56 Quiltmaker • May/June ’20
Modern Musings
In Praise of Simplicity
by Vivika Hansen DeNegre
When you think about all of the
geometric shapes at the fi ngertips
of every modern quilter, which one
comes immediately to mind? Is it
the ubiquitous circle that can be
hinted at with elegant curved
background quilting or quartered
and stitched into an elegant
variation of the drunkard’s path
pattern? Maybe you envisioned a
triangle, pieced as a fl ying geese
block, arranged into a hexagon
quilt, or elongated into spokes and
spikes. You could choose a rect-
angle of any shape; a trapezoid;
diamond; oval; or better yet, the
simple square.
Squares are, for the most part, the
most basic shape that a child can
defi ne, and a quilter can sew. The
key to their beauty and elegance is
their simplicity. Because each side
is exactly the same length, the
corners result in crisp and clean
90-degree angles. There is no
variation in this shape... a square by
any other name is “square”.
Triangles come in many forms;
diamonds can be elongated and
stretched; but if you change the
angles or lengthen one or two legs
of a square, you are designing with
an entirely diff erent shape.
As the modern quilt movement has
grown and developed from a
fl edgling aesthetic to a blossoming
trend, one design element has
remained constant: modern quilts
are generally simple (not necessar-
ily uncomplicated) and, in many
cases, square. It is the use of
straight-forward geometry that
makes them so.Why the square? It’s elementary.
First, let’s consider the fl exibility of
this shape. Despite being rigid by
defi nition, the square is an ex-
tremely adaptable shape in the
hands of talented modern quilt
designers. Consider, for example,
that before we had computers (and
great software), most quilters used
graph paper to map out their ideas.
The simplest arrangement of a grid
format is a series of squares. Maybe
that is why so many traditional
quilts are block-based and ar-
ranged in rows and columns. The
square is also readily scaled up or
down because the math is (thank-
fully) easy and the sewing is
straight. And as far as block
variations are concerned, I can
think of more than a dozen off the
top of my head that can be
arranged in a unique and modern
format.KeeKee pp it Simpleit Simple
Need more ideas for quilts that rely
on the square? Consider these as
food for thought:- Look to traditional blocks like
the Log Cabin: Although this
block is traditionally made of
strips, it begins with a square
and, in most cases, ends as one
too. - Reimagine a block: Nine-
Patch, Checker Board, and
Around the World blocks use
just the square, but their
beauty comes from the use of
value and color. How can you
rethink these classics in a more
modern way? - Go off the grid: Ditch the grid
format and arrange squares of
diff erent scale in an improvised
layout. - Remember the elements
of design: Contrast, balance,
repetition, and negative space
along with other design
elements all should be
considered when designing
a quilt.