"Red" - a #postmodernquilt

Red is love, war, passion, and blood. This quilt is new to my collection, and it explores the color red with elements of Pop Art, Matisse, Rorschach and traditional Hawaiian quiltmaking. It's a mash-up. The more you know about art history, quilt history, and quilt construction, the more remarkable it is.

"Red" 2015 by Teresa Coates, quilted by Jolene Knight, 78" x 78"

It is a very well crafted quilt. Teresa Coates of Portland, Oregon stitched the top with hand needleturn appliqué. The decision to do needleturn appliqué by hand was fueled by the desire to create a quilt of the finest quality. Raw-edge fusible applique was another option, but easier isn't always better.

Jolene Knight quilted the piece. She used computer guided quilting in the center spiral of the red, and the remaining red was free-motion quilted, continuing the pattern of the spiral. The white area was also free-motion quilted, but it was all echo quilted, following the applique design. Teresa Coates added a few randomly placed rows of big-stitch hand quilting, a subtle detail you will only see up close.

#postmodernquilt

You could call it a modern quilt, but it is really 21st century and postmodern. A #postmodernquilt. When I photographed it, I was missing the wonderful late afternoon light of the summertime, which really helps the surface texture pop. As a result, these photos look a bit flat. The quilt is drop-dead gorgeous and full of texture in person. A masterpiece. I look forward to getting pictures when the light is right.