Please Pinch Me

Do you have idols?  You know those people when you see their work your heart skips a beat and you say to yourself, I wish I would have made that, or you secretly wish you could be that person, if only for a day to experience what it might feel like to have their mad skills.  Luke Haynes is one of those people.

The other day I looked at the comments on the Building Bridges quilt on flickr and I thought I saw that Luke had left a comment for me.  I thought for a second...no, it's not him. (his flickr name isn't Luke)

Then later in the day I received a flickr mail from the one and only, yes from Luke. I tried to be cool about it and respond like it was no big deal.
I've been a fan (an understatement) of his work for a long time.  He has, as I said earlier, mad skills, and a unique creative perspective that I admire.
If you don't know his work you should check it out.  Someday I'm going to see his work in person and even better learn from him.  That will be a good day.

Modern Vintage

Some of my friends have called my style vintage modern. Though I think I'm evolving a bit, it seems to describe my work. I have a quilt to show you today that I call modern vintage. Seems like a bit of an oxymoron, but read on.

When I was speaking and teaching down in Arkansas this summer I had the pleasure of viewing the show and tell of the Q.U.I.L.T. Guild of NW Arkansas in Springdale.  When this quilt came up, I gasped out loud.  I couldn't help myself.  I was taken with it from the moment I saw it.  I cheekily asked if it was for sale, but alas the answer was no.  A few weeks later I got an email letting me know that the quilt was available and that it would be in Kansas City for me to see.  Well, we got together and I took the quilt home with me.  It has a few condition issues, but they don't detract from the design and it's so unique I felt it belonged with me!

I don't know the history of this quilt, but it's probably from the 40's, definitely made from feedsacks and clothing, and is a great example of minimalism (at least for me).  It may have been a patriotic quilt made during WW II.  I like to imagine who the maker might have been and the story behind the quilt. I was reading a bit about quilts from this mid-century period and found it enlightening.

The fabric used for the giant circle is this beautiful starlike print.  The quilt is tied in red about every two inches and tied well.  Very few are missing and that's pretty rare.  I love how the ties become part of the design of the quilt.

The center circle appears to be some type of clothing, possibly a shirt or a dress.

This quilt is such a good example of what's old is new again. It's bold, graphic, stunning and totally modern.  I'm happy to give it a home.

PS....I forgot to share this with you.  Generation Q, a new online mag, did an article on me.  Thanks to Melissa and Jake for including me.  If you'd like to know a bit more about me, check it out.