12 Projects Inspired by 20th-Century Art From Art Nouveau to Punk & Pop
July 1, 2013
Ricketson (Little Bits Quilting Bee), an Australian blogger (whipup.net) and quilt columnist, marries her interest in art to her creativity as a quilter. The result is colorful quilts of varying degrees of difficulty and derivative design. She admits an attraction to opposites in designs that reveal her “little spark of quirkiness.” In particular, she is drawn to 20th-century art and social movements, from art deco and Bauhaus to punk; she extracts the essence of each via color, text, line, and motif. Ricketson teaches design principles, such as space, color, and mood, before laying out 12 designs, each augmented with suggestions for the reader/quilter (her commonest verb is “try”). To teach use of line, she offers the quilt “Intersections.” “Weave,” its horizontal lines jabbed by a wedge of complementary lines, manifests Bauhaus ideals. Cubist concepts play in “Rhythm.” Each quilt design includes a chart detailing size of blocks and finished quilt, degree of difficulty, and techniques. Throughout, Ricketson offers tips, such as tracing fonts right off the computer screen for “Frothy Nothing,” a fabric tribute to dada.
July 1, 2013
The late Ricketson, founder of the popular crafting website Whip Up, had a background in visual art, and she brings her interest in 20th-century art movements to quilting in this collection of patterns. Quilts inspired by modern art commonly feature bold and contemporary designs, and these interpretations are no exception. The glimpses into the author's design process, from inspiration to choice of color to block layout, are fascinating. The majority of these projects are appropriate for adventurous beginners, while more experienced quilters will appreciate the playful attitude toward color and shape. VERDICT Ricketson's final book serves as a lovely coda to a promising career cut far too short. Modern quilters will love the art-inspired designs, and quilters of all skill levels will savor Ricketson's gentle guidance and encouragement.
Copyright 2013 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.