Quilt of the Month & Web Update

July Quilt of the Month, One-Patch Variation, c. 1910

It's July 1st!! Time for a major update to my web site, so today I updated all the pages and added new sections for the Book Store, Lectures / Services, and Quilt of the Month. The Quilt of the Month is an idea I've seen elsewhere, including the International Quilt Study Center and Museum of Lincoln, Nebraska. With 150 quilts I can probably make it work, so I'm giving it a go!

One of the biggest changes to the website was hiding the picture galleries under each grouping in the collection. Some of these quilts are now published and available in print, and that's where I'd like people to find them. More books will be available in the future, for sure. Other quilts are still being documented, and there may be a few deaccessions in the group. As the collection continues to evolve, so will my methods of sharing it.

As it was, I was never 100% happy with the way the galleries looked. The pages were made with templates, and it showed. Most of the pictures are still out there on my blog, but for anyone who wants great quilts together in one place, books will be the way to go. I want to be part of your personal quilt book library, so I hope you'll visit my Book Store!

While I was making changes, I thought I'd also mention the new logo. I changed it several weeks ago, but hadn't said anything about it on my blog. The old logo was actually created as a stamp design when I was painting pottery several years ago. I wanted something specifically geared toward my collection, and I thought the sunburst design worked well since the collection is known for having many New York Beauties.

In addition to the Quilt of the Month, the other two newly added sections - Book Store and Lectures / Services will provide information about projects and products. In September, I plan to begin making myself available for consultations, appraisals, curating, quilt photography, and lectures. These are services that aren't widely available here in Oregon, and I'm happy to provide them...once my schedule settles down a bit.

So, big changes, but good ones. It's always interesting to see how an out-of-control hobby can begin to offer more professional opportunities. The things I've loved have always led to fruitful, fulfilling careers. I guess I've been lucky that way.