To make this exclusive 51″ x 66″ quilt design, you will trim the Coral panel into 7″ border strips, and piece the strips around our exclusive 29″ x 44″ Manta Ray panel, set against a dramatic solid back background.
Order the pattern as configured, or customize it to your liking with any of our thousands of fabrics. Just place your desired fabrics in your Wish List, and these fabrics will appear in the Fabric Selector below the pattern.
Today I bring you another quilt from the Festival of Quilts in Birmingham, UK. This one is by an artist I know very well – Galla Grotto. Over the last several years her stylized elegant portraits of women, have earned her fame in Europe.
This year she had her own gallery in Birmingham, titled “Women’s Encyclopaedia”.
This was one of my favorite portraits by Galla. I have matched it up with one of our new lovely hummingbird/floral prints on the right.
“The main purpose of any encyclopaedia is to collect knowledge scattered around the world and pass it on to those living today, so that the works of our past centuries do not become useless for future centuries, and our descendants, enriched with knowledge, become kinder and happier. This exhibition is an appeal to world cultural traditions through the rethinking of myths, images and symbols. At all times, women have played an important role in history, art and culture.
In Galla Grotto’s gallery of female portraits, goddesses and fairies, muses and other female images occupying a significant place in the mythology of different countries, perform an important mission – they pacify human anger, calm passions, bring peace, talk and negotiate. Women make the world a better, more harmonious and beautiful place. A woman in all her manifestations is the main theme of the exhibition.”
Galla is a Russian artist, who left Russia to live in Ukraine, then left Ukraine to live in France. When the war started she had to worry about her daughter who was still there. She has a unique perspective on world events, which I see her express through her beautiful art works.
Travel/Lecture Dates: Sept 12 – Fri 4-6 pm – Arizona Sonora Desert Museum, Tucson – Artist reception for SAQA “Camouflage” exhibit Oct 9-12 – Houston Quilt Festival – Soul Stories Nov 2-6 – Art Quilt Tahoe – Independent Study Nov 7-10 – Sacred Threads – Indianapolis – Art & Activism lecture Nov 21-23 – Taiwan Quilt Festival – Taipei – Feature Artist & Speaker Dec 10 – Canadian Quilt Association – Zoom Lecture – Intl Quilt Trends Feb 2 – SAQA Europe/Middle East – Zoom Lecture Feb 18-21 – QuiltCon – Raleigh NC
To make this exclusive 51″ x 61″ quilt design, you will start with our exclusive 31″ x 44″ Celtic Tree panel, then piece the diamond blocks with our coordinating Celtic Knots fabric, and set against a deep teal background. This quilt makes a bold wall hanging or lap quilt for you and your friends to enjoy !
Order the pattern as configured, or customize it to your liking with any of our thousands of fabrics. Just place your desired fabrics in your Wish List, and these fabrics will appear in the Fabric Selector below the pattern.
Sunday September 7 is Grandparents Day, and Buy a Book Day. If that gives you an excuse to buy a new book today, we have a delightful smorgasbord of creative titles in stock right now…for your Autumn reading pleasure.
If you read the last Wednesday e-newsletter from me, you know I am uploading photos from the Birmingham U.K. Festival of Quilts, and my subsequent trip to Oxfordshire. The Ukrainian textile mural featured, is also coming to the Houston Intl Quilt Festival….so I hope you can come to see it in person.
eQuilter is once again sponsoring a $5K Master Award in Houston this year. Any day now the winners will be announced, so we are very excited to learn who will be this year’s eQuilter Master winner!
If you live near Tucson, Houston, Tahoe, Indianapolis, or Taipei….I’ll be visiting your area before the end of the year! Check out my travel schedule below.
If you are in the Tucson area, please come to the beautiful Arizona Sonora Desert Museum next Friday. I am flying in for one evening at the artist reception, 4-6 pm in their gallery.
Travel/Lecture Dates: Sept 12 – Fri 4-6 pm – Arizona Sonora Desert Museum, Tucson – Artist reception for SAQA “Camouflage” exhibit Oct 9-12 – Houston Quilt Festival – Soul Stories Nov 2-6 – Art Quilt Tahoe – Independent Study Nov 7-10 – Sacred Threads – Indianapolis – Art & Activism lecture Nov 21-23 – Taiwan Quilt Festival – Taipei – Feature Artist & Speaker Dec 10 – Canadian Quilt Association – Zoom Lecture – Intl Quilt Trends Feb 18-21 – QuiltCon – Raleigh NC
Tonight’s exclusive Free Quilt Pattern features our re-stocked Stained Glass Lotus Flower fabric, depicting an elegant lotus blossom in full bloom, in vibrant stained glass style.
To make this 59″ x 66″ quilt design, you’ll start with the main 37″ x 44″ ‘Stained Glass Lotus Flower’ panel; then piece the dynamic accent borders with our Twilight & Midnight Purple Ombres and solid black.
PLUS – you’ll receive Free USA / 50% off INTL shipping when you order the fabrics for this exquisite quilt pattern (orders $100 and over, no coupon needed).
Order the pattern as configured, or customize it to your liking with any of our thousands of fabrics. Just place your desired fabrics in your Wish List, and these fabrics will appear in the Fabric Selector below the pattern.
Today I bring you another quilt from the Festival of Quilts in Birmingham, UK. This is the central panel from a huge textile mural that was on display from the Ukrainian Quilters Association.
I have posted a big batch of photos from the show, including many photos (overall, and details) of this monumental group quilt. I hope you will eventually have the chance to see this in person, and I do hope it ends up in a museum where we can all visit in the future. It deserves a permanent home, eventually.
The figure of Cossack Mamay is embedded in Ukrainian folklore, portrayed in many works of art and music. This legendary figure represents a force that overcomes and defeats enemies against all odds. He represents a defending warrior, upon whom the future of independent Ukraine rests. It is an archetypal image of a man who strives to lead a peaceful life in the countryside, accompanied by his sweetheart and his faithful horse.
This 236” x 98” artwork is a testament to the collaborative spirit of the Ukrainian Quilters Association, uniting individual artists from diverse backgrounds, many of whom reside in areas close to the front line, while others are scattered across the globe.
Our hearts go out to those who have suffered so much pain, loss and trauma. We pray for peace and we share this heroic masterwork as testament to the courage and dedication of the Ukrainian people.
We have an exclusive collection of Ukrainian folk art fabrics now, many of which are on sale. When these sell out they will not be reproduced. We continue to donate towards aid to displaced Ukrainian families.
Travel/Lecture Dates: Sept 12 – SAQA Camouflage Artist Reception – Arizona Desert Sonora Museum. Friday 4-6 pm. Oct 9-12 – Houston Quilt Festival – Soul Stories Nov 2-6 – Art Quilt Tahoe – Independent Study Nov 7-10 – Sacred Threads – Indianapolis – Art & Activism lecture Nov 21-23 – Taiwan Quilt Festival – Taipei
It is Labor Day weekend here in the US…what many consider the end of summer. Last week Starbucks announced the seasonal return of Pumpkin Spice. Despite the chaos in the world, the seasons continue to change, and those of us with reasonable balance in our lives….prepare for that first delightfully chilly evening just around the corner. I have a reclining chair on my back patio where I go to listen to the crickets and gaze at the stars at night. Soon I’ll need a sweater or shawl….or quilt!
It is going to be a very busy Fall season for me, as you can see in my schedule below. This long holiday weekend I am spending all 3 days in the studio, finishing 2 pieces, starting a new one. I watch the news for a short time, then I go shake it off or maybe I should say blow it off on my quilts that carry messages about the world we live in now.
For those of you who spend a lot of time on social media, I want you to keep a discerning eye out for the fraudulent ‘quilt shops’ that are popping up online. If something pops up that you have never heard of, and it doesn’t seem quite right, follow your gut and take caution. I’ve had several pop up in my feed the last 6 months or so. As we’ve reported to you, a couple times in the past they have counterfeited our name and website. If you get our newsletter and have shopped on our website, you know who we are. But I see a lot of people on social media falling for these sites – liking and sharing them. Now they are inventing new sites, new names, new AI ‘owners’. Buyer beware!
I’ve decided to go to Tucson for the opening of the SAQA exhibit “Camouflage”, at the beautiful Arizona Sonora Desert Museum gallery. The reception is Friday Sept 12 from 4-6 pm. I am honored to have a detail of my butterfly quilt on the cover of the Camouflage exhibit book. I am having dinner that night with a special friend from Pantone/Color Marketing Group, so I’ll be packing a lot into my 24 hour trip.
If you read the Wednesday e-newsletter from me, you know I am starting to post photos from the Birmingham U.K. Festival of Quilts. It takes awhile to edit them, add the artist names, etc. I’ll be uploading batches all weekend. You can see this album and others on my photo page here.
We hope you have a deeply restful holiday weekend, punctuated with stitching and giggling.
Travel/Lecture Dates: Sept 12 – Arizona Sonora Desert Museum – artist reception for SAQA “Camouflage” Oct 9-12 – Houston Quilt Festival – Soul Stories Nov 2-6 – Art Quilt Tahoe – Independent Study Nov 7-10 – Sacred Threads – Indianapolis – Art & Activism lecture Nov 21-23 – Taiwan Quilt Festival – Taipei Feb 18-21 – QuiltCon – Raleigh NC
To make this magnificent 49″ x 63″ design, you’ll begin with the dramatic 28″ x 44″ panel. Then piece the castle blocks and surrounding borders with four Hoffman Hand-Dyes.
You’ll bring an aura of magic and mystery to any room where this quilt hangs on the wall, or perhaps you’ll make a Nap Quilt that will take you flying on dreams of legend and myth.
PLUS – you’ll receive Free USA / 50% off INTL shipping when you order the fabrics for this exquisite quilt pattern (orders $100 and over, no coupon needed).
Order the pattern as configured, or customize it to your liking with any of our thousands of fabrics. Just place your desired fabrics in your Wish List, and these fabrics will appear in the Fabric Selector below the pattern.
The howl of North Woods Wolves fill the frigid air, in tonight’s exclusive Free Quilt Pattern. Wolves symbolize loyalty, teamwork, protection and playfulness.
To make this 51″ x 65″ quilt design, you will start with the 29″ x 44″ Arctic Wolf Pups central panel. Then piece the wintry borders with our exclusive snowflake, and finish the outside border with the bark-hued Hoffman hand dye.
This beautiful Lap/Nap quilt is quick and easy to make … a great gift for Wolf lovers who dream of running wild and free!
PLUS – you’ll receive Free USA / 50% off INTL shipping when you order the fabrics for this exquisite quilt pattern (orders $100 and over, no coupon needed).
Order the pattern as configured, or customize it to your liking with any of our thousands of fabrics. Just place your desired fabrics in your Wish List, and these fabrics will appear in the Fabric Selector below the pattern.
Today I am sharing another stunning quilt from the Festival of Quilts in Birmingham U.K.
“Sunflower” by Pippa Moss A traditional Hawaiian pattern, designed by Poakalani of Honolulu, Hawaii Hand applique with hand quilting.
Over the many years I have gone to the Birmingham show, I have not had the chance to meet Pippa, but I have admired her beautiful Hawaiian quilts and of course her patience for the handwork.
You can see several of her quilts that I have photographed at this show, at this link. Pippa uses wide quilt backing these days, instead of having to sew together 2 pieces of 44″ wide fabrics.
Just this last spring we had a fantastic exhibit of Hawaiian Quilts here at the Loveland Art Museum, about an hour North of Boulder. Every several years we have a local showing of the Hite collection, and this one was curated and staged beautifully. The last time I saw the Hite Collection Quilts was at the Colorado State University in Fort Collins…many years ago.
As our longtime friends and customers know, for many years I traveled to Hawaii with the family to visit Paul’s parents, aunt and uncle, sister and her kids. Sadly the elders are all gone and the kids have moved to the mainland. His father was a WWII vet, so his parents are resting at Punchbowl Memorial.
During all those years, Paul’s mother knew I had an interest in Hawaiian quilts, and she would research where I could go see quilts on display when visiting. Over those 25 years, my knowledge and appreciation for Hawaiian quilts grew.
The last time I went to Hawaii, we stayed in Lahaina on Maui. Yes it was just before the huge destructive fire. On this page you will see the quilts in the historic Baldwin House, which stood in front of the huge Banyan Tree. The house was totally destroyed, but the tree has grown back.
If you are thinking of trying your hand (pun intended) at making one of these eye-popping Hawaiian quilts, these days we have such a huge assortment of quilt backings to choose from…currently 280 products in stock! (We know you love to choose from a huge variety when finding the perfect backing.) You’ll find a large selection of hand-sewing needles here as well. If you can’t find what you need, give us a call, send an email, or try a live digital chat during business hours!
Travel/Lecture Dates: Oct 9-12 – Houston Quilt Festival – Soul Stories Nov 2-6 – Art Quilt Tahoe – Independent Study Nov 7-10 – Sacred Threads – Indianapolis – Art & Activism lecture Nov 21-23 – Taiwan Quilt Festival – Taipei
