Denyse Schmidt: Quilts, Books + Stationary
By Christine M. Liu, Guest Writer, decor8 As one of the millions dabbling in the vast creative depths of DIY culture, I have seen things like knitting, crocheting, and felt appliques shed their old-fashioned status and become the next new hip. iPod cozies are the new tea cozies, and grandmothers meet glampunkers at modern craft fairs.
One craft that has shied from the limelight a bit is quilting.
At least for me, quilting seems still relatively entrenched in the German Dutch tradition and midwestern generational home-making. Yesterday, my roommate (in true presidential holiday spirit) was cruising daytime TV and became engrossed in a very old-skool 'America Sews' crafting show on PBS. Though it was an interesting (if not somewhat unpalatable) fragment of American culture, it completely reinforced the traditional, old-fashioned quilting scene.
That's why I'm spectacularly impressed by Denyse Schmidt's quilts, which are fresh, modern, and a long way from the tacky, fussy quilts that might come to mind. Quilting meets couture: the bright colors and geometric lines are paired with soft textiles and comforting construction. Denyse is a RISD alum and does a fabulous job of tradition reinterpretation.
I cant get enough of the deep colors and playful stitching!
Denyse has books published by Chronicle that teach basics and offer patterns for many quilting projects. More images here on Amazon.
She was commissioned to create a chain link coverlet for Crate and Barrel:
Also find some of her delightfully cute photo books and stationery in the dots + jots and what a bunch of squares series...
She's such a talented designer, I can't wait to try making one of her quilts someday! Her books are high up on my wishlist.
-Christine M. Liu