Modern Quilts, exhibitions and 'stuff'

Hi everyone
Things got a bit busy there for a while, I thought I would have two spare rooms and get lots done but then one son came back home for a while then the other came home for the University holidays and I haven't got very far at all.

The last few days I have been trying to analyse what exactly is meant by 'a Modern Quilt'. Is it the fabric? Is it the use of minimalism? Is it the use of white, or grey, greyed down colors, lack of small prints?

Wellingtonians - There is a meeting on Thursday (Nancy' Embroidery 7pm) for anyone interested in talking about Modern Quilts.

I have also promised to teach a class for people interested in designing their own Modern Quilts so I've been playing with ideas and making samples of:

Improvisational piecing
Using a feature fabric with a traditional pattern
Using plains
Large print fabrics
Minimalism

The thing that stikes me is the the minimalism and  I've always been a bit of a minimalist anyway. BUT - I don't usually do piecing, I'm more of an appliqué/collager and not many Modern quilts seem to be appliqué.

Here is something I started today whilst watching a really old version of Heidi on my iPad. I just used a sample piece of a Maurice Kain furnishing fabric. I only had one fat quarter so if I want to make it bigger I will have to go shopping for some other kind of circle fabric. Trouble is - I get confused in quilt fabric shops and usually come out without buying anything.

Here are a few minimalist quilts which I made ages ago. Only the jeans quilt hasn't sold - I promised it to my son but I'm sure he'd love the money as he has gone off to Japan on a working holiday. NZ$800 and its yours!

Every now and again, I end up in a discussion about quilt rules, and whether there are any? Does it really matter about the number of stitches you can squeeze to the inch? I do think that it is nice to see well made things though... so here back from the past is my quilt 'The White Glove Mafia' which sold to someone who lives in Alaska.

Here she is - counting the quilting stitches and wearing her brown bargello vest which was out of date even then (the 1990s), on the right hand side was a painted panel I made but I cut it off as it didn't add to the composition.

Let me know your ideas on Modern Quilts, quilt mafiaism etc.
Clare