Tonight I am sharing an image of this stunning paper-pieced quilt made by Helen Creasey – and exhibited at the Festival of Quilts in Birmingham UK in August. This large-scale (life size) mermaid portrait was designed, constructed and machine quilted by Helen. It is titled “Reaching” and perhaps is a metaphor that captures the feeling of rising from the depths and stretching towards the light. It is made with solid cottons and beautifully stitched on a sit-down longarm machine.
This weekend I was in Louisville Kentucky for the American Quilt Study Group’s annual seminar. I have generally been more interested in contemporary quilts, rather than vintage or historic quilts, but as time goes by the quilts I admired in the 90s have become part of quilt history. It was fascinating to be immersed in this other world of quilt appreciation. Their studious presentations on textile history, and the evolution of quilt pattern designs reminded me that some day my own quilts will pass into the oeuvre of quilt history. The amount of time and energy invested in identifying and confirming the provenance of these quilts, is a reminder to us all, to label and document our own quilts!
You may recall that M.J. Kinman has taught here in the eQuilter classroom (pre-pandemic) and we have carried her Gemstone patterns, kits, and thread sets. It turns out she lives 10 minutes from where the seminar was held, so I was able to visit her home, meet her husband and dogs, and see her studio. (And – shhh! – a sneak peek at her next big project.) I also had an exciting moment in her back yard – seeing Red Cardinals in person for the first time in my life. We have carried so many Red Cardinal fabrics over the last 24 years, but we never see them here in Colorado. I was thrilled!
On Saturday I attended a luncheon and heard Shelley Zegart talk about her years promoting Kentucky quilt history. You may be familiar with her 9-part PBS documentary “Why Quilts Matter”. I grabbed a seat at a table and found myself next to quilt historian and author Barbara Brackman, who pulled out a small metal lunchbox of sewing supplies, and proceeded to hand-stitch an applique block. We engaged in some quilty gossip (as one does) before I had to dash out and make my way to the airport. It is hard to leave home for more than a couple days, with a new puppy at home!
Sharing your love of fabric…
Luana and Paul
* The photo above was taken by Luana Rubin at the Festival of Quilts in the Uk, in August 2023. It is framed by a selection of fabrics now in stock at eQuilter.com
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Travel/Quilt Calendar:
Oct 27 – Nov 3 – Quilt Market/Festival – Houston TX
Luana’s Art & Activism lecture is now online.
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