by Quilt Alliance | Jan 31, 2013 | On this Day in History Quilts series
Treasures from Zanesville. On this day in 1872 author Zane (changed from his given name—Pearl) Grey was born in Zanesville, Ohio. Grey’s most famous novel Riders of the Purple Sage is the tale of a man transformed from a weak easterner to a strong adventurer shaped by the rugged environment and culture of the American West. This T-Pattern quilt was also made in Zanesville, Ohio in the late 19th century. Three generations of women worked on the quilt: Mrs. Adam Racquet (mother), Mrs. Peter Gobel (daughter) and Mrs. David Gobel (granddaughter –in law?). Family members inherited the quilt and documented it (along with two others made by this group) during the North Carolina Quilt Project in 1985. View this quilt on The Quilt Index to read more about it’s history, design and construction. Be sure to use the zoom tool for a detailed view. Sources: http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/author-zane-grey-is-born Posted by Amy E. Milne Executive Director, Quilt Alliance…
by Quilt Alliance | Jan 30, 2013 | On this Day in History Quilts series
Who Was that Masked Man Anyway? On this day in 1933 the first episode of The Lone Ranger debuted on Detroit radio station WXYZ. The show opened with Rossini’s William Tell Overture and the shout “Hi-yo, Silver! Away!” The masked ex-Texas Ranger and his faithful Native American companion Tonto (whose inauthentic dialog included lines like “You betchum”) fought of justice in the American Old West. The show’s audience grew to over 20 million Americans by 1939. This pictorial quilt titled “Wild, Wild West” was made by Willoa Stockton Shults of Boerne, Texas in 1985. Mrs. Shults notes this about her design: “The main figure represents the mainstay of Texas symbolism–the cowboy and his faithful companion–the horse. His nemesis–the Indian–is inferred from the arrows. The background represents the terrain of West Texas with the Guadalupe Mountains in the distance.” Shults’ quilt was documented during the Texas Quilt Search and included in the 1990 book Lone Stars: A Legacy of Texas Quilts, Vol. II, 1936-1986 by Karoline Patterson Bresenhan and Nancy O’Bryant Puentes. View this quilt on The Quilt Index to read more about it’s history, design and construction. Be sure to use the zoom tool for a detailed view. Sources: http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-lone-ranger-debuts-on-detroit-radio http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lone_Ranger Posted by Amy E. Milne Executive Director, Quilt Alliance…
by Quilt Alliance | Jan 29, 2013 | On this Day in History Quilts series
Aloha Oe On this day in 1891 Liliuokalani is proclaimed Queen of Hawaii, the last monarch to rule the islands. Liliuokalani took over for her brother after his death. She was ousted by revolutionaries only two years later. Liliuokalani spent most of the rest of her life in the United States and composed many popular Hawaiian songs, including “Aloha Oe,” which means “Farewell to Thee.” This now-faded blue and white wholecloth applique beauty, titled Ka’ahumanu or Lei O Ka’ahumanu was made by Eme Mahikoa in 1899 in the town of Kawaihao on Kauai Island in Hawaii. It is entirely hand made and features a pink backing fabric. The quilt was documented by a family member of Mahikoa as part of the Hawaiian Quilt Research Project in 1996. View this quilt on The Quilt Index to read more about it’s history, design and construction. Be sure to use the zoom tool for a detailed view. Sources: http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/liliuokalani-proclaimed-queen-of-hawaii http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjZyZ8IuSzw (Aloha Oe on Hawaiian guitar with photos of Hawaii….relaxing) Posted by Amy E. Milne Executive Director, Quilt Alliance…
by Quilt Alliance | Jan 28, 2013 | On this Day in History Quilts series
We Are the World, We Are the Quilters. On this day in 1985 American music producer Quincy Jones recorded the pop hit We Are the World with a group of top pop stars, including the song’s writers, Michael Jackson and Lionel Ritchie. The recording was made immediately following the American Music Awards ceremony, at a studio nearby. Over 7 million copies of the record were sold, raising more than $60 million for African famine relief. This quilt, titled We Are the Quilters, was made by Cynthia St. Charles of Billings, Montana, for the Quilt Alliance’s 2011 contest, “Alliances: People, Patterns, Passion.” The quilt includes dozens of tiny, handmade worry dolls. St. Charles writes in her artist’s statement: “While contemplating the theme, “Alliances,” I imagined all the quilters in the world joining hands. I wondered how many times they would encircle the earth if they did. I thought, ‘what a happier, gentler world it would be if all the world’s quilters could join hand in solidarity.’” View this quilt on The Quilt Index to read more about it’s history, design and construction. Be sure to use the zoom tool for a detailed view. Sources: http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/american-recording-artists-gather-to-record-quotwe-are-the-worldquot Posted by Amy E. Milne Executive Director, Quilt Alliance…
by Quilt Alliance | Jan 27, 2013 | creativity, Guest Blogger
Time for creativity. How to find the time. It’s the million dollar question isn’t it? I know for myself, finding time is a priority. Not just because quilting it’s what I do, but because I have to do it. It comes with being an artist or any kind. Whether you write, quilt, paint or cook, making time for something you are passionate about is good for you soul. What is the minimum time needed for creativity? How do I do it? Many of you know that at one point in my life, “15 Minutes” was my life mantra for creativity. As a new mother, I found out quickly -but in a very good way- what people meant when they said, “Time? Wait until you have child! You won’t have time!” In those days I discovered that 15 minutes-a-day to be creative, was just enough time to keep me connected to my creative process. Amazingly, I could still do everything else I had to do! Sometimes it had nothing to do with quilt making. Sometimes it was taking 15 minutes to make something new, fresh and delicious for myself and family. Sometimes it was coloring with her, or stacking blocks…or writing in her baby journal. Make a boundary around it. Be firm and selfish about that block of time. It’s easy to get overwhelmed by life’s responsibilities but it’s worth it to find a morsel of time that you can give your self to be creative and freethinking each day. See how TIME actually includes “ME” in it? Permission granted! Overwhelmed? Are you organized? I get overwhelmed when my studio is a mess…(which is usually) …But ~ I find when I clean, I get a HUGE boost of creative energy. Perhaps that is why I make a “great hot mess” of my studio! So for starters, get rid of clutter. Take 15 minutes to tackle big cleaning projects, walk away and comeback alter for another small block of time. Small amounts of time used on overwhelming tasks makes them more manageable and sometimes even fun! FUN? Cleaning? As you clean, or go about your day, make a list of projects,or sketch out an idea, so you can come back LATER, and have FUN with your ideas! Visualize your time, through out the day. Think about HOW you will use that time the next day, so when you sit down to work, you are ready to go! I dream quilts, come up with great ideas in the shower, and while sitting in traffic…( I do live in NYC after all… most great thinking is done in traffic) Keep a pocket diary in your purse or briefcase to capture those ideas. Keep a good pen and pencil on hand too, I prefer sharpies! A little COLOR can take you a long way! Even if your 15 MINUTES is plain old, “sit down and put your feet up,” have stack of books and magazines available for inspiration. One you start to think about time in smaller increments during the day, you will be surprised at how you DO have the time to be creative. Be gentle, Be confident, Create! Victoria Findlay Wolfe is a New York City based quilter, fabric designer, and author of 15 Minutes of Play (C&T publishing), president of the NYC Metro Mod Quilters, board member of the nonprofit Quilt Alliance and since 2009 has run several community drives with BumbleBeansBASICS. Born and raised on a farm in Minnesota, Victoria’s passion for quilt making runs deep in her midwestern roots. She credits her quilting influences to her grandmother’s double knit crazy quilts that kept her warm growing up. Her biggest supporters are her loving husband, Michael and daughter, Beatrice. Follow her main blog at: http://bumblebeansinc.blogspot.com/ and her popular teaching site: …
