Un-modern Made Modern Challenge

Un-modern Made Modern Challenge

Our goal: Make a modern quilt with un-modern fabrics. Sounds un-interesting? Take a quick look:

These quilts were made by Denyse Schmidt, a Modern Quilt Guild big-name who was keynote speaker at the first Quiltcon. What's different about her work? Look here:

The detail shows the fabrics are quite traditional, even oldish:

Who has not been inspired by the ladies of Gee's Bend? These artists did not have the luxury of the latest modern fabrics, and still made modern, improvisational masterpieces like these:

So... go hunting in the stash. You want those neglected fabrics that you are embarrassed to use and still call yourself a modern quilter! 

Rules are simple:

• To participate, please leave a  comment on this page, or e-mail me, or leave a comment on the Facebook page (our private page Orlando MQG Members Only Group)

• Start today. Pick a design and a few fabrics, including some decidedly un-modern. Civil war reproductions, 30's reproductions, vintage polyester, primitive/folk, Liberty fabrics...

• Any quilt size is permissible and you can make more than one quilt.

• You can give the quilt away at the end of the Challenge or keep it.

• Be ready to present your progress at the June meeting. That DOES NOT MEAN a finished quilt then. We want to see the design, the fabrics, whatever you have achieved to that point.

• Challenge ends at the September meeting, meaning: if you start today, you have 5 months to finish something. We'll present our work, hopefully mostly finished, at this time.

• Please post your progress on Instagram and on our Facebook page. Use hashtag #omqgunmodern so we can quickly see what we are all doing.

• Finally, although the project is a Challenge, there won't be a jury in session. It's just a personal challenge.

Here is a link to another post with more inspiring unmodern modern quilts.