In this new showcase I’m featuring four Modern Quilters that you will love!
Jessica Plunkett
My name is Jessica Plunkett and I’m a quilter and pattern designer from the Des Moines, IA, USA area. I learned to quilt in my early 30s as a tribute to my late great-grandma. My husband and I had just moved to a small town in Northern CO and I walked into the local quilt store and signed up for an introduction to quilting class because I knew it was time to honor my grandma. After the five sessions ended, I walked out and started designing quilts for my family the next day.
While I consider myself a modern quilter, not all my quilts are decidedly modern. I’m drawn to the challenge of taking very simple shapes and turning them into a more intricate design. I’m inspired by curiosity to transform those simple shapes as well as a desire to see if I can make secondary designs appear in the negative space. HSTs are my favorite. It’s satisfying to start with one basic block and see it evolve. I’m also inspired by song lyrics, home improvement shows and seeing the world through the lens of my young child experiencing life. My favorite color combination is black and pink. I also enjoy a saturated rainbow palette.
I grew up expressing myself through written words. I never thought of myself as an artist. After being introduced to quilting, it’s become my primary form of artistic expression. My personal quilts are tied to specific emotions and moments of my life.
Quilting has also introduced me to such a great community of people, both in person and online. I find that the opportunity to connect with others while working specifically with our hands is enjoyable, informative and restorative.
Keyana Richardson
Hi I am Keyana Richardson! I began my quilting journey approximately 4 years ago after my mother in law gifted me my first sewing machine. I come from an extended family of sewist. My great grandmother, Lucinda was a quilter! I feel very fortunate to have one of the quilts she made as it’s over 40 years old.
I am a new pattern designer and Baby Lock Ambassador from a small town outside of Columbus, Ohio.
I love modern quilt patterns with a traditional feel which is reflective in my very first quilt pattern Diamond Path Quilt. I love to piece block based quilts. The process of putting the blocks together to make an overall design is very comforting to me! Nothing is more rewarding when you complete the first block of your quilt. It gives that sense of accomplishment and makes me eager to complete the rest. I like to use bright bold colors when creating my quilt palettes. But I can also swing towards a more muted color palette depending on my mood at the time of creating. I tend to use a mixture of solids and prints. My inspiration to quilt comes from my surroundings, and my feelings. I want my quilts to be reflective of my personality and tell my story.
Sandi daRoza
A lifelong artist, Sandi learned to enjoy sewing at a very young age with her beloved mother, whose creative hands were never still. She revels in the rich medium of fabric, from the vast array of bold hues and patterns to the interplay of textures and stitches-even the sound of shears gives her great pleasure! For Sandi, quilting is about listening carefully to the fabric and translating its story into beautiful art. Rogers Lane Studio is named for her happy place, where wonder and innocence once again meet the abundant beauty of the natural world, and where loved ones always feel close at heart.
Sandi’s motto- Quilts are like another other form of ART. Quilts should be above a mantel or deserve a beautiful wall space!
Joana de Lima
Hi! I’m Joana, a textile artist from Curitiba, southern Brazil.
Arts and crafts have been present in my life from a very early age, but I only took on sewing in my twenties. Back then, handicraft was just like therapy for me – working with my hands to clear my mind. I was in college, studying visual arts, when I decided to take an introductory patchwork course. At first, I followed a very mathematical perspective, as I had learned in class. Since then, I’ve been trying new ways of doing it and I realized that sewing could be much more organic, freer, and more fun.
I try to use only natural fabrics, organic and naturally dyed when possible. I also like to look for supplies in thrift stores and even in my wardrobe to mix with the fabrics I dye. I base my choices on sustainability, but they certainly match my aesthetic. As well as being beautiful, natural fibers are also smoother to the touch and last longer, and the colors that can be achieved through natural dyeing are fantastic.
I try not to stick so much to the traditional techniques, and I’m constantly improvising. I love when the fabric comes out of the pot; sometimes, it’s stained or very different from what I had planned. It’s always a surprise, and not-so-solid colors end up adding so much to the composition. I like to spontaneously compose patterns and recreate traditional blocks in my own way. In general, I tend to be quite a perfectionist, but I found out that sewing this way helps me not to get stuck in the process.
One of my biggest inspirations certainly comes from the women of Gee’s Bend. Their quilts have unique patterns that are of incomparable beauty. The repurposed fabrics, the artistic imprecision and the asymmetrical quilting result in a work that is the most beautiful thing to me.
I like to think that I produce pieces that can be moved around the house and be both decorative and functional. I’m constantly questioning how one piece would have turned out if I had decided to make it differently. It’s what encourages me to keep practicing: the possibility of doing something different every day.
