by Quilt Alliance | Aug 23, 2017 | Alliance Quilt Contests
VOICES – 2017 Quilt Contest We are so excited to announce the winners of the 2017 Quilt Alliance quilt contest. The theme of the 2017 competition is “Voices”. We invited members to share their opinions, memories, language and truths in the form of a 16″ X 16″ quilt. After judging, all of the beautiful contest entries were donated to the Quilt Alliance for our annual quilt auction fund-raising event. You can go to the Quilt Alliance auction site to view all of the quilts and can bid on the quilts starting Nov. 13, 2017. It’s a wonderful opportunity to own one or more of the special “Voices” quilts. The Voices Quilt Contest Winners First Place Award Carol Poole of Rockledge, Florida, is the winner of this year’s First Place Award selected by Quilt Alliance members. Carol’s prize is an HQ Stitch 710 sewing machine provided by Handi Quilter (retail value: $3,495.00). Her quilt “My Alzheimer’s Voice,” pictured below, was made with hand dyed batiks and silk batting, using burned fabric and raw edge applique techniques. “I used my seam ripper for something besides unsewing,” says Poole. “I held the metal point over a candle until quite hot, then punched holes, to create the burned holes in my fabric, simulating the small burnt holes in my memories. In her artist’s statement Poole reveals her experience as an artist in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease. “Having been diagnosed with early stage Alzheimers, I wanted to visually depict how my voice is changing. Once my thoughts, ideas and words were bright, quick, well-formed and easily articulated. They are becoming harder to express and even forgotten, at times, singed around the edges. The vortex expresses what my voice is and what my voice is becoming: less busy worked more reflective and thoughtful. I am slower to anger and am grateful of love.” “My Alzheimer’s Voice” by Carol Poole. Second Place Award Quilt Alliance members chose Tim Latimer’s “Quilt Talk,” pictured below, to receive the Second Place Award, an HQ Stitch 510 machine, provided by Handi Quilter (retail value: $1,495.00). Latimer, from Lansing, Michigan, created his piece from quilted leather, using free motion quilting on an antique treadle sewing machine. Tim described his quilt in his artist’s statement: “This Quilt represents my obsession with quilting. The voices in my head are often about quilting and those voices in my head need to come out. I talk quilts and I make quilts, and the quilts represent my artistic voice.” “Quilt Talk” by Tim Latimer. Third Place Award The Third Place Award, also selected by Quilt Alliance members, goes to Ramona Bates of Little Rock, Arkansas, for her quilt, “On (the Line),” pictured below. Bates wins an HQ Stitch 210 machine, provided by Handi Quilter (retail value: $595.00). Bates’ artist’s statement shares her remembrance of conversations with her mother and grandmother: “My mother died almost 8 yrs ago. Though I didn’t call often I still miss hearing her voice on the phone (& in person). This piece is a nod to conversations on the phone line and on line (ie Twitter)as we make our voices heard. My mom (& grandmother) would often say “a little bird told me” which I added to the label.” “On (the Line)” by Ramona Bates Honorable Mention Awards Judge’s Choice Awards Judge’s Choice Awards were given to these six artists by quilt world professionals who were invited to participate in choosing their favorite quilts. Our thanks go to each and every one of them. Judge’s Choice – Meg Cox Judge’s Choice – Marianne Fons Judge’s Choice – Marlene Ingraham Judge’s Choice – Mark Lipinski Judge’s Choice – Paula Nadelstern Judge’s Choice – Linda Pumphrey Honorable Mention and Judge’s Choice Award winners will receive Aurifil Thread Collections. All winners will receive StoryPatches quilt labels. See all of the quilts here: www.QuiltAllianceAuction.org Online auction begins Nov. 13, 2017. Quilts will be exhibited at Quilters Take Manhattan event on Sept. 16, 2017, and in the Quilt Alliance booth at the International Quilt Festival, Nov. 2-5,…
by Quilt Alliance | Aug 11, 2017 | Uncategorized
Note: this puzzle works best on a desktop or laptop computer. For a phone and tablet-friendly version, visit this link. http://www.jigsawplanet.com/?rc=play&pid=0aba8f2a0e3f New Quilt Jigsaw Puzzle Feature Welcome to a fun new quilt jigsaw puzzle feature from Quilt Alliance! We are creating new quilt jigsaw puzzles for you that are both fun to solve and inspirational, too! The beautiful quilts in the puzzles have all been contestants in past Quilt Alliance contests. Be sure to sign up for our blog notifications, so that you don’t miss any of the upcoming puzzles. The Quilt Alliance presents a contest, exhibition and auction of small wall quilts every year. This key fundraiser supports our mission of documenting, preserving and sharing the history of quilts and their makers, and is an important opportunity to showcase and record the work of quilters in the U.S. and all over the world. You can browse the 2017 contest quilts here www.QuiltAllanceAuction.org to start picking out your favorites for our annual online auction that begins on Nov. 13, 2017. My Garden This week’s puzzle quilt is entitled My Garden and was made by Margaret Cibulsky of Port Washington, NY. This quilt was the Handi Quilter Grand Prize winner in the 2016 My Favorite Things contest. If you need help solving the puzzle, you can find a picture of the puzzle quilt here. Artist’s Statement The whole style of this quilt was an experiment. While my favorite way to make a quilt is improvisational piecing, I had never used this technique with the intention of using my work as the background for a natural scene. Another first was the free-cut blooms which I attached with raw-edge applique and then using some fancy stitches on my machine to create greenery. All in all, this little quilt is one of my favorites! Judges’ Comments We were all in agreement about the appropriateness of My Garden for this prize. The maker is clearly not stuck in any particular genre. Cone flowers and daisies bloom atop a somewhat “improvisational” background of random-size squares and rectangles, mostly—but not entirely—solids. The freeform flowers, though not ultra-realistic, are easily recognizable and nicely balanced. We love the lacy, embroidered stems and purple flowers that make up the lower third of the piece. Congratulations on a job well done! About Quilt Alliance We rely on the generous support of donors and members like you to sustain our projects. If you support our mission of documenting, preserving, and sharing the stories of quilts and quiltmakers, join us by becoming a member or renewing your membership, making a donation, or learning how your business or corporation can become a supporter of the Quilt…
by Quilt Alliance | Jan 18, 2017 | New & Announcements, Quilt Alliance board member post, Quilt history, Quilt Index
This week the Quilt Alliance lost one of its original supporters, who helped envision, lead, and sustain the organization and its projects. Alan Jabbour, former Quilt Alliance board member (2001-07) and president (2006-07), died on January 13, 2017. A renowned folklorist, old-time fiddle player, and collector of old fiddle tunes, Alan was the founding director of the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress. He was also a mentor and friend to many, including those of us who were lucky enough to serve on the board of the Quilt Alliance with him. In 1992, Shelly Zegart and Eunice Ray of the Kentucky Quilt Project went to the American Folklife Center to pitch their idea for a database compiling all of the data from the many state quilt documentation projects—the largest grassroots movement to document an aspect of the decorative arts—along with related quilt media. “Alan loved the idea of the Index and was on board from moment one,” recalls Shelly. “His encouragement, support, and uplift made all the difference.” Soon after, Zegart and Ray joined forces with Karey Bresenhan and Nancy Puentes O’Bryant to establish the Quilt Alliance. Alan hosted the Quilt Alliance’s initial advisory council meeting in 1995 at the Library of Congress. He served as an essential early booster of our mission, and his invaluable connections and leadership served both the Quilt Alliance and the Quilt Index—a partner project of the Quilt Alliance, Michigan State University Museum and MSU’s MATRIX: the Center for Digital Humanities and Social Sciences—as we developed the organization and this signature project from a nascent idea to what they are today. As Shelly notes, “having the imprimatur of the American Folklife Center made a huge difference in the validation of the Quilt Index and the Alliance.” In addition to serving as a guiding force during the Quilt Alliance’s formative years, Alan impacted many of us personally, through his kind words, encouragement, and musical talent. QA executive director Amy Milne reflects, “Personally, I found Alan to be a warm and supportive colleague whose mentorship meant a lot to me. His devotion to family was unmistakable.” Former board member and Quilt Alliance president Le Rowell fondly recalls her close collaboration with Alan, as well as the “pleasure of his fiddling and folk music presentations, his gift of storytelling and his calm, gentle presence.” I benefitted from his encouragement as I worked toward finishing my book; he believed in me, and that helped me believe in myself. As a folklorist, Alan helped us situate quilts in the world of folk culture. It was hard not to when he’d break out his fiddle. At one board reception in Asheville with Amy’s young children in attendance, he played while they danced, reminding us how we pass on our love of culture and history to each new generation. At Quilters Take Manhattan in 2012, we enjoyed the most delightful entertainment at the annual “After Dark” cocktail party following the main event at FIT. Alan brought both his fiddle and his encyclopedic knowledge of traditional tunes. He played, while our guests danced. Before each song, he would recount its origins, and how he learned it. Denyse Schmidt, who recalls her love of old-time music in her QSOS interview, was a particularly vivacious participant in the makeshift dance floor in Victoria Findlay Wolfe’s loft apartment. Our thoughts are with Karen Jabbour, Alan’s wife of over 55 years, and their extended family. We join the many individuals whose lives Alan touched, sharing in the grief of having lost such an inspirational and devoted friend and colleague. To learn more about Alan: Stephen Winick, “Alan Jabbour 1942-2017,” Folklife Today. Ken Perlman (Alan’s musical partner), remembering Alan. Alan Jabbour’s website Posted by Janneken Smucker President of the Board of Directors, Quilt Alliance jsmucker@wcupa.edu…
by Quilt Alliance | Feb 16, 2016 | Alliance Quilt Contests, Go Tell It at the Quilt Show!, QSOS, Quilt Alliance board member post, Quilt Index, Quilt Treasures
Beloved quilt world legend Yvonne Porcella died on Friday. She will be greatly missed by her family and friends and by so many in the quilt world–her fellow artists, her students, her colleagues at SAQA and the Quilt Alliance. Yvonne (or YP as many called her) was documented by the Quilt Alliance and its partners via projects like Quilters’ S.O.S. – Save Our Stories (Q.S.O.S.), Go Tell It at the Quilt Show!, Quilt Treasures and The Quilt Index (see excerpts below). The vibrancy of her work and her spirit were exciting and magnetic, and the YP brand was easy to spot–bright red and/or pink and always a black and white element (be it a quilt binding or a pair of socks, pants or glasses). Many of our sister organizations have also documented and honored Yvonne. (Find links to these resources at the end of this post.) In 1989, Yvonne founded the Studio Art Quilt Associates organization and remained committed to its mission until her death. In 1998, she was inducted into the Quilters Hall of Fame in Marion, Indiana. That same year, Yvonne was named the 5th recipient of the Silver Star Award at the International Quilt Festival in Houston, Texas. Yvonne was very supportive of the Quilt Alliance’s newest project, Go Tell It at the Quilt Show! which debuted in 2012. We recorded two Go Tell It!’s with Yvonne in 2014: the first during SAQA’s 25th anniversary conference in Alexandria, Virginia and the second at the International Quilt Festival in Houston, Texas. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGwsRz842TE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9I9vGT9_7bI Yvonne’s life and work was documented by the Quilt Treasures project in 2002. Quilt Treasures, a joint project of the Quilt Alliance, Michigan State University Museum and MATRIX Center for Digital Humanities and Social Sciences, documented the stories of a limited number of notable individuals – quiltmakers, designers, business people, collectors, scholars, publishers – who were instrumental in moving the 20th century quilt revival forward in some significant way. Yvonne’s Quilt Treasures Web Portrait includes a photo gallery, biography and timeline, and features a Mini Documentary video and Interview clips (below): Yvonne Porcella Mini-Documentary https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFF16T0xtMw Interview clips https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-t6Ego1-UgE As a founding board member of the Quilt Alliance, Yvonne contributed to many aspects of the organization’s projects and initiatives, including co-founding the Alliance quilt contest. In 2006, she worked with Karen Musgrave to launch this annual fundraising and documentary effort, and since then, artists from the United States and around the world have created and donated 872 quilts to support the Quilt Alliance. For the past nine years, Yvonne has made and donated one or more of her own quilts to the contest. Here are those quilts, now documented both on the Quilt Alliance website as well as in The Quilt Index.
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“The Mocha Tree”, 2013, for the “TWENTY” contest.
by Quilt Alliance | Dec 6, 2015 | Uncategorized
Sometimes the quiltmaker isn’t the only one who has a story to share about a quilt. At this year’s International Quilt Festival, Susan Stewart shared her quilt “Blue Plate Special”, winner of the Superior Threads Master Award for Thread Artistry. Can you believe almost all of the color on this quilt is machine embroidery?! After Susan shared her story, her husband Mark did a Go Tell It at the Quilt Show! interview about his experience living with a quilter, traveling to quilt shows, and the quilt world in general. Thanks so much to Susan and Mark for sharing two sides of the same quilt’s story! [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uI5ia3wPNlM&w=560&h=315] [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjKkeldPOU4&w=560&h=315] You can watch more quilt stories from the International Quilt Festival on the Quilt Alliance’s Youtube page. Posted by Emma Parker Project Manager, Quilters’ S.O.S.- Save Our Stories…
