In this new showcase I’m featuring four Modern Quilters that you will love!
Annie Hudnut
I started quilting in 1987 when my 3rd child was a baby. I was a stay at home mother and during nap time, I tuned into “Quilt In A Day” by Eleanor Burns on public TV @eleanorburns. I watched her program, threw my scraps over my shoulder and bought every quilting book available (I think there were 2 at the time). I loved the repetition and the results that it produced.
What I didn’t realize initially was that there was a parallel universe of quilting that included Gees Bend, Nancy Crow, Gwen Marston, Sherri Lynn Wood and other improv quilters.
Gradually I bought more books and starting searching the internet. Then I discovered that there was a new and exciting group of enthusiastic younger quilters who liked to share their work. A quilting renaissance was happening. Fabric manufacturers were pushed into creating more interesting prints and exciting solids. I bought more books, went to the library, signed up for Craftsy and Creative Bug Classes and learned everything that I could.
Fast forward to 2019 and my discovery of Instagram. At my fingertips there was my tribe for the 1st time in my life. I was connected at age 60! I have been influenced by many quilters and artists but this year I found my voice through my work with the fabulous Irene Roderick @ireneroderick and wonderfully creative Patti Coppock @patticoppock. What a year it has been for me creatively. I had been preparing for serious improv for years. I just needed pushing, prodding and support.
Right now, I am focusing on 1/4, 1/2 and whole circles. I love sewing curves as long as they are not too little. I’m particularly drawn to Mid Century Modern elements.
My favorite palette is chartreuse, persimmon, teal and black and white. I’m working hard to gradually add more colors and similar values to each color to gain depth and interest. I love stepping back from the design wall and having that moment of delight when something magical just happens.
Juli Smith
I have been designing quilts for almost 30 years. I had some training at sewing clothes in my youth (by my Mother as well as in home economics class), but I am completely self taught as a quilter. I discovered quilting in the early 90’s through some books on Japanese art quilts. I had no idea a quilt could be anything “art-ful” until I saw these books and knew immediately that I wanted to design one – everything I have made since then has been entirely my own designs. In addition, designing quilts fit right in with my love of jigsaw puzzles, geometry, and (of course) colors!
As an architect, I developed a process of working through design ideas in college that I use today, but it has been refined for my quilt designs and incorporates the many modern tools we now have at our fingertips. And I learned early on that designing a quilt offered much quicker gratification than designing a building! I find inspiration in travel and photography, sketching, collaging, and eventually work through my designs on autocad or by actively engaging with fabrics on my design wall. Architecture is often reflected in my designs and is a major source of inspiration, but I believe inspiration can be found anywhere – you just need to be open to receive it!
I work predominantly with solid colored fabrics in gradations, and I love working with negative space, asymmetrical compositions, sometimes a little bit of improvisation, and am always pondering how to rethink a traditional block or pattern. Orange is featured predominantly in many of my quilts, as I love how it compliments almost any other color on the spectrum. But most importantly, what makes me a modern quilter is that I have let go of the need for perfection, and now embrace my mistakes as they ALWAYS offer up new design opportunities and potential for growth.
Brittney Frey
Hey crafty friends! I’m Brittney Frey, the designer and maker behind Sew Much Fab. When I’m not working my day job, I’m quilting, thinking about quilting, browsing for fabric, buying fabric, or hanging out with my husband and our two tabby cats. I find crafting to be extremely therapeutic and distracting from the daily stressors of life which is why I make time for it whenever and wherever I can.
I started to dabble in crafting sometime during high school. I took a ceramics class my senior year and absolutely loved it. In college, I spent a summer exploring hobbies like baking and sewing. It wasn’t until 6 years later that I really picked up sewing again. When my oldest nephew was born, I wanted to gift him something special so I turned to Pinterest for some inspiration. I enjoy trying new things so you’ll discover various crafting supplies stuffed into all the nooks and crannies of my home but I spend most of my free time quilting these days. I made my first quilted garment in March of 2020 and have been totally smitten with making modern quilt coats ever since.
My love of crafting and creative problem-solving comes from my parents, who are skilled do-it-yourself enthusiasts. I often find myself saying “I like this but I wish X Y and Z were different about it”. By investing the time to learn a new skill, I’m able to tell the story exactly how I want to. My mother taught me a little about sewing and quilting and the rest I figured out for myself. I am a very hands-on learner so I often look for video tutorials online if there’s a question I need answered. Other times I’ll have an idea that I just need to work through until I get it right. It helps me to know what didn’t work and why so I can improve the next time.
When quilting for myself, I tend to work with a lot of light and bright colors on a gray neutral background but occasionally crave something a little more moody and earthy. I love a well-balanced, asymmetrical design. When it comes to quilting, I prefer a less-is-more approach. I’m not a fan of clutter so I tend to stick with simple, clean lines but I love using fun prints in a variety of colors and textures to make each piece pop. There are so many drool-worthy color combos and designs that I want to explore which is why my to-do list is never ending.
Drew Steinbrecher
I started quilting about 10 years ago. I am not exactly sure where I came across modern quilting, but I was immediately drawn to the bold colors and minimal designs since I am a graphic designer.
I am self-taught. I knew the basics of sewing when I began, but other than that, I didn’t know anything about modern quilts. I had wanted to start quilting for a long time but kept putting it off because I was intimidated and unsure how to begin. One night I told myself to just get over it and started sewing.
Four years ago I started taking classes with Nancy Crow. This really opened up a lot of doors for me both with my artwork and my art career. I learned how to make complex pieced quilts which is what I had wanted to do from the beginning.
What inspires you to create?
Recently my art has been inspired by the controlled chaos and dichotomy of urban environments.
I have always felt more at home in the hustle, bustle, and crowds of cities, even though I would call myself an introvert. Cities are controlled and regulated, yet they can be very chaotic and organic. Most cities are organized in to “blocks”, yet within these containers there are chaotic and contrasting urban elements, such as power lines, graffiti, nature, crumbling concrete, walls with torn posters, billboards, nature, wealth, poverty… These dichotomies inspire my art.
I don’t have any specific color palettes that I like or use consistently. I tend to use bold, graphic shapes with hard edges, which is one big reason why I like using fabric… the seams create hold, graphic edges.
https://www.instagram.com/drewsteinbrecher/
https://www.andrewsteinbrecher.com
