Weeks Ringle and Bill Kerr are celebrating their 25th year as professional quiltmakers and co-founders of Modern Quilt Studio, a design studio in Oak Park, Illinois. Bill and Weeks are pioneers of the Modern Quilt Movement, having written the first book on Modern Quilting. Weeks made her first modern quilt in 1987 to rethink the possibilities of the American quilt as being expressive of the time in which we live. Bill began sewing at age 8 and started designing and making modern quilts in 1995.
They publish Modern Quilts Illustrated, the first magazine exclusively dedicated to modern quilting. From the first issue in 2011 to its latest release, Modern Quilts Illustrated enjoys a wide international following. Weeks and Bill are also authors of six books including Transparency Quilts, Quilts Made Modern, The Modern Quilt Workshop, Quiltmaker’s Color Workshop, Color Harmony for Quilts and the best-selling children’s sewing book, A Kid’s Guide to Sewing. Several times a year, Weeks and Bill host online quiltalongs with typically more than 1,200 attendees at each event with an online exhibition as well.
Their work has been featured widely in the international press including in O:The Oprah Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Dwell, American Patchwork & Quilting, Quilt Jikan (Japan), France Patchwork and Country Living among others. Weeks and Bill have taught extensively throughout the US, Canada, Japan (in Japanese), England, Australia and France (in French). In addition, Weeks teaches two online classes, Designing Modern Quilts on Craftsy.com and Solids Revolution on iquilt.com.
Weeks and Bill are prolific designers of original modern fabrics and debuted their first line in 2003. Known for their colorful yarn dyes and unique prints for Benartex’s Contempo lines, Weeks and Bill strive to inspire quilters of all ages and quilting styles. When he’s not working in the studio, Bill can be found at Dominican University in River Forest, IL where he is Director of the Graphic Design Discipline and former Chair of the Art Department.
Weeks and Bill also create one-of-a-kind commissions for public and private spaces around the world. For more on commissioning a quilt, click here.
Bibliography
Recent Publications:
Modern Quilts Illustrated #1–15, 2011-present
A Quilter’s Guide to Solids, 2020
Fat Quarter Love 3, 2020
Rediscovering Your Stash, 2019
Warp + Weft, 2018
Magic Inch Quilts, 2018
Dot Crazy, 2017
Fat Quarter Love 2, 2016
Fat Quarter Love, 2015
Art of the Quilt wall calendar 2014-present
Books we’ve written:
A Kid’s Guide to Sewing, 2013 Fun Stitch Studio
Transparency Quilts, 2011 C&T Publishing
Quilts Made Modern, 2010 C&T Publishing
Quiltmaker’s Color Workshop, 2006 Quarry Books
The Modern Quilt Workshop, 2005 Quarry Books
Color Harmony for Quilts, 2002 Rockport Books (later revised and re-released as Quiltmaker’s Color Workshop.) This was also translated and released in German as Farbharmonie für Quilts and in French as Guide de la Couleur en Patchwork.
Books that feature our work:
Modern Quilts: Designs of the New Century, C&T Publishing
Quilting with a Modern Slant, 2014, Storey Publishing
Amish Quilts: The Adventure Continues, 2013, C&T Publishing
We Love Color, 2012 Stash Books
Modern Blocks, 2011 Stash Books
Fabric Lines for Benartex/Contempo
Truly XO
Transparency
Delight
Zest
Sunnyside
Warp+Weft Holiday
Vintage
Under the Sun
Dreamy
Warp + Weft premium yarn dyes
Printology
Dot Crazy
Our work has appeared extensively in the international press including:
American Patchwork & Quilting
American Quilter
American Quilt Retailer
Australian Quilter’s Companion
Bernina Inspiration USA
Best Modern Quilts
Bride’s Magazine
Chicago Magazine
The Chicago Tribune
Child magazine
Country Living
Country Living Gardener
Design Interiør (Norway)
Domino
Dwell
Fine Furnishings International
Furniture Style
Get Creative
HOME magazine
Interior Design
Magic Patch (France)
Metropolitan Home
Modern Patchwork
Modern Quilts Unlimited
The New York Times
O:The Oprah Magazine
Quilt & Zo (Holland)
Quilter’s Home
Quilter’s Newsletter
Quilts and More
Quilts Japan
Quilt Jikan (Japan)
Real Simple
TIME magazine
Time Out New York
The Washington Post
The Wall Street Journal
Women’s Day Decorating