A time-honored American tradition dating back as early as the 1600s, quilting is a practice with great artistic and social implications. A craft often passed down through generations of women, geometric patterns and bold colors combined with visible stitching tell a story about the craftsmanship of these functional artworks. And the craft is just as popular as ever, with thousands of craft enthusiasts looking to descend on Phoenix Arizona for QuiltCon 2022 later this month.
Take a look at these five quilt designers who are expertly weaving modern interpretations into their traditionally influenced art.
Cultured Expressions
Shopkeeper Lisa Shepard Stewart creates custom home accessories with authentic bogolan (mudcloth), Korhogo and Kuba fabrics, batiks and African prints, adding warmth, style and cultural relevance to any room setting. Stewart also offers fabrics and supplies for your own DIY projects, in their New Jersey studio, online and by Virtual Visit (personal shopping by Zoom meeting).
Thompson Street Studio
Hand-quilted, patchwork pieced linen and cotton with over 100 different colors of patches. Inspired by traditional American quilt patterns with a modern application and coloration. Made using all repurposed fabrics. Pictured: “Tile Quilt Multi”
Gee’s Bend Quilts on Etsy
The quilts of Gee’s Bend have historically been created by groups of women in the isolated African-American hamlet of Gee’s Bend, Alabama along the Alabama River. Now, their gorgeous tapestries are available for online purchase on Etsy, in partnership with Nest (a nonprofit focused on equity in the Makers Movement) and Souls Grown Deep (a foundation focused on elevating Black artists).
M. Callahan Studio
Founded in 2011, M.Callahan Studio is centered on creating objects that focus on the beauty and complexity of construction. Founder Meg Callahan’s main focus is patchwork quilting, and each piece is manufactured to order with sensitivity to craftsmanship with a culmination of traditional processes and experimentation.
Denyse Schmidt
A quilt designer for nearly two decades, Denyse Schmidt reinterprets tradition to make modern heirloom quilts that are fresh and offbeat. Each quilt is made to order, hand-quilted by Amish craftswomen and signed and dated by Denyse. Pre-washed cotton fabrics are used, and personal fabrics preferences such as a favorite shirt, may be incorporated into any design.
For more quilting inspiration, be sure to read our conversation with designer Mark Cunningham and Schmidt about how quilts lend a welcome dash of artistic color, pattern and texture to any space.
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