karen explains, "I [added] appliqued circles, quilting, buttons and beads... one more way to stay sane in isolation." She adds this wise counsel: "Do something you love."

Spotlight by Sophie Zaugg @lunalovequilts (Switzerland)

Spotlight by Sophie Zaugg is is a very pleasing design. This is the second of a series inspired by Jason Woodside murals. Sophie says, "I draw the whole design to its actual size on paper and then cut it out to use each section as a template.  Some of these sections were then cut out from plain fabrics, while the others were cut into string sheets. I then machine pieced all sections together."

The circles and blue rectangles were hand appliqued on the different sections before the final assembly. Sophie machine quilted diagonal straight lines and grids following the piecing design.

Scrappy Scallops by Keith Dommer

The half circles and ovals seem to dance across this original design by Keith Dommer. He explains that "Improvisationally sized ovals, improvisationally sliced, and improvisationally appliqued in rows with some piping create an image that might resemble colorful birds sitting on wires."

The intriguing mix of colors and prints invites the viewer to look closer. There are all kinds of fun fabrics in this quilt. We loved the use of a muted gray background producing a soft contrast to the brightly colored prints.

A Little Kaffe (Goes a Long Way) by JoAnn Hinchliffe @joannhinchliffe

Believe it or not, this is a miniature quilt - which makes the precision piecing even more impressive.  A Little Kaffe won second place in the Miniatures category at this show. 

JoAnn Hinchliffe used the Pennants pattern from one of Kaffe Fassett's early books, Glorious Patchwork, but decided to miniaturize it, reducing [the pieces] from 6" to 1.75". 

JoAnn says, "I find Kaffe Fassett's fabrics interesting individually, but when there are too many used together, it feels like "too much" to me." JoAnn used pleasing complementary hues, and shaded the blocks - from light to dark - to make the design stand out. JoAnn says, "There is a single teal fabric and eight pinks/reds. The teal seems to change color depending on the pinks/red it's next to."

Improv Mosaic #3 by Lorraine Woodruff-Long (California)

Improv Mosaic #3 is an incredibly dynamic composition. Lorraine Woodruff-Long says, "Using variations on a traditional log cabin quilt block and small solid fabric scraps recycled from other projects, I sought to create a quilt with pulsing energy and color.  With the self-imposed parameter to limit block sizes to 9, 6, and 3 inches, each block is developed using as much variety in color, "wonky" sizes and contrast as possible to create blocks that pop and move to the viewer."

"The improvisational nature is furthered by a random, puzzle-piece layout. Using bright and vivid colors and shapes to create an immersive polychromatic experience is my quilting passion." Lorraine machine quilted this piece in a grid pattern using a longarm machine.

Image credits: Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2022 QuiltCon show (Spotlight and Improv Mosaic #3) and the 2022 Tucson Quilters Guild show (Sanity, Scrappy Scallops, and A Little Kaffe (Goes a Long Way).