by Diana Schonhut

Created on: March 05, 2009

Is quilting creative? Undoubtedly: anyone who has ever visited a quilt show or marvelled at an antique quilt can appreciate the thought and workmanship that goes into creating these under-appreciated works of art. And yes, many of them are based on traditional patterns, but have you ever seen two absolutely identical quilts? Every single quilt bears the loving fingerprint of its creator and will be unique. You may have found this for yourself if you have ever tried to recreate one of your own masterpieces: it just isn't the same second time around. So does using a traditional pattern mean you are simply 'regurgitating' what has gone before? Only the same as any writer is simply reusing the same old letters of the alphabet. It's all down to creativity.

It may help to put this argument in context a little. Historically, quilts were basically about keeping warm and using up whatever was to hand. Early quilters could have simple sewn fabric scraps together in any old haphazard fashion, but they took the time and care to mix in a little creativity to produce beautiful and useful items. They must have found that squares and triangles are often the easiest way of fitting together scraps of fabric to use up every last piece and it seems that some of the oldest patterns emerged in this way.

But today we have unlimited resources (except time, space and money!) and can be more lavish in our choice of materials and patterns. We have many more tools at our fingertips too, but basically it still comes down to sewing with a needle and thread, however mechanized they may be. Many modern quilters start by following a traditional pattern, especially an easy one with squares or strips, but then move on to more ambitious ideas. Once the creative juices get flowing there's no stopping any quilter launching off into imaginative space and producing work to rival any other art form.

Of course, there's nothing to stop anyone revisiting traditional patterns at any time, like a musician practises scales or an artist plays with a color wheel. Occasionally we might all want the security of following the steps in a recipe or the instructions in a manual, but who can resist the urge to tweak the rules and add a dash of something different? Changing something here and reworking something there can soon lead to a completely different result and that is the heart of true creativity.

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