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Giving Voice to Quilt Stories

by | Nov 15, 2019 |

In October of 1999, a handful of quilters and quilt scholars gathered at the International Quilt Festival in Houston, Texas, to try something completely new: an oral history project focused on quilters’ stories, with members of the quilting community interviewing each other about their quiltmaking history, their proud moments, favorite techniques, their inspirations, frustrations, families, technologies, and communities.  Little did these volunteer interviewers and first interviewees know that the project–Quilters’ S.O.S. – Save Our Stories (QSOS)–would continue for another two decades, documenting the stories of over 1,100 quilters from around the world. It would include interviewees who’ve won some of the quilt world’s biggest prizes, to a six-year-old who recently finished her first quilt. Since those first interviews, QSOS has ensured that the diverse history of two decades of quiltmaking, in sewing rooms, international quilt shows, quilt shops, and community centers, has been captured.  At first, these stories were captured with cutting edge technology: the cassette tape! In 1999, the first interviews were recorded on tape, and laboriously transcribed by volunteer transcribers who’d write out every word and [laugh] and [pause for crying] in each transcript. Eventually, those transcripts would be posted online for anyone to read. Twenty years ago, that’s most of what you could do on the internet: read and look at pictures. Technologies for streaming audio and video were clunky and expensive at best. But fast-forward to 2019, and it seems practically quaint to encounter a web-page that’s just words. It’s not enough to bring you a transcript on a web page; we want you to be in the room where the stories are unfolding, to be transported to the living room or quilt show where these stories were captured, and to hear quilters tell their stories in their own voices.  You may have heard about our new initiative–to make the voices of the 1,100+ quilt stories we’ve recorded since the QSOS project began 20 years ago available online. It’s a big task, taking those Radio Shack cassette tapes and making them available for anyone in the world to hear. The tapes, despite their world-class storage conditions at the Library of Congress’ Audio-Visual Conservation Center, are aging fast. Each cassette needs to be digitized in real time, meaning that a 45 minute interview will take at least 45 minutes to play through and be recorded. Each recording is reviewed for quality and completeness, labeled correctly, added to a web server so we can beam it to your computer… and that’s all just to get it online! We’re grateful to have support from our partners at the University of Kentucky’s Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, who are working to digitize and prepare these interviews.  Despite the time and care it takes to make these recordings available online, it’s entirely worth it. The addition of audio transforms the experience of a QSOS interview. It offers nuance and emotion, textures and context that were entirely missing from the written transcript. Here’s just one example, from a 2011 interview with Venetta Morger. At the end of her interview, interviewer Sandi Goldman asked if she had anything to add. Venetta says: “I just know that four years ago when I started quilting full-time, having the time to quilt, my kids were all gone and off to school. I really dreamt that one day my quilt would hang in Houston. My quilt hung in Houston two years later in the special exhibits, with the Texas Guild exhibit that they do. I never would have imagined that it would have been picked as one of the best 200 quilts made in Texas in the last 25 years. But I hope that by having a dream, by encouraging others to have a dream, and making it big, that there’s nothing dreaming big. It’s absolutely the way that we can head towards a goal, and my next dream is to have a quilt in the winners circle here in Houston one of these days.” You can tell from the excerpt that she’s excited to be included in the exhibit. But when you listen to the recording, you can hear the pride in her voice. It’s a difference experience, hearing Venetta tell her own story, rather than reading it in your own voice, in your own head! Take a listen to this excerpt from an interview with Hollis Chatelain, talking about the influence of her time in Africa as a Peace Corps volunteer. There’s so much that doesn’t come through in the transcript: you can hear the loudspeaker announcements that are still ubiquitous at the International Quilt Festival, you can hear the ease and familiarity with which she switches from English to French to provide a pronunciation of ‘palétuvier’, the French word for a mangrove tree. There’s a rhythm to her recollections of the African landscapes she’s drawing from that’s not represented by the flat words on a page. Even that loudspeaker announcement that interrupts Hollis’ interview is part of that interview’s story! It sets the scene for her interview at the International Quilt Festival and it’s not too far-fetched to think that future quilt researchers may find in that short announcement a little bit of context to better understand the quilt show landscape of 1999! In the same way, I love hearing this recording of Denyse Schmidt’s QSOS interview recorded at the 2012 Quilters Take Manhattan event. You can hear the hum of the audience and their laughter at times: this is an interview recorded in front of a large audience and though it’s hard to tell just from the transcript, it has a slightly different flow than an interview conducted between two women in a living room or quilt shop.  We’re so excited about all of the possibilities this newly-available audio affords us as a quilting community. Whether you’re a quilter who loves hearing others talk about their quilting journey, a women’s history researcher interested in crafting communities, a documentary maker, a family member eager to hear the voice of a loved one who’s passed away, we hope you’ll find something to treasure in these interviews. We’re thrilled to bring these quilters stories to you, in their own voices.  We’ll be working on adding new interviews as the audio is digitized, so keep your eyes on the project! If you’re interested in learning more about supporting the transition of QSOS interviews to their new platform, please check out our QSOS 20th Anniversary Fund…

Quilt Puzzle: Color Play

by | Oct 19, 2019 |

Your Quilt Jigsaw Puzzle Tip: for best results, solve puzzle on this page on a desktop computer or laptop. If you are solving on a mobile device, click on the puzzle piece icon in the lower righthand corner to solve on the Jigsaw Planet website.  Welcome to another quilt jigsaw puzzle from Quilt Alliance! The beautiful quilts in the puzzles have all been entries in past Quilt Alliance quilt contests. Be sure to sign up for our blog notifications, so that you don’t miss any of the upcoming puzzles.   Color Play by Lisa Ellis This month’s puzzle spotlights a quilt titled Color Play made by Lisa Ellis of Fairfax, Virginia for the 2016 Quilt Alliance contest and auction, Playing Favorites. Lisa serves as treasurer of the Quilt Alliance board and is director of Sacred Threads, a nonprofit organization that presents a biennial quilt exhibition held in Herndon, Virginia. Artist’s Statement My obsession with the cathedral window block started with a quilt my grandmother made in the 1970’s using a variety of bright, cheerful, and colorful fabrics. She made the block the traditional way by folding squares of muslin, adding the colorful windows, and hand stitching back the flaps. I developed a new method to make a mock cathedral window entirely by machine and to incorporate more fabrics into the block. Color Play honors the tradition of my grandmother with an exploration of color. 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 Alliance. Welcome to another quilt jigsaw puzzle from Quilt Alliance! The beautiful quilts in the puzzles have all been entries in past Quilt Alliance quilt contests. Be sure to sign up for our blog notifications, so that you don’t miss any of the upcoming puzzles. 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…

Label it Already!

by | Oct 19, 2019 |

Most quilters have heard the message about quilt labeling. Adding a label to your quilt that includes, at minimum, your name, and when and where the quilt was made, is one way to ensure that its history will remain known and preserved. However, according to the 2016 Handi Quilter Quilters’ Survey only 57% of the 24,185 respondents say they label their quilts consistently, even though 94% of this group said they believe it is important to document and preserve the history of quilts and quiltmakers. What gives?
During our Quilt Story Road Show lectures we always ask the audience: “How many of you label the quilts that you make?” A typical response mirrors the figure from the survey–a little over half the room raises their hand. When we ask a follow up question: “How many of you label the quilts that you own, but did not make?” the room gets quiet and there is mostly blinking and nodding. So, we continue our crusade to change the documentation habits of quilt makers and owners until our vision of No More Anonymous Quiltmakers is realized. (There’s even a t-shirt for this campaign now–buy yours in the QA web shop).
Download a printable sheet of labels
Purchase QA Labels on Spoonflower
Download the Label That Quilt handout
 Let’s go over a simple method for making a quilt label. In the past, the Quilt Alliance has offered samples of pre-printed quilt labels (example below) as giveaways at lectures and quilt shows. The labels are small, all-cotton fabric printed with fields for the most basic information. You can buy all manner of pre-printed labels. Some are pre-cut, some are printed on yardage, and if you don’t like the choices you can buy fabric that goes in your printer to create your own custom labels. The goal of this post is to leave you with no excuse not to make a simple label and sew it on. Here are the materials and the steps, now label it already! The two irons featured in this demo are made by Oliso,          Here are the options and steps: Click arrow in top right to view slides.

Pick the Fabric

Any natural-fiber fabric that is smooth enough and light enough to write on is perfect for a label. This is a great way to use up your scraps.

Back the Label

It’s a lot easier to write on your fabric label when you back it with freezer paper temporarily. Some people also use a fine-grain sandpaper- anything to keep your fabric stable while you are inking in the details. I like to prep a bunch of labels as once–and long strips are great for this. (These came from the fabric panels for our KidsQuilt Kits).

Iron on the freezer paper.

Place the shiny side of the freezer paper towards the fabric and press using an iron set to medium heat. At this point, use an archival pen to write out your details, then sew it onto your quilt using a simple whip stitch. If you’d like to make your label look neater and avoid frayed edges–continue to the next slide.

Turn under the edges.

To turn down the edges on the label before sewing, start with the wrong side of the fabric facing up. Fold in and press each corner as shown.

Fold in each side and press.

Create mitered corners by folding in the length of each side by about 1/4′. Press.

Add freezer paper.

Turn the label over so right side is facing up. Cut a piece of freezer paper to fit the label and iron it to the label with the shiny side of the paper facing the back of the label.

Plan the label.

Use a scrap sheet of paper to draft your label. Include any bit of information that you know–maker, date, location, purpose, recipient, dimensions, fiber content, techniques, pattern, title, contact info of maker…

Write out the label.

Choose an archival, permanent, fadeproof pen versus a pen meant for general office use. Press the label again with your iron after the ink goes on to add an extra heat setting.

Peel off the freezer paper.

Gently pull off the freezer paper and you’re ready to sew on the label.

Sew on the label.

The best way to attach the label is to sew it on using cotton thread. If you are labeling a new quilt, you may consider attaching the label before you do the quilting–giving it added staying power.

You did it!

Time to completion: around 30 minutes and that includes time to shoo the cat off the quilt (three times). Everyone loves a soft, well-documented quilt. Now its history won’t fade away!…

Quilt Puzzle: Foursquare

by | Sep 20, 2019 |

Your Quilt Jigsaw Puzzle Tip: for best results, solve puzzle on this page on a desktop computer or laptop. If you are solving on a mobile device, click on the puzzle piece icon in the lower righthand corner to solve on the Jigsaw Planet website. Welcome to another quilt jigsaw puzzle from Quilt Alliance! The beautiful quilts in the puzzles have all been entries in past Quilt Alliance quilt contests. Be sure to sign up for our blog notifications, so that you don’t miss any of the upcoming puzzles.   Foursquare by Amy Munson This month’s puzzle spotlights a quilt titled Foursquare made by Amy Munson of Bismarck, North Dakota for the 2016 Quilt Alliance contest and auction, Playing Favorites. It was chosen for a Judge’s Choice Award by Marianne Fons. Artist’s Statement What do I love most about quilting? I love creating my own patterns and unique designs that mix traditional and contemporary techniques. I love raw edges and ripped fabric, embellished with embroidery and beads. I love playing with color and texture. Judge Marianne Fons’ comments: What impressed me most about this entry—and the reason I chose it as my personal favorite—is how well it reads graphically. The work’s solidity of design comes through clearly, even when viewed as a tiny thumbnail photo on my computer screen. I love how the house is “boxed” with lighter and then darker blue. I love how the artist “built” the house using non-architectural print fabrics. The colors used for the house make it appear cozy and inviting, a place anyone would love to live. Raw edges, ripped fabric, and bead embellishment are not techniques I use in my own work, but my hat is off to the maker of this clever piece, who beautifully and skillfully captured an iconic American architectural style.   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 Alliance. Welcome to another quilt jigsaw puzzle from Quilt Alliance! The beautiful quilts in the puzzles have all been entries in past Quilt Alliance quilt contests. Be sure to sign up for our blog notifications, so that you don’t miss any of the upcoming puzzles. 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…

Remembering Quilting Friends

by | Sep 20, 2019 |

Go Tell It at the Quilt Show! interviews recorded at the 10th biennial Sacred Threads Exhibition in Herndon, Virginia, are now being posted to the Quilt Alliance’s YouTube channel. The Go Tell It! project was created to capture the stories of quilts where quiltmakers and quilt lovers gather. Exhibition curators, museum staff, quilt show and guild program chairs from all over the United States are recording these 3-minute videos to document quilts being shared in their communities. The videos often reveal personal stories about the people, events, places, or ideas that inspired the featured quilt. Sacred Threads artist Christina Blais shared the story of her quilt in a Go Tell It! video recorded by QA staff member Emma Parker. “Lachrymose” mourns the loss of friend and fellow quiltmaker, Karen Loprete. Karen was a member of the Quilt Alliance and made quilts for three of our annual contests (shared below). Christina also recorded a Go Tell It! interview at the 2015 Sacred Threads exhibition–watch it here.

Have you made quilts inspired or influenced by a fellow artist? Has the work of another quiltmaker touched you or taught you in a unique way? We encourage you to record your story. Preserve this memory for yourself, for the friends and family of your inspiration, and for the sake of history. The Go Tell It! project was designed to be a public project and do-it-yourself instructions are available on the Quilt Alliance website.                             Sharing your quilt story is as easy as:
Pick a spot and set up your quilt You are important, and so is your quilt! Be sure we can see it fully and clearly by hanging it on neutral background, without a lot of activity going on behind it. The teller should stand in front of the quilt to talk.   Film your video in a bright spot with good lighting so that the quilt is visible. Near a window, outdoors, or in a room with bright light during the day is best.   Try to capture the best sound you can. We want to be able to hear the story of your quilt loud and clear! Film a test video first to see how it looks and sounds to you. Important: if you’re using a phone to film your video, rotate your phone so it’s horizontal (landscape), not vertical.
Start filming If you’re filming yourself, set your camera (or phone) on something sturdy so the video doesn’t shake and bounce. Better yet, get a friend to help! Start your video with: “My name is ________ and I’m telling my quilt story in [City, State] on [date of recording]”. Don’t leave this line out! It’s how we’ll know it’s part of the Go Tell It! project. Then, start talking! You can share anything that you feel is important about the quilt: how you made it, why you made it, who gave it to you, why it’s a meaningful quilt for you… the sky’s the limit! Well, three minutes is the limit, so you’ll want to keep an eye on the video timer.
Share your video Share your video here. You’ll be able to upload your video and enter information about the “teller” and details about the quilt. On this page your will also find a downloadable cue card to help your teller start their video, and a link to the online release form for the project. Once you upload your video, Quilt Alliance staff will do some simple edits, adding Go Tell It! and Quilt Alliance graphics to the video, and then upload it to the Quilt Alliance YouTube Channel. You will be notified once the video is live and then you can embed the video on your own website, blog or share it via social media.  
[H2]FAQS[/H2] [accordion style=”boxed” open=””] [accordion_toggle title=”What do I talk about? Can I have a friend ask me questions?”]You can talk about anything you want! Whatever you think is important about the quilt–what makes it special to you, why you like it, why you don’t, what makes it unusual… the sky’s the limit, really! If you made the quilt, you might talk about inspiration, technique, or special meaning. If you inherited or purchased the quilt, you could tell us why you love it or the story of how it came to you.We just ask that if you’re recording a Go Tell It video, your voice is the only voice we hear. If you want to write a few notes, or practice beforehand, go for it! [/accordion_toggle] [accordion_toggle title=”Do I need a special camera or microphone or lights?”]No! If you’re in a well-lit, quiet room and the video is easy to see and hear, you can use any video camera you’d like. If you do have access to a video camera, or lighting, that’s even better. You’ll want to make sure to position your lights so that there aren’t too many shadows on the quilt. If you’re an organization considering purchasing entry-level video equipment, send us an email and we’ll tell you what we use.[/accordion_toggle] [accordion_toggle title=”I have a lot of quilts I’d like to share. Can I make more than one video? Or can I share more than one quilt in a video?”]You can submit as many Go Tell It! videos as you’d like! We do ask that each video follow the Go Tell It! formula: one person and one quilt per video. If you’d like to share more quilts, feel free to make more videos–just submit one per quilt. [/accordion_toggle] [accordion_toggle title=”How much does it cost to participate?”] Go Tell It! is a project of the non-profit Quilt Alliance, and it’s free for anyone to submit a video or watch the videos we’ve collected.  If you would like to have a QA staff member visit your community to record Go Tell It! videos of members of your group, schedule a Quilt Story Road Show program. If you’d like to support the project or believe that documenting, preserving, and sharing the stories of quilts is important, you can make a donation to the Quilt Alliance in any amount or become an Alliance member. [/accordion_toggle] [accordion_toggle title=”Can I add a close-up image of my quilt to my video?”] If you have video editing skills and time to spare, feel free to add some still photographs of details of your quilt. We don’t recommend trying to zoom in on the quilt during the video–in general, it’s best to focus on the person talking, and try not to move the camera around. If you’d like to add a still image to your video before uploading and feel comfortable editing video, go for it! [/accordion_toggle] [accordion_toggle title=”Can I do the video outside?”] Yes! As long as you feel like your voice will be easily heard in the video (ie. not too many wind/traffic/nature noises) and the background isn’t too distracting, you can film your video anywhere you’d like. Getting outside sometimes provides the best, most even light for making a video. [/accordion_toggle]…

Quilt Puzzle: Celebrate

by | Aug 16, 2019 |

Your Quilt Jigsaw Puzzle Tip: for best results, solve puzzle on this page on a desktop computer or laptop. If you are solving on a mobile device, click on the puzzle piece icon in the lower righthand corner to solve on the Jigsaw Planet website. Welcome to another quilt jigsaw puzzle from Quilt Alliance! The beautiful quilts in the puzzles have all been entries in past Quilt Alliance quilt contests. Be sure to sign up for our blog notifications, so that you don’t miss any of the upcoming puzzles.   Celebrate by Terri Stegmiller This month’s puzzle spotlights a quilt titled Celebrate made by Terri Stegmiller of Mandan, North Dakota for the 2013 Quilt Alliance contest and auction, “TWENTY” (celebrating the Quilt Alliance’s 20th anniversary). Artist’s Statement Twenty balloons for a TWENTY celebration. A celebration calls for color, whimsy, and joy. A celebration includes family and friends. My quilt could be a symbol of any type of celebration—any occasion- big or small. It could even be a symbol of something very simple, such as a celebration of life in general, of a beautiful world we live in, or maybe even just waking up every day. Let’s all celebrate!   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 Alliance.&view=iframe” width=”300″ height=”150″ frameborder=”0″ allowfullscreen=”allowfullscreen” data-mce-fragment=”1″> Welcome to another quilt jigsaw puzzle from Quilt Alliance! The beautiful quilts in the puzzles have all been entries in past Quilt Alliance quilt contests. Be sure to sign up for our blog notifications, so that you don’t miss any of the upcoming puzzles. 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…

Peace by Piece: Connecting the Community with Quilts

by | Aug 16, 2019 |

Lizzy Rockwell from Bridgeport, Connecticut grew up in an art family. Both of her parents worked from home, illustrating and writing children’s books during the 1960’s through the 1980’s. She and her siblings were surrounded by the process and culture of art making as children, and she remembers drawing and writing stories at an early age. Another happy memory is learning to quilt with her mom and sister at a quilt frame set up in the living room, chatting and listening to television shows in the background.  Lizzy went on to study art and art history in college, then drawing and illustration in art school, and then began her own career as a magazine and book jacket illustrator. The first children’s book she illustrated was “Apples and Pumpkins,” written by her mother, Anne Rockwell. After starting her own family, Lizzy began teaching art to children in the Norwalk community, offering her skills and passion in hopes of encouraging creativity as a means to self-confidence and social connection. In her teaching work, Lizzy noticed that when the kids were engaged in drawing or painting, they were more likely to chat with each other or with her. Just as she noticed her teenagers were more likely to open up to her during a car ride, she noticed the young art makers were more open to making social connections when their eyes and hands were busy. She realized quilting had that same way of engaging adults. Lizzy developed the idea for an intergenerational community quilt project and proposed it to Rev. Jim Carter, a leader at the Norwalk Children’s Foundation. Carter loved the idea and helped her secure grant funding to launch Peace by Piece: The Norwalk Community Quilt Project in 2008. Many hands come together to work on quilts at Peace by Piece. Participants in the program range in age from 8 to 90 and come to the Senior Court Housing Complex in Norwalk on weekday afternoons to work together. Adult volunteers with quilting skills serve as mentors for youth in the program. Local quilt shop owner Christie Ruiz of Christie’s Quilting Boutique have been instrumental in supporting Peace by Piece through fabric donations and loan of their classroom space and sewing machines. The quilts made by the youth with the help of their adult mentors are given as gifts, designed for personal use, or used for fundraising for the program. The group has also completed seven collaborative quilts for public installation. These large, colorful and dynamic quilts, often with text and illustrations, are now in the permanent collection at of Norwalk Community College, Stepping Stones Museum for Children, Norwalk Public Library, South Norwalk Branch Library and Newfield Library in Bridgeport, CT. Rockwell designs the installation quilts and uses fabric painted by youth and adults from the team. She says, “A collaborative quilt is a metaphor for the community that created it, showing that good things happen when many come together as one.” [huge_it_gallery id=”25″] The group also holds public quilting bees to invite more people in the community to experience the making of a communal artwork. Denyse Schmidt, well-known quilt designer from neighboring Bridgeport, CT has been an avid supporter of Peace by Piece since 2009. Every year since 2012 she has invited members of the group to her studio to be part of a quilting demonstration and bee during the annual Bridgeport’s city-wide Open Studios.   Having Peace by Piece come to my studio during our annual Open Studios is not only the highlight of the weekend for me, it’s some of the most inspiring hours of the year! The group is a delightful mix of ages, and they radiate a beautiful spark of creative energy and joy, drawing even the shiest beginner to the quilt frame. It’s such a gift to witness and to be a part of their loving circle. I’m always blown away with all that Lizzy accomplishes, her commitment and selflessness are an aspiration! –Denyse Schmidt Peace by Piece recently celebrated their 11th anniversary. In 2011 they were a recipient of a Community Block Foundation Grant from the Norwalk Redevelopment Agency, and in 2015 they were awarded a grant from the National Quilting Association. They are sponsored by the Norwalk Housing Authority and in the last six years have relied most heavily on volunteerism, and donations from individuals. Lizzy created a webinar in 2017 for the Modern Quilt Guild titled “How to Build a Community Quilt.” Modern Quilt Guild members can access it here.   What’s next for Lizzy? “I am currently working on a picture book based on Peace by Piece, which will be published by Random House in 2020,” she says. “So now I am spending time with my friends around the clock, in and out of the quilt house! As I try to capture their likenesses, personalities, and relationships on paper, I am struck anew by just how special these people are to me and to each other. This started as a social experiment of sorts, and has turned into an ever expanding family. Quilting is a unique art form, fueled by generosity, spontaneity and collaboration.”         Find out more about this inspirational project by following them on Facebook. If you would like to volunteer or make a donation, contact Lizzy via her website.. Additional Links: https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/fabric-of-community-a-generational-thread-ties-4973847.php https://www.thehour.com/opinion/article/Peace-by-Piece-dedicates-third-quilt-Norwalk-Has-8133312.php https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5Aq7oK2djU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_S5xdi2uUTo https://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/afterschool/index.html   Contributed by Amy Milne, Quilt Alliance Executive Director…

Quilt Puzzle: June Is Bustin’ Out All Over

by | Jul 11, 2019 |

Your Quilt Jigsaw Puzzle Tip: for best results, solve puzzle on this page on a desktop computer or laptop. If you are solving on a mobile device, click on the puzzle piece icon in the lower righthand corner to solve on the Jigsaw Planet website.  Welcome to another quilt jigsaw puzzle from Quilt Alliance! The beautiful quilts in the puzzles have all been entries in past Quilt Alliance quilt contests. Be sure to sign up for our blog notifications, so that you don’t miss any of the upcoming puzzles.   June Is Bustin’ Out All Over by Diana Ramsay This month’s puzzle spotlights a quilt titled June Is Bustin’ Out All Over made by Diana Ramsay of Asheville, NC for the 2010 Quilt Alliance contest and auction, “New From Old.” Artist’s Statement Old: Background fabrics are 1930’s reproduction prints. Foreground is flowers of coordinating solids. New: This quilt was made with techniques, materials, and approach to design that did not exist in the ‘30’s.  As I worked on this quilt I found myself humming, “June is bustin’ out all over …” thus the name.   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…

One Quilt: Many Amazing Voices

by | Jul 11, 2019 |

The photo at right, taken by Dayna Lee on September 18, 1990, accompanied an article by Linda Roach for the 1992 Louisiana Folklife Festival booklet. Roach is Director of the School of Literature and Language at Louisiana Tech University and director of the Louisiana Quilt Documentation project. It’s been almost thirty years since this photo was taken, and group quilting is still practiced and enjoyed amongst today’s quilters. In many ways, the notion and practice has expanded. Quilters can now toggle between working virtually through online communities and coming together in person for collaboration, classes or shows. At the 2014 International Quilt Festival, the Quilt Alliance documented seven members of such a group called the Amazing Eight. The friends, who hail from Mississippi, Texas, Missouri, Iowa, Ohio, Illinois and Minnesota, met via a popular community forum hosted by The Quilt Show.com. In 2009, the group of virtual friends made plans to meet in person at Quilt Festival in Houston, Texas. At the show they met for dinner and enthusiastically started discussing the idea of making a quilt together. Inspired by that first dinner gathering, the group made two collaborative quilts. In 2014, their third collaborative quilt, “Amazing Aztec–Nicolor Dream Quilt” won first place in the Group Quilt category in the Quilts: A World of Beauty Judged Show at Quilt Festival. Seven members of the group shared their story about the quilt at Quilt Festival by recording a Go Tell It at the Quilt Show! video: Karen Fitzpatrick, Mary Holman, Wanda Myers, Cindy Neville, Carol Moellers, Dana Lynch and Mary Kay Runyan. (The eighth Amazing member is Bridget Lilja.) We’re proud to capture the stories of quilt makers and quilt lovers where they gather through the Go Tell It! project. We encourage everyone with a quilt to document, preserve and share the story of that quilt before it fades away. Instructions for making your own DIY Go Tell It! video can be found on our website here. Click on thumbnails below to view each video. …