Each of the chapters in this book will look at practices that seem vital within the quilting community right now and explore them as richly textured metaphor sets, not just as formal processes. It is in understanding the underlying significance of quilting to this new generation of quilters that modern quilting will take up a position as the next step in the evolution of the quilting tradition.
As I start seriously thinking about a second book I keep coming back to these two sentences. Not just because they encapsulate my approach to fabric design and quilting, but because they truly seem to explain my aspirations for modern quilting. I think there is indeed something at stake here, a step forward int he cultural importance and understanding of quilts. The landscape of making has been changing, and the role of objects is different than it was even just twenty years ago. The things we make and the discussions we have over the next few years will do a lot to transform how quilts are regarded in the wider world.
What we do matters.
Our quilts, our labor, and our words all carry significance, not just for now, but for the generations of quilters–and lovers of quilts–that will follow. No, not everything needs to be esoteric, but I truly believe we are at something of a crossroads, a moment in time when a vast array of cultural, social, and economic convergences surrounds us. The choices we make as a community will forge the path going forward. The question that remains is whether we shall be bold.
I for one have my fingers crossed…
-t
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