Friday Blogs

This year, I decided to blog on Fridays. I already missed a week, but I'm still trying. Quilts are gradually coming out of storage and being sorted. They were shuffled around with exhibition and book projects in the last few years, and now there are bins all over the house. Slowly, I am getting more organized.

I am currently sorting quilts by group and getting more organized

Seeing so many quilts at one time allows me to focus on what stays and what goes. The "sell" pile is growing, but I am gradually working on it.

Several of the "sell" quilts were included in projects such as magazine articles, exhibits and books. After the projects were done, I realized I didn't always need to hold on to the quilts.

I do not have many projects planned for this year, so it's a good time to go through the collection, organize things and sell what I do not need. My activities this year will be mostly behind-the-scenes, but I'm looking forward to Friday blogs.

Collin's First Juried Show

I urged Collin Ruff Fellows to enter the biennial juried show of men who quilt at the Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum. Two of his quilts were accepted, and I was not the least bit surprised. I was fortunate to photograph both quilts when they were first completed.

"Earth" by Collin Ruff Fellows

"Neptune" by Collin Ruff Fellows

I felt a little bad about not entering, having been in the previous two shows, but I was thrilled for Collin. When he received his acceptance letter, he posted this message on Facebook.

In one of the comments he said,

"Now I have to figure out how to get out there to see them up."

Shortly after receiving the good news, I had dinner with Collin and his husband, Marlin, at one of their favorite local Mexican restaurants, Pepita's. We talked about the show, and what they were planning for the future. Less than two weeks later, a heartbreaking announcement from Marlin appeared on Facebook.

We celebrated Collin and his amazing quilts last night at the opening reception of "Boys Just Wanna Have Fun Too" at the Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum in Golden, Colorado. The museum did a wonderful job with the display, paying tribute with the two quilts hanging together, along with a favorite mug shot and memorial statement. Thank you to Steve Bowley, Quilt Angel, for generously sponsoring this part of the exhibition.

I attended the reception with Marlin and his friend, Nick. The display was beautiful as it was poignant. Just as the world was just beginning to learn about Collin and his brilliant work, his friends and family were saying goodbye. We miss Collin terribly, but will always remember him, and not only for his quilts.

In Memorium

Collin Fellows

Collin Fellows was more than just your average, every-day, quilt-making biker. He was a big, burly guy with lots of ink and piercings. He enjoyed cigars, leather, and motorcycles, and had a soft spot in his heart for pit bulls. He was passionate about social justice, especially in the LGBTQ community. 

Collin was also an unusually talented artist. While studying at the Columbus College of Art and design in the 1980s, Collin found himself drawn to the use of hard lines, bold colors, and the shape-layering art movements of the early to middle 20th century. Over his life, he fed his artistic passion through the medium of many different forms of art including drawing, needlework, glasswork, woodwork, sculpture, and custom motorcycle building. 

Then, in 2014, Collin sat down at a sewing machine for the first time and found himself swept up into the world of quilting. Over the next few years, he completed more than 30, doing both commission work and charity quilts. Drawing on a lifetime of creative experiences, and after hours of design work, Collin's "Planets" series came to life. The "Planets" quilts are postage stamp quilts, so-called because each square in the quilt is an inch square-- about the size of a postage stamp. 

Before his death in November 2017, he had completed four of the nine quilts-- Earth, Mars, Jupiter, and Neptune-- and was working on a quilt exploring resistance to Fascist Politics. 

Collin stuck out at quilt shows, due to his alternative appearance. However, even a short conversation made it evident he was intelligent, articulate, and surprisingly soft-spoken for such a big, bearish man. His premature death left the world to continue to enjoy the quilts he left behind and wonder what more he would have done. Collin Ruff Fellows will continue to live on through his art. 

Collin Eric Fellows

(as written by his husband, Marlin Hofer)

1967-2017

Coming soon!

Last week I left a bid for a Hawaiian scrap quilt on eBay and forgot about it. When the auction ended, I received an e-mail that I'd won. What a nice surprise! This one is coming from a family in California, who lived in Hawaii around the time the quilt was made. It is 45" x 54". Here are a few photos.

Looks like it has a lot in common with several of the Hawaiian scrap quilts already in my collection. I can't wait to see it in person!

a nice gift

crib quilt, cottons, unknown maker, USA, c. 1860, 35" x 40"

This week I received a bag full of goodies from a friend who is downsizing. Among the goodies was this lovely little old crib quilt. I think it was probably made around 1860. The fabrics look right for that period.

The condition is far from perfect, a sign that it was well loved and used a lot. That's really the way it should be. Whenever I see a very old crib quilt in flawless condition, I feel a little sad to think of the reasons why it was never used. After much wear, washing and fading, this quilt has a very pleasing color palette.