'Not Your Mother's Quilt' show opens Oct. 12 at Fine Line
When we think of quilts and quilting, we often remember the quilts that our mothers or grandmothers made. They were patchwork pieces with many repetitions of the same block in orderly rows. While today's quilts can still follow that pattern, many of them use a more freestyle approach to their design.
"Not Your Mother's Quilt" at Fine Line Creative Arts Center's Kavanagh Gallery looks at quilting today in all its forms.
Pieces from over 25 artists will be on show, including creations from less standard materials.
Lisle artist Susan Infante, who was allowed to "run with scissors" and begin sewing at age 5, is a Fine Line Creative Arts faculty member.
Her piece "Vintage Kimono Repurposed" takes vintage kimono silk and repurposes it into an exquisite jacket. Infante feels that all sewists need to explore the use of repurposed textiles.
Not only does it help the environment, but it also adds to the story of the garment. Imagine how well traveled these silks are.
One of the wall pieces in the show is "Here Comes the Sun" by Naperville artist Karen Musgrave.
Musgrave is well known in the quilting community, having, among other things, served on the national boards of the Alliance for American Quilts and the Kentucky Quilt Project Inc.
Musgrave's piece is full of color using rich shades of red, pink and blue. Her work incorporates a love for texture, storytelling, and various materials.
Sarah Spencer creates abstract art quilts inspired by street art, contemporary music, and the spirit of nonconformity.
Spencer's piece, "All Seeing Eye," is a circular quilt made using free-motion stitching on a home sewing machine.
Spencer says “When I start making a new quilt, it's essential that I don't have an end design in mind. Instead, I allow myself to intuitively respond to color, music, emotion, and movement, cutting and sewing fabric until an image slowly reveals itself. An abstract yet illustrative style and bold use of color characterize my improvisationally pieced art quilts. My quilts are made on a home sewing machine, and I employ free-motion quilting to lend a sketch-like quality to the quilting. I'm also interested in finishing quilts in unexpected ways, including stretching them over wood frames or creating non-traditional shapes.”
"Not Your Mother's Quilt" opens on Thursday, Oct. 12, and runs until Nov. 15 at the Fine Line Creative Arts Center, 37W570 Bolcum Road, St. Charles. A complimentary opening reception will be held on Thursday, Oct. 12, from 6 to 8 pm. It's a great chance to meet and hear from some of the artists whose work will be on display.
All gallery receptions at the Kavanagh Gallery are free to attend. Light refreshments will be served during the evening.