Like many of us, Gwen Marston became inspired to make quilts while viewing an exhibit of antique quilts in a museum (sometime in the 1970s). As most quilters do, she started learning the art of quilting by making quilts from traditional patterns passed down through generations.
In 1990, Gwen began to design her own quilts. Using direct, uncluttered, and bold designs she forged a path of amazing creativity. She simplified elements and told her stories with color.
Gwen became a professional fiber artist, author, and teacher. She worked almost exclusively with solid fabrics and focused on contemporary abstract quilt designs, preferring solid colors that clearly defined her designs. For her, solids emphasized the delineation between shapes, whereas prints can blur the edges of adjoining shapes.
In 2019, the quilting community lost Gwen Marston—an innovative author, fiber artist, and instructor. She passed away in April 2019 from cancer at her home in Michigan.
She taught nationally and internationally for over 30 years, penned many books and was interviewed countless times. Gwen considered herself a “liberated” quilter in her designs. Her designs featured unique processes rather than templates or patterns in applique, string piecing, patchwork, and Amish influence quilts.
A quick Google search of her name brings more than 66,000 results. Her passion for quilting and her voice in the quilting and textile industries will be missed.
The OPQG library has the following books by Gwen Marston available. Be inspired! Check one out one of these books the next time you’re at the guild.
