My fellow Sewvivor comrade Chris Thompson is a native New Yorker and is working in the corporate offices for a very famous American clothing brand best known for their jeans, khakis, and t-shirts placing merchandise and styling mannequins for each season. By night he is the tattooed quilter and he bring his own style of quilting to the table. 

Tell us about how you started quilting and how you found modern quilting.

I’m from a very small town in Southern Virginia and have lived in several cities over the years from Atlanta to San Francisco and now NYC. I grew up in a traditional quilting family and before I could walk and talk, I was playing under a quilt frame.  My great granny was my first exposure to a quilt guild and between her, my great aunts, and my granny–I learned to sew and quilt.  As the years passed, I continued tinkering with crafts, quilting, and other odd-and-in creative endeavors.  I graduated high school, college, and took a break from any sort of hobby to pursue my career in fashion.  The years passed and it wasn’t until later, while living in San Francisco did I realize that my passion for quilting needed to be revisited.  I started back small, participating in a craft fair and made quite a few flying geese pillows (you may or may not have seen one on my blog).  After that, it became my healthy obsession to jump back, head first, into the world of quilting.

I learned that I loved the more modern side of our community after visiting Pea Pod Fabrics in San Francisco. I fell in love with the modern fabrics they offered and from there it took off!

I would say that the Internet and social media have certainly played a role in helping me explore modern quilting. I’ve always been attracted to bold, graphic patterns and shapes, even before re-joining the quilting community. My sense of style is simple and punches of color are always best!

What does it mean to you to be a modern quilter and a modern man?

To me, modern quilting is a movement. It’s a lifestyle. It’s art. It’s subjective. I’m very proud to be a modern quilter and sometimes there’s a nod to my traditional roots too.

Which quilt that you have made represents you and why?

Each quilt I make represents me! They’re an expression of my feelings and are often inspired by things around me such as art, music, and fashion. Each quilt has story and some are more personal than others.

How do you connect with other modern quilters? What does it mean to you to have this sisterhood of modern women and men?

I’m an individual member in the Modern Quilt Guild but will transition over to a member of the official New York City MQG in November. I connect with other modern quilters through social media (including Sewvivor, where I met you!). I’ve also met several modern quilters offline at guild meetings, workshops, and just by saying, “hey, let’s meet!” I’m very fortunate to be a part of this huge community! The support, friendships, and love mean so much to me!

I share my passion with anyone who will listen, often my best friends, co-workers, and sometimes-random strangers who ask about my sewing tattoos.

Want to connect with Chris?

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