Collaborative Quilting Style
I read a fair bit of the Collaborative Quilting book last night in bed, and I was struck by the similarity to the syle of 2 Australian quilters. You may or may not know of them in the States, but Judy Hooworth and Jan Mullen both work in a similar style.
I have the Judy Hooworth book out from the library at the moment. Listen to this quote in her 2001 book entitled Razzle Dazzle Quilts (That Patchwork Place, ISBN 1-56477-322-1).
In Exercise 3 she says... "Now let's add a zinger. Black-and-white fabrics contain the two extremes of contrast - the lightest light next to the darkest dark. Used in small amounts, black-and-white prints sparkle and add movement and rhythm to the quilt surface. Choose a variety of black-and-white prints, and cut them into 2 1/2 inch squares. Arrange them with the colour squares and rectangles as shown in the photo on p18. These black-and-white squares provide a place for the eye to rest, although it doesn't linger because all the squares are different."
Also have a look at Jan Mullens patterns from Stargazey Quilts Stargazey Quilts . Interesting isn't it?
When I posted that photo (of the scraps from the quilt I haven't made yet!), with the black and white centre, someone mentioned that it reminded them of Collaborative Quilting style - I was thinking more along the lines of a log cabin with stripes or a string pieced block inspired by Judy Hooworth.
It is likely that they have all drawn inspiration from the scrappy blocks or the 1930s, but isn't it interesting to see how they have all developed along similar lines?
Judy Howorth has been featured in more than one Quilters Newsletter magazine over here. I really admire her use of color and what she can do with a nine-patch.
ReplyDeleteI bet you had a great time at the fair. I'm sure it would have been hard to resist buying Japanese fabric with all the Japanese quilts on display. How was the Japanese quilt display?
ReplyDeleteCollaborative Quilting looks like an interesting read, Jenni...I'll have to check it out.
ReplyDeleteIt is interesting how similar ideas have sparked the creative impulses of different quilters. I'll have to take another look at the books you mentioned by Judy Hooworth and Jan Mullen. I like them both!
I had the fun of seeing the Collaborative Quilting exhibit at the Museum of the American Quilt Society this week. Freddy Moran is my hero (she didn't start quiltmaking until she was 60!), and it was even better seeing the quilts "in person" than in the book.
ReplyDeleteFrom there I visited Hancock's of Paducah (Mecca for quiltmakers in the States) for the first time, and was disappointed to learn they didn't carry Stargazey patterns. So your post is very timely for me!
It is interesting how quilters styles are so similar. I wonder if it is because they have had similar input from the world, or if they have fed off of each other.
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