Helen came over for lunch the other day and we were discussing The Modern Quilt Guild and changes in our NYC chapter since it started. We
talked about a lot of things, and I mentioned my habit of getting overly
inspired by blogs, instagram and previously pinterest and Flickr. I said
whenever I start to feel like I'm chasing the crowd, I stop. I try to pull
myself back, and regain focus on my quilts and the quilts I want to be
making instead of just jumping in and making one of the hot patterns of
the day (which I'm not knocking and have done in the past (
scrap vomit in 2012,
coins in 2009,
spiderweb in 2010), they have their place in history and build
skills as well as clear the head. Plus it's fun to be involved in an at-the-moment thing).
But back to the
list. I don't know when it started exactly, but at some point I started
writing down a list of all the people whose quilts I like. The quilts I could stare at for days in blissful
wonder. Susan McCord's vine quilt comes to mind as an example.
Helen was surprised to
hear who was on my list, I guess because
the quilts I've finished don't
exactly show these quilters as influences. See, I didn't say "
my quilts" there, because my collection of unfinished quilts probably gives a
better picture of my personal influences and aesthetic. So many of the
quilts I've tried, I've loved, I've poured myself into, never made it to
completion. But when I see myself as a quilter, I see those quilts
too.
This is my List:
Janet (from the NYC Mod Guild)
Debbie Steinmann (from the ATL Intown Guild)
Charlotta
and of course, my own great grandmother,
Theresa Gleiter
 |
| Detail of my great grandmother's fan quilt. Yes, she marked her quilting pattern in PEN. |
Are you surprised to learn who's on my list? Do you have a list of your own?
hehe you forgot the 'round the world quilts of 2013'
ReplyDeleteYou know I'm with you with this regard.
My love for quilts is a singular thing too.
It is a good idea to step back from blogs once and awhile...though I seem to be backing off too much of late. Anyway love your great grandmothers quilt, you're so lucky!
Lucky to have a quilter in the family, definitely! but don't get too jealous.. the fan quilt belongs to my cousin :(
DeleteI do have a few of Theresa's quilts though, one day I should blog their details..
What an honor to be on your list! Your list is very similar to mine--which YOU are on too. I love your great-grandmother's fan quilt--scrappy with beautiful stitching. I've been in a similar mind about getting back to what's wanting to come out from me, rather than following the latest popular thing. The blogs are inspiring, and I'm happy to have met so many wonderful friends this way. And we need to pull back and look inside from time to time.
ReplyDeleteI'm not confessing to anything, I just love the name "scrap vomit" hee hee
ReplyDeletegood for you. Now if I posted my list of influences, would I be following a blog trend and not following my heart, lol?
ReplyDeletehaha, no! sharing ideas is key. Making the exact same quilt pattern all at the same time, well, that's just one to puzzle the quilt historians of the future.
DeleteGreat list! I don't have a list of people (and their quilts) but I do have a list of my favorite block patterns, colors, styles, elements etc. It definitely helps me to stay on track when the pinterest/blogging world throws me into inspiration overload.:)
ReplyDeleteI like your choice !I realized some months ago that I was spendingtoo much time to look at quilts of others, thinking that mines were without interest ....Now reading you , i will change my mind
ReplyDeletehave a good day
michele
Really, my list begins and ends with Susan McCord's vine quilt. It is my all-time favorite. Someday I will make something based on it, but I will never have the patience to use the tiny scraps she did.
ReplyDeleteI tried one once.. cut a bunch of leaves, pinned them into place, but then abandoned the project and started English paper piecing instead. it's still in a bag in my closet. maybe someday...
DeleteWhen you compliment people you should try to spell their names correctly; it's Gwen Marston (not Marsden), and Debbie Steinmann (not Stineman). They both happen to be friends of mine and I share your
ReplyDelete...continued - admiration for their work. In fact, as I write, I'm on my way home from attending the 30th annual Beaver Island Quilt Retreat, run by Gwen Marston, who is retiring after this year's retreats. I'm so fortunate to have gotten a chance to get to know and work and learn from her before she retired. Fortunately, I still get to hang out on a regular basis with so many other talented and creative quilters from Atlanta INTOWN Quilters. The guild where we met. Good to see how well you're doing in so many ways. Congratulations on the book!
ReplyDeleteCharlotta,
DeleteThanks for your comment and corrections. I have edited the post to reflect them. It's not so easy for me to stay connected these days-- I actually wrote this blogpost on my phone during George's swimming lesson, and edited/uploaded it later that day with a baby on my lap. My writing is not as tidy as it used to be. In amongst my harried days, I remember fondly both the Atlanta Intown Guild and the days when I had more free time to blog and sew. Both Costas and I miss Atlanta a lot. I'm glad to hear you still get to see people. If anyone remembers me, tell them I said 'hi."
Well said on many fronts, "time to look inside and check with self". And some quilts I just have a long standing love affair with but know I'll never make them. Susan McCord, *sigh* If you ever want a -relatively- easy pattern for it and LOTS of photo inspiration, visit http://quiltsalott.blogspot.com/p/trailing-vines.html. Wow! Janet is my quilt hero!
ReplyDeleteI also love the Susan McCord vine quilt. It's a strippy that is on my bucket list. I am making a fan quilt much like your family heirloom. Now that pen is a great idea! I must try it sometime...
ReplyDelete