Rev It Up

Have you ever finished a quilt top and, though proud, thought something is missing here?  You pieced it carefully; pressed every seam perfectly; and measured and cut to perfection!  Even your fabric choices were well thought out but you didn't get the 'va va voom' you were going for.  What happened you ask yourself?!  The answer might be the intensity of the fabrics you chose.

Intensity?  What's that?  Simple put it's the saturation of color of the fabric.  A high intensity fabric will be filled with bright colors, with an obvious depth of saturation--rich and deep.  A medium intensity is what most quilters select because it's what most fabric producers sell.  It's safe and doesn't need much risk to go with medium intensity choices.  Low intensity, usually tone on tones or muted colors against low saturation colors--such as a light grey design on a cream colored background--are also safe, easy to use fabric choices.

So how do you put the 'va va voom' into a quilt?  How about taking risks and using some high intensity choices in place of some of your medium intensity fabrics.  Add some low intensity fabrics as well for a high contrast of your design.  That "pop" of color here and there will bring a design to a higher wow factor and add interest to your work.  This very interest may grab attention to the beauty of your work and make someone want to gaze longer at your work of art.

This is not a safe way to quilt.  It takes bravery and a desire to move beyond where you have been before.  Many of the modern and contemporary designs use this very technique to distinguish the work from tradition quilts.  It is the depth and dimension that adds interest and makes the quilt more Warm colors will advance an image while cool colors tend to make them recede.  Deep, high intensity colors make images appear close while low intensity colors tend to make things look farther away.

Take a chance and advance your quilt making skills.  Try a little change in intensity to give your next quilt top a big "POW" that makes you smile when you look at it and makes others feel compelled to keep looking.  You might be surprised at what you discover in your own design aesthetic.

Happy quilting!

Latest Trends in Quilting

I recently spent some time pouring through about a dozen magazines from around the world written all about my favorite subject...quilting.  Judging by what I am seeing then and over the last few months there are definite movements toward a much more clean and easy look to quilts of today.  In a nutshell the world is moving forward into a more modern look for quilts.

At Quilt Guild last night I was asked what is the difference between modern quilts and contemporary quilts.  This is a question that could be pondered and argued for a long time without a total meeting of the minds.  I've made up my own definition that I believe will make things a little more clear.

Contemporary quilts are typically those with components of traditional pattern designs but using more updated fabric patterns and colors.  This is much like what we see in fashion when trends from years gone by are revived but with a fresh look.

Modern quilts, on the other hand, are often linear designs (lots of lines) with a great deal of negative space.  The focus in the negative space is often the quilting.  Modern quilts use a lot of grey or white in their components.

For me personally, my preferred designs are either contemporary or modern but I find myself lately looking for traditional designs and then ways to update them.  In the end, it just matters that it's all about quilting.

Here is a recent quilt of mine called Picasso Lives.

The premise was to use scraps to make a block that could be incorporated into a design.  The overall look is very contemporary to me.

Happy discovery of your own quilt niche.