It’s been a month since I returned from QuiltCon and honestly, it’s been a little weird. I’ve had a lot going on at work and at home and my sewing room is still in the process of getting put back together. (I’m close…I think.) All that said, I came home bursting with inspiration from all the amazing work I saw in Nashville…and then have barely done any sewing at all!
I do want to share a few (ok, a LOT) of my favorite quilts from the show. But first, some thoughts!
This was only my second QuiltCon, and it’s difficult to compare the two, but I do have a feeling that this show grows stronger (and more competitive) every year. I felt very fortunate to have gotten 1 of my 4 entries juried into the show, and the realization that getting quilts accepted is only going to get harder is both encouraging and intimidating.
Themes
I definitely noticed a few broad themes this year. Curved piecing and/or tiny piecing were featured heavily in many of the quilts. As in the past, solid fabrics were featured much more than prints, which isn’t surprising since many people consider use of solids to be a “signature” of modern quilting. I also noticed a lot of handwork — and not just confined to the “Handwork” category. There were quite a few personal/political messages on display, although overall I thought the quilts chosen in that genre were more subtle this year.
Judging & Jurying
I’ve given some thought to the show as a whole, and what it said about the jury (who chose which quilts would be included) and the judges (who determined the award winners). It seemed to me that the jury had a particular look and feel in mind for the show this year. It’s hard for me to come up with the words to actually describe what that look was, but as a generality, I felt the quilts trended towards more free-form design and leaned slight away from structured, geometric design. There was plenty of both, to be sure, but many of the pieces on display felt a little “wilder” this year, if that makes sense.
It was also interesting to note that there were a number of people with multiple quilts in the show. This is always the case, but it stood out to me this year more than last year; perhaps because I’m familiar with so many of the names and Instagram handles, but perhaps not. There were several people with 3, 4, even 5 quilts in the show. Five is the maximum number allowed for a single quilter but if I were queen for the day, I would lower that three. This isn’t a slight against anyone or any quilt(s) in particular. I simply think that lowering that maximum would allow additional diversity without really compromising the integrity of the show.
As for the judges, as always there is so much subjectivity to the categories and placements. There were some quilts that I felt absolutely deserved their ribbons, and some that left me scratching my head a bit. I think a lot of attendees would say the same. But one thing I do appreciate about QuiltCon is how the judging panel is more diverse. Only one of the three judges this year had formal quilt judge training as far as I know, but all are creatives. It definitely gives a different flair to the show and to the award winners.
The Instagram Factor
It’s difficult to separate the influence of Instagram from the show itself, and I have mixed feelings about it. I follow nearly 1000 people on Instagram, and most of them are quilters. I also started following the #quiltcon2019 hashtag in December when the acceptances went out. As a result, I had already seen a significant chunk of the quilts in the show, maybe as high as 30-40%.
As I was going through my photos to pick the ones to share in this post, I found myself mostly choosing quilts that I HADN’T seen before QuiltCon. I think there’s something to be said for the novelty of seeing a beautiful quilt for the first time in a show setting.
But of course there’s also a lot of positive things to be said about the modern quilting community on Instagram, and how freely and openly people share their work and their excitement.
I’m not sure what the right balance is for me, but I may try to back off Instagram a bit next fall and winter as QuiltCon 2020 nears.
And now: photos! Settle in and enjoy!
I enjoyed checking out the Michael Miller fabric challenge category, since my quilt was included in that group. I’m partial to mine of course (heehee), but my other two favorites were the two below by Paige Alexander and Stephanie Jacobson.
Yvonne from Quilting Jetgirl says
I agree that reducing the maximum quilts per person could be really great for the show. I know it’s a touch balance, but with as much as it is growing I think it would only lead to a stronger overall mix of aesthetics. I also know that being on the jury would be much harder than something I’m willing to do! I definitely am very active on Instagram an d mainly follow modern quilters, so there weren’t too many quilts in the show that I felt were a “surprise” and it’s amazing how many makers I knew before reading the descriptions. I’ll be traveling this summer and expecting my online time to reduce as a result and I am very curious how I will feel about that after the show next year; that might be a good litmus test. Thanks for the thoughtful post and I love getting to see the quilts after a bit of time and reflection.
Sarah says
Oh yeah, being on the jury would be quite a difficult job! No doubt there are many more quilts that are worthy of inclusion than they have spots available for them. I will also be curious to hear how you feel after a little more disconnection from the social media world!
Lynette says
Some of these are really neat and quite compelling. Thanks for showing a sampling of your favorites! Yeah, I’d also agree that it would be a good thing to limit a given quilter to three quilts in the show. It seems there are a great many more fantastic submissions than there are spots available, so it only makes sense to maximize how many people’s work can be represented, adding a richness to the variety. It seems to me that there is an awful lot of similarity in the shows quite often.
becc says
Some of these are remarkably beautiful!