Show quilts

[Tammy G.]

This is probably a touchy subject, I might be opening a can of worms here. I just have to comment about the quilts shown at national quilt shows. It seems that so many of the quilts are art quilts anymore. What happened to traditional quilts? While the art quilts are magnificent, and a tremendous amount of work, I believe that most of the quilters out there are traditional quilters.

I almost feel like I don't measure up because I don't have the imagination to be able to make a painting on fabric or come up with some new ornate design. I fell in love with quilts because of their tradition and simplicity, but I rarely see any traditional quilts at quilt shows.

I can't help but wonder if it's time to separate shows into art quilt shows and traditional quilt shows? Give the traditional quilter an equal chance of having a 'best of show' quilt. There are more of us out here, shouldn't we have equal billing? :? Many traditional quilts are just as skillfully made.

Please don't be mad at me, like I said, I think the art quilts are amazing. I just think they should be considered art, and hang in galleries, rather than being used cuddle under like most traditional quilts. This is just my opinion, all of us are allowed to have one. :wink:

[Gloria H.]

Don't ever be afraid to post an opinion Tamtam. There has been discussion about this in other threads and at other times. My feeling is that traditional quilting should not be judged along side the art quilts. I'm a traditional quilter with a secret longing to create an art quilt but I think the art quilts require a totally different set of skills. I can piece a straight line but can't draw one. I totally love looking at the art quilt creations though. Gloria

[Annis C.]

I agree. I've never entered a national show because I don't think my quilts are artistic enough or I don't have time to put 100's of hours in just one quilt. I'm satisfied with the awards I get at local shows where traditional quilts are a better fit. I like to make quilts that can be completed in days or weeks instead of months or years and that are simple enough for others to duplicate. But after making the 2009 BOM I'm beginning to think if you have the talent and the time that art quilts that don't require hundreds of matching points might be easier to make.

[Susan B.]

I kind of got that "will I ever measure up?" feeling after watching the the 2nd Road to CA slideshow, but then said, "Self, who cares?" I love what I'm doing. We can't all be Rembrants of the quilt world.

I still see many traditional quilts at the local quilt guild shows here in Maryland, although not so many hand-quilted, with more & more long-arm quilting. I find myself attracted to the hand quilting and well-done domestic machine quilting, because it means those quilts were finished by a pauper like me.

The other consideration is to look at what's in many quilt museums, like the Smithsonian...lots of traditional work there. And the simplicity of the Gees Bend and Amish quilts are so easy on the eyes and heart.

[Ann P.]

As someone who makes traditional quilts, albeit with a contemporary twist, and someone who has competed on the international level, my feelings on this subject are complicated. I really enjoy the painted and all the other art quilts and yes I really believe that they are quilts in the truest sense of the word and they deserve their place in the shows. As the number of techniques has multiplied, so has the number of categories, while the number of categories for pieced or appliqued quilts has remained fairly stable. That means fewer traditional quilts in any given show and more art quilts. More ways to divide the traditional categories may be a way to go. That said, at Houston, they have an Innovative Pieced category, which seemed to me to be one way to divide pieced quilt categories. In 2007 & 2008 they further divided this category into large & small. In 2009 they had to combine the large & small into one category due to not enough entries.
All of which is just to say, it's complicated. At the level of Road to CA or Houston or Paducah, etc., if all you see is a slideshow of a few of the winners, it is likely that you will see a very few traditional quilts.
The other thing to remember is that the workmanship on the very top winning quilts in any category is incredible. The amount of practice that it takes to get there in any category is years and years of work. Just because I will never be a top winner in a painted quilt category can't mean that those quilts need to be banished to galleries only. I will never be a top winner in hand applique or hand quilting either and that is the most traditional of all. I appreciate them all and know that I can learn things from every quilt that can improve my work, if I only take the time to really look.

[Ann P.]

I am pro'ly not the right person to asnwer this since my realm of experience is so limited.
I went to an Int'l quilt show once (a number of years ago) and I seem to recall a heavy representation in "art quilts". However, I've been to two local shows (clearly I don't get out much) and they were 99.9% traditional quilts. In fact, I honestly don't recall seeing an art quilt in my city except for mine.
I don't participate with the local quilt guild because there seemed to be nothing but BOMs, traditional quilts and needless gossip.
I belong to Quilt Visions of San Diego (over 5 hours away) because it's a group that focuses on art quilts.
If I look through the galleries for this site and on HGTVs Share My Quilt I'd say 95% are all traditional.

[Betty J.]

From an art quilter: It took a long time before art quilts were even considered quilts, and still it is sometimes debated. So it's wonderful to see them taking some of the ribbons finally. When I go to some of the local quilt shows, I seldom see an art quilt.

Traditional quilts are absolutely wonderful. In fact, one reason I do mostly art quilts is because I find it very hard to make my visions come alive in traditional quilts--with straight, true, lines, meeting where they need to, and beautiful. Besides, I'm not good at math. I really admire those who can make wonderful traditional quilts and would hate to see a split of shows. I stand in awe of those great traditional quilters like Jenny Beyer, for instance.

So many wonderful new techniques to try. I think some of the greatest quilts join both traditional and art techniques.