House Quilt Project

Jamie Fingal invited several artists to join her in creating a quilt to commemorate the newest completed homes in Orange County for Habitat for Humanity.
Here is what Jamie has to say about the project:

I am working with Furnishing Hope of Orange County.  Beth Phillips heads up this non-profit organization that works with interior designers to decorate, furnish and create amazing interiors for houses that Habitat for Humanity builds in Orange County.
I am coordinating the making of small house quilts for each family in a San Juan Capistrano tract that H4H is building.  Each wall quilt will be 12"wide by 16"long and will reflect the interior colors and style of each individual house.  I have asked 13 artists to participate in this project with me.  Furnishing Hope is on Facebook too, if you want to learn more about what they do or make a donation.

This is the quilt I created for the project.

Please visit Jamie's blog for additional images of quilts in the project.

An article about Habitat homes in San Juan Capistrano - and a video - so be sure to watch that part.  Beth Phillips was Jamie's contact person. http://www.ocregister.com/news/homes-267066-habitat-marines.html

A final note:  an Open House was held on Thursday, 9/23/10.  Jamie Fingal and Felisa Lyons attended, and said that the event was very moving.  Jamie was kind enough to photograph the quilt I donated in its new home:

Beauty on the back of antique quilt blocks

Last month I attended a board meeting for the Alliance for American Quilts in Grafton, Vermont.  We were treated to a wonderful experience in the lovely hamlet of Grafton, thanks to our host, Frances Holliday Alford, and assisted by Kathy Metellica, a fellow-resident and quilt maker.
Among the experiences we had was an old fashioned "quilt turning".  We viewed many Vermont quilts and learned about the history of each.

Mark Dunn, founder and president of Moda Fabrics (foreground)

admires the beautiful antique quilts 

Amongst the treasures were a number of pieces owned by Kathy.  She was given several quilts, along with a group of pieced "Grandmother's Flower Garden" blocks.  While lovely, I was absolutely thrilled with the exposed paper on the back of each hexagon.  The handwriting is exquisite, and I love that the maker used her old letters and bills to piece these blocks.  The blocks are circa 1870's.  Take a look:

While much is known about the quilts we viewed at the turning, we know that so many beautiful quilts, antique and contemporary, become disconnected from the maker.  Without proper documentation of both the quilts and their makers, part of the beauty of the quilt is lost forever.

The Alliance for American Quilts is dedicated to the preservation of these stories.  I currently serve on the board of directors of this marvelous organization.  Many of you are familiar with the project, "Quilters: SOS (Save Our Stories)".  Did you know that this project part of the Alliance?

We are currently challenged to match funding, dollar for dollar, by an anonymous donor, up to $30,000.

This is a tremendous opportunity for the Alliance!  I encourage you to consider joining, if you are not currently a member.  There is such a wealth of information on the website!  Please take time to read some of the interviews from QSOS, as well as browse the immense Quilt Index.  For those of you attending the International Quilt Festival, Houston TX, the Alliance will have an exhibition and several special events during the show.  I personally invite you to click the link to our website.  Please consider becoming a member.  Alliance for American Quilts

Student images

Nancy Urschel, one of the students from our CREATE! retreat workshops in Chicago sent photos of a painted canvas she created after returning home, as well as two totes she constructed from the canvas.
Thank you, Nancy, for sharing your work!  Take a look:

I signed up for "Grafitti Chic", an online class with Alisa Burke!

Here is the lovely Alisa Burke

(photo courtesy of her blog)

I am excited!  I have never attempted an online course, and I can't think of a better one to participate in than Alisa's.  A close friend took Alisa's workshop at CREATE! in Chicago, and I've been dreaming about it ever since.  

Anyone else game?  If so, here is the link:  Grafitti Chic online workshop.  If you decide to participate please let me know.  Can't wait to get started!

More behind-the-scenes photos from the Quilting Arts TV taping

I'm still basking in the memories of how much fun I had while taping my segments for Quilting Arts TV:  playing with the gorgeous Bernina 830 and Aurora 440 QE (wow!), meeting some amazing artists whose work I have admired for a long time, and meeting new people.
Here are a few more images from that experience:

Sewing on the Bernina 830 is a dream!  

I am in serious lust-mode for one of these beauties.

Kathy Stull, producer of Quilting Arts TV, poses with Pokey.

A fabulous foursome!  L-R:  Helen Gregory, Jeanne Cook Delpit of Bernina, Pokey Bolton, and Pippa Eccles.

Here is Pokey's UFO featured on our "Save My UFO! Segment"......

Here is the crowd in the Green Room watching our segment.

What in the world did we do to that quilt??  Stay tuned....

In Memorium

I began my journey into the colorful world of quilting in 1980.  I was a young woman, barely out of nursing school, and I was drawn to the beauty of quilts I saw one of my colleagues working on during her breaks at the hospital.
She recommended I subscribe to Quilter's Newsletter Magazine to get a better grasp of all the possibilities that lie before me in this wonderful world.  
Throughout the years of subscribing to QNM I learned about quilt-makers from all over the world, saw gorgeous works of art, and was given a sense of connection to this world long before the Internet.
It was with great sadness that I learned of QNM founder Bonnie Leman's passing.  She inspired a generation (& more!) of quilt makers.  She was a treasure, a true pioneer of our quilt-world.
My deepest sympathy to her family.

Bonnie Leman was the first individual honored as a "Quilt Treasure" by the Alliance for American Quilts.  Please click the following link additional info and her interview.

"Quilt Treasure" Bonnie Leman

Quilting Arts TV taping in Cleveland

Jamie and I departed from Chicago on Sunday and flew to Cleveland to prepare for our segments on QATV.  Jamie is an old pro at this, but I'm a newbie.  I was really looking forward to the whole experience.  In my past life as a nurse-clinician I did a number of television commercials for the Women's Center I worked for, but that was about a million years ago.
The production staff at the studio is a well-oiled machine:  very organized and professional.  The set is lovely, lighting beautiful, and the experience fun and easy.  I brought more supplies and clothing than I needed, but I thought it was better to be over-prepared than the alternative.
I mixed print paste in our hotel room Sunday night, then separated it and mixed dye into small containers in the restroom at the studio Monday morning.
I was really glad to do my segment on dye-printing facial cloths first, as this was the one that required the most preparation.  I felt relieved when this one went well.  I can't tell you what I said on-camera to save my life.  I hope it made sense!

This photo was taken by Susan Brubaker-Knapp of the television in the Green Room

Tuesday, Jamie and I did a segment about the "Beneath the Surface" exhibition, showcasing a selection of quilts chosen by Pokey for the segment.  We discussed the importance of properly labeling and packaging a quilt for shipping.  I did another segment on how to make a properly sized quilt hanging sleeve.  My final segment was "Save My UFO!".  For the record, I looked through the list of possibles to discuss without actually looking at who made the quilts.
I selected several possibilities.  The two chosen were "Hot" http://tinyurl.com/2uzvtgo and "My UFO from QA TV" http://tinyurl.com/3yaua6q.
I'm a little slow on the uptake, but I didn't realize the latter quilt was Pokey's until we had a discussion about it in Chicago.  I planned to recommend that we cut the quilt up.  I didn't know we would actually CUT IT UP on camera, but we did.  It was a blast!  I spent the afternoon in the Green Room reconfiguring the quilt.  I am so happy with the results!  I need to check to be sure it is okay to post images on the blog before the show airs.  I'll put them up as soon as I can.
Here are a few shots that others took of me while at the studio.  I haven't even loaded my photos onto the computer.  I am certain more will follow!

Pokey, Jamie, and Leslie before our segment on how to prepare your quilt for shipping

Chillin' while the cameras are being set for the segment on making a quilt sleeve