About Us

About Us

The Bakersfield Modern Quilt guild is the local guild that follows the aesthetics of the Modern Quilt Guild. The Modern Quilt Guild is a community of quilt guilds around the world. The online community of modern quilters is thriving and this guild grew out of a desire to also have us meet in person. The founding branch of The Modern Quilt Guild started in Los Angeles in October of 2009. Through blogs & the internet, word spread quickly of the fun they were having and now branches have started popping up all over the world. W

We encourage anyone who is interested to join us! Beginners are welcome.

What is Modern Quilting?

Modern quilting is a new twist on the traditional art of quilting. This may mean something as simple as using a traditional quilt block and updating it in a fresh fun new way. That includes using modern fabrics, modifying the block arrangement or even the scale of the block.   The piecing could be improvisational and wonky, or it could be very exact and measured, following a pattern or creating your own. The quilting could be traditional stippling, clean straight lines or a very “free” have fun, quilt as you go style. Fabrics could be upcycled vintage sheets, custom digital printed fabric, a yummy selection from one of the new modern fabric designers, or an old fabric from an ever growing stash.

Modern quilting is sometimes difficult to define because in many ways the definition is as individual as the quilter – changing from quilter to quilter. In addition to reflecting the individual personality and personal style of the quilter it also reflects the current aesthetic of the day.

Modern quilting is also about the attitude and the approach that modern quilters take. It respects the amazing artistry and talent of the tradition of quilting, while allowing the quilter to challenge the “rules”. In fact, if there were one rule in modern quilting it would be that there are no rules.

The concept of modern quilting is not meant to divide or segregate. It is meant to welcome new quilters, of all ages, to the world of quilting in a style that they can relate to. In many ways, modern quilting takes us back to the basics of the early quilters, when women of the day used the colors and styles of their time to express themselves creatively.

For information about the Bakersfield Modern Quilt Guild, contact us at bakersfieldmodernquiltguild@gmail.com, find us on Facebook, or check out our Flickr page.