Freedom!

As I said before, I have joined a modern quilt guild.  I know the staff at A&E Fabrics hate to see me coming.  I am driving them crazy.  With every bolt of fabric I take to the cutting table, I ask, "Is this modern?"  I am petrified that I will make something for a guild project that does not meet the definition of "modern."  

Well, the dreaded moment has happened.  Our block lottery was a modified churn dash with low and high volume fabric.  Low volume was to be the background.  I asked for definitions of high and low volume fabric and was told, "High volume jumps at you, and low volume fades in the background. "  I ran to A&E to select fabrics after the block was announced…..I went through my "fabric ritual" with the staff and selected my fabrics.  My blocks were done!  I really liked them….

Fast forward:  Guild meeting.  The block lottery was held, and all the blocks were laid out together.  A lesson was being given on what was "modern" between a couple of other guild members.  Here are the blocks: 

My block is the bottom right.  The description of it was "civil war fabric."  Yes, I overheard the comment.  It stung quite badly.  The brown jumped at me.  I had taken time to select it, I had asked if the fabric was modern, and even gotten help selecting a low volume background.  The experts had helped me.  CIVIL WAR?!  While I do agree, my block stands out like a sore thumb compared to all the bright colors.  I have been pursuing the questions, what is modern fabric and modern quilting?  I can't get a straight answer to those questions.  I have read the Modern Quilt Guild's definition.  It seems to box quilters in to a set of rules.  I was told modern quilting was " The rule is, there are no rules."  The comment hurt quite badly.  I considered quitting the guild.  Over reaction - yes.   The person had not meant it critically at me, she was just trying to explain modern.  I had the bad luck of being within earshot, and being the example of what was not modern.  

The bottom line is:  I am not quitting the guild.  The experience has freed me.  I am going to buy what I like from now on without stressing if the fabric is modern.  Keep in mind, I do know civil war fabric, depression era fabric, and most past eras of fabric.  I will do my best to pick modern fabric, but I am not going to be asking the staff at the store if my fabric is modern.  Those days are done.  If my block for the lottery does not "fit in" with the rest, I will give the winner my full permission to trash it. I will do my best to follow the guild rules, but it is not worth getting sick from stress.

Freedom has arrived.  It does feel good!