Modern Traditionalism and What Makes Me Unique

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by

Erin Hutchinson
in

I am continually learning and growing both in my quilting life and personally.  When I tell my story, I share how I learned to merge my love of history, travel, and architecture creatively with my love of quilting.  That process is continually evolving as I learn more about the quilting world and how it is always evolving.  The Covid-29 pandemic has forced me to spend a bit more time on self-introspection as well as given me more time to learn.  One of the aspects I focused on is what makes me unique as a quilter. I took classes and researched. I experimented with new blocks.  As a result, I determined that I could classify my style as that of a Modern Traditionalist. 

What is Modern Traditionalism?

In order to understand what modern traditionalism is, we must first understand what each type of quilting is independently.   

Traditional quilts are characterized by symmetry, borders, sashing, repeated designs, complicated patchwork, and simple quilting. These are the quilts our grandmothers created involving techniques handed down for generations.  Light and dark colors have their place.  There are basic “rules” to follow. 

Modern quilts started seeing their rise in the early 2000s. These quilts are characterized by being asymmetrical, less fuss, use brighter colors, embody large negative spaces, heavy quilting, and more minimalistic in design.  This category also contains art quilts. 

Merging the Past with the Present

So now that we have a working definition of these two styles, lets combine them. 

Modern tranditionalism quilting is a merging of the classic, recognizable block patterns with new and fresh design elements.  This could mean a classically pieced quilt using modern fabrics or using a basic 9 patch block and switching up the color placements.  It could be a classically pieced quilt with dense quilt stitch designs but the overall design has been pixelated.  There are any number of combinations that can be made but the overall idea is that it is a combination that bridges the two types.

For me, I enjoy the intricate piecing and pieced borders. Secondary and tertiary designs are where I find an extra layer of interest.  Passing down the techniques and piecing of the past to future generations is important.  I enjoy some of the modern fabric designs but I am drawn to tone on tone fabrics as it appeals to my organized nature.  Concentrated quilting patterns appeal to me as they appear more modernized.

When I first started, I knew I didn’t get excited about traditional patterns.  When I was introduced to what traditional quilts could look like with a modern twist, my interest piqued.

Discovering what awakens my creativity has been part of my journey.  I like bright colors, changing patterns and pushing the boundaries of traditional piecing.  Great enjoyment abounds when I give myself the artistic freedom to enjoy both traditional quilts and modern quilts.  I am learning that I don’t need to only enjoy one style but I can merge the two and the outcomes are endless.