Typically, November signals the launch of our annual quilt auction. For the past ten years, we have invited quilters from all over the world to enter our small quilt contest. Each year we offered up a different theme–adventurous, yet open-ended, to encourage quilters from all corners of our community to join in the challenge. Each quilter provided an artist’s statement, and a quilt label for their piece, ensuring future owners would know its history. Thanks to our devoted sponsors at Handi Quilter, Moda, Aurifil, Electric Quilt Company, Simplicity and Storypatches, our winners received fabulous prizes (as in: longarm and mid-arm sewing machines, giant thread collections and fabric gift baskets). After judging, the contest quilts went on an exhibition tour across the country, showcased at quilt shows and in corporate and public galleries. And the culminating event of the year was the online auction of the quilts, thanks to the generosity of the artists who donated them. This year, we hit pause on the contest in order to reconfigure our formula a bit. We wanted to process feedback from our entrants, our sponsors, our buyers and our members. Since our mission is to document, preserve and share the history of quilts and their makers, our contest allowed us to record and archive the work of today’s quilters while raising critical operating funds. We’re excited about the next chapter and look forward to sharing, so Please Stand By! In the mean time we thought you might enjoy a series of themed galleries of past contest entries, like this one focused on portrait quilts. We do love a quilted face! [huge_it_gallery…
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,…
The Quilt Alliance contest turns eleven this year and the 2017 theme, “Voices,” hints at the diversity and the history of the yearly challenge. Each year since 2007, we have asked artists to create a quilt that speaks to an open-ended theme, adaptable to any quilt medium. We encourage everyone who makes quilts to enter our annual contest regardless of their style (traditional, modern, art) or technique (longarm, hand quilting, applique, pieced…) –all are welcomed and valued! The first QA contest was launched in 2007 with several goals in mind. One goal was to raise funds to support the Alliance’s move from Louisville, Kentucky to our present home in Asheville, North Carolina. We also wanted to establish this fundraiser as an annual initiative to provide ongoing operating support. Another aim was to document the work of our members by taking a “snapshot” of quilts made in a particular year. QA board members Karen Musgrave and the late Yvonne Porcella set out to make the contest friendly to all quilters, whether they identified as longarmers, hand quilters, modern quilters… or simply artists. With this in mind, they crafted an open-ended theme that anyone could speak to, and that tradition has continued. Quilt Alliance quilt contests from 2007-2016 2007: Put a Roof Over Our Head 2008: My Quilts/Our History 2009: Crazy for Quilts 2010: New from Old 2011: Alliances: People, Patterns, Passion 2012: Home Is Where the Quilt Is 2013: TWENTY 2014: Inspired By 2015: Animals We Love 2016: Playing Favorites There are two weeks left to enter the 2017 contest–we extended our postmark deadline to July 3, 2017. Find full details and online registration for the “Voices” contest on the Voices contest webpage.. Get a sense of the quality and range of our past contests by perusing our press gallery: Talking Textiles, Issue #1, September 2016. Please note the omission of credit in this piece for the quilt on the left side of the page: Luke Hayne’s quilt, “[Gifts #22] Like Michael James “. Quilting Arts Magazine, Nov/Dec 2015. The Daily Sentinel, Grand Junction, Colorado. Sunday, December 26, 2010. The Laurel of Asheville. September 2009. Quilters Newsletter Magazine. Nov/Dec…
A chorus of artistic voices from all over the US and abroad are pouring into the Quilt Alliance office in Asheville this month. It’s entry time for our annual quilt contest and this year’s theme is “Voices,” We invite entrants to share their opinions, memories, language, conversation and truths in the form of a quilt. Help us document the state of quilting in 2017—let your voice be heard. And to ensure more voices are included, we have extended the postmark deadline to July 3, 2017. As part of our mission, the Quilt Alliance records the stories of quilts and quiltmakers through our oral history projects. We value the human voice as well as your voice expressed in cloth and thread. We encourage everyone who makes quilts to enter our annual contest regardless of their style (traditional, modern, art) or technique (longarm, hand quilting, applique, pieced…) –all are welcomed and valued! Join us for a walk down QA Contest Memory Lane! We are proud to present archives of all eleven years of Quilt Alliance contest entries on the Quilt Alliance website, as well as the Quilt Index site. For our 2011-2013 seasons, we asked artists to record their artists statements in audio form so that we could present and preserve the artists’ voices along with their quilts. Here are quilts and artist’s statements from our 2011 contest, “Alliances: People, Patterns, Passion.” Click on the audio files below each image to hear the makers of each quilt read their artist’s statement. [audio…
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Add your voice to this contest! The Quilt Alliance has extended the deadline (now July 3, 2017) for its 11th annual quilt contest. This year’s theme is “Voices.” Artists are invited to share their opinions, memories, language, conversation and truths in the form of a 16” x 16” wall quilt. Help us document the state of quilting in 2017 and let your voice be heard. As part of our mission, the Quilt Alliance ensures the documentation and preservation of the stories of quilts and quiltmakers through our oral history projects. We value the human voice, as well as your voice expressed in cloth and thread. Everyone who makes quilts is encouraged to enter our annual contest regardless of their style or technique. Traditional, modern, art, longarm, hand quilting, applique, piecing are all welcomed and valued. Register for the Contest! For full information and registration, visit the Quilt Alliance website here. Registration is online. Finished quilts must be mailed to the Quilt Alliance office in Asheville, North Carolina with a postmark no later than July 3, 2017. The quilts will be exhibited on our website, and at 2017 Alliance events, including the Not Fade Away conference on July 15 in Herndon, Virginia. Other exhibition venues include the Quilters Take Manhattan fundraising event in New York City on September 19 and in the Alliance booth at the International Quilt Festival in Houston, Nov. 1-4. All quilts will then be auctioned online in mid to late November to benefit the Quilt Alliance. All quilts will be labeled using StoryPatches. These special quilt labels have a QR code to link the quilt to its photo and documentation online. You can scan the label and instantly find out the artist’s name, artist’s statement and link to the artist’s website. The mission of the nonprofit Quilt Alliance is to document, preserve and share the stories of all types of quilters and every sort of quilt. The Alliance’s oral history projects, Q.S.O.S. and Go Tell It at the Quilt Show!, have recorded more than 1,200 stories of today’s quiltmakers. The Quilt Alliance helps quilters, quilt owners and groups like guilds and museums, record, archive and present the cultural heritage of quilting in America. Past Alliance contest quilts, left to right: Cover Us (2006) by Yvonne Porcella, Ode to Tamar (2009) by Allison Ann Aller, and Pineapple Log Cabin Renewed (2014) by Jane Hall. Contest Sponsors We are proud to announce that Handi Quilter Inc. will provide our top prizes. First, second and third place finishers will receive an HQ Stitch sewing machine (models 710, 510, and 210 respectively). Brenda Groelz, Director of Marketing and Education for the company says “At Handi Quilter, we give quilters the tools to make quilts that last. We applaud the mission of the Quilt Alliance to save the stories as well as the quilts. This contest allows quilters to further the Alliance mission, while also allowing quilters the opportunity to document and preserve their work in perpetuity.” Additional contest prizes contributed by these generous sponsors: Moda Fabrics, Aurifil, AccuQuilt, EZ Quilting, Simplicity Creative Group, and StoryPatches. View the complete “Voices” contest guidelines on the Quilt Alliance website here….
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] The 2017 Quilt Alliance contest is underway and we are receiving some lovely entries from longtime members and those new to the organization. Entries last year addressed the theme Playing Favorites and submissions featured favorite techniques, color palettes, concepts, materials and even favorite people and animals. This year’s contest theme is Voices and we are challenging our members to share their opinions, memories, language, conversation and truths in the form of a quilt. The 2016 Handi Quilter Grand Prize Winner was Margaret Cibulsky of Port Washington, New York. For her winning entry, “My Garden,” Margaret received her choice of either a HQ Sweet Sixteen sit-down longarm machine package or an HQ Simply Sixteen and Little Foot package from Handi Quilter, Inc. This year’s 1st through 3rd place winners will receive a HQ Stitch 710, 510 and 210 respectively. Past Quilt Alliance Contest winners (Grand Prize and 1st-3rd place winners) are ineligible for a period of 3 years to win 1st-3rd place awards in this year’s contest. For the 2017 contest, this includes 2014, 2015, 2016 contest winners. All past entrants are, however, eligible for Honorable Mention and Judge’s Choice awards. We asked Margaret to tell us about her quilting journey. In 2006, Cibulsky joined a quilting group in her Congregation who were making throw quilts for those in need of a lift. With basic skills under her belt, she was inspired her to make her first quilt. Cibulsky’s husband passed away in 2004, and the quilt was made of his clothing. She still considers this quilt, finished in 2010, to be her best. Cibulsky joined the NYC Metro Mod Guild around that time and has only missed a few meetings since. She is basically self-taught but she has learned from other guild members, from books and blogs. Cibulsky says although her first love was teaching, (32 years as a kindergarten and first grade teacher), designing and making quilts is her new passion, especially the process! Cibulsky sent us a look at how her 2017 Voices quilt was put together. [huge_it_gallery id=”16″]…
