Contemporary CQ

I have quietly assigned myself a mission to create a contemporary crazy quilt wall hanging. There are multiple reasons, the primary one being the challenge of actually combining items that are not normally found with each other and having them "work well" in the end product. I found one quilt, by Susan Lea Hackett that creates a landscape in a forceful way with fabric. http://www.qnm.com/articles/feature27/index1.html. While it is abstract it does not quite give me the jolt of challenge that I am seeking for this project. I am seeing squares and circles created with all manner of silks, satins, velvets, etc. pieced and tied together with lots of beadwork, sre and embroidery. (I'll add a picture of a drawing when I complete the thought process.) Basically i'm trying to think outside of the vintage cq box and hope to mastermind something that will be cherished by its intended as well as be an example of a newer form of crazy quilting! Not unlike Betty Pillsbury! If anyone comes close to being a mentor for me, it would be Betty and her gorgeous projects! http://www.bettypillsbury.com/gallery.html I hope to be able to emulate her in some small way, if only in my dreams.

As I mentioned before, a comrade in needles and I are starting up a group dedicated to cq and all forms of needlework. Our loggerhead seems to be in how we can attract ALL generations and still share in this wonderful artform! There are so many wonderful ideas waiting to be explored and energy to be shared with the younger generation if only their curiousity can be captured long enough to show them the possibilities! If more people are exposed to new ideas and thought processes, perhaps they will feel more comfortable in attempting their own projects in a new, bolder way! A needlework project I ran across here........ http://www.caron-net.com/galleryfiles/galloct.html.. holds some possibilities for combining some natural elements to the more architectural lines of fabric. There are lots of possibilities to explore! It should be a fun journey!