Cultural Fusion Quilts by Sujata Shah

When I heard Sujata Shah had written a book, I was very excited and preordered a copy right away. The book is called Cultural Fusion Quilts, A Melting Pot of Piecing Traditions, 15 Free-Form Block Projects, and was recently published by C & T Publishing. It is simply wonderful!

Sujata is a Facebook friend, and we share a lot of "likes" in common. Whenever people post pictures of brightly colored, slightly offbeat but harmonious improvisational quilts, we are clicking "like" to give the thumbs-up. Every so often she treats us to a picture of a quilt in progress, and I am always drawn in by it.

I love the book. Sujata has a distinct point of view, drawing inspiration from around the globe. The quilts are exuberant but grounded, a balance artists rarely achieve with such success. Her vivid, free-form quilts mingle handmade traditions from around the world in a modern way, and she demonstrates how surprisingly versatile a single block pattern can be. Highly recommended, I am thoroughly enjoying this book!! For more details, click here.

Happy Rainbow Quilt

This cheerful 1970s pictorial quilt will soon join my collection. It is tied, made of cotton, and has an inscription and date, 1977, in the lower left corner. Marjorie Childress, a quilt collector in New Mexico posted a picture of it on Facebook a while back, and it was love at first sight. Marjorie has a wonderful eye for quilts. Objects in her collection have recently been featured in new books by Roderick Kiracofe and Bob Shaw. She finds some of the most incredible things.

The Rainbow Quilt reminds me of my childhood, growing up in the 1970s, watching Schoolhouse Rock during Saturday morning cartoons. It has a whimsical quality, reminiscent of a child's drawing. Vintage pictorial quilts are rare, but I have another one with a rainbow. It came from Ohio and was made in the 1930s.

I am happy to have a dated, pictorial 1970s quilt joining the collection. It will also join the group of quilts to be displayed at QuiltCon and the Benton County Museum. Can't wait to see it in person. Will post more pictures when it arrives.

The Best

"The Best" 2014 by Yvonne Porcella
photo courtesy of the Alliance for American Quilts

I adore Yvonne Porcella. Long before the day when I was lucky to finally meet her in person I admired her work. It is full of joy, playful, and she has an extraordinary sense of color and design. Her work is signature. When you see one of Yvonne's quilts, you instantly know who made it.

The Quilt Alliance (Alliance for American Quilts) held its annual auction over the last few weeks, and one of Yvonne's quilts was in the group that ended last night. There were many other quilts I would've loved to bid on, some made by friends, but there was something about Yvonne's quilt. I absolutely had to have it. Funny thing is, I have not been collecting much this fall. Instead, I have been thoroughly engaged in many projects involving quilts in my collection, and trying to save up for France. So that's how much Yvonne's quilt stood out.

We met last year at the San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles during my exhibition of New York Beauty quilts. After the museum gathering and tour of the exhibition, we attended a private dinner for museum supporters at Nancy Bavor's home and sat with Yvonne.

One of her quilts, best described as the psychedelic burger quilt, was on display as part of a food themed exhibit during my exhibition. So I got to meet Yvonne, see one of her quilts in person and have dinner with her all in the same day. The whole experience was the best, and having one of her quilts will be a wonderful reminder. I have the best luck sometimes! 

ARBA Bicentennial Quilt Kit

Recently I received a note from fellow blogger Julie Sefton (Quiltdivajulie) about a Star of '76 Bicentennial Quilt Kit she had for sale. Of course, I snapped it up. When it arrived, I took a closer look at the package and realized it was an Officially Recognized Commemorative of the American Revolution Bicentennial Administration (ARBA) and was manufactured by B & B Needlecrafts of Memphis, Tennessee.

The kit includes precut fabric, printed foundation, instructions a label, and certificate of authenticity printed with the name of the woman who ordered the kit, Mrs. Joseph Curtis Matthews. In mint condition, Mrs. Matthews may have found the idea of all the appliqué daunting.

ARBA also produced Bicentennial flags, among other commemoratives. A while back, I acquired a nice, large one. It was manufactured by the Baldwin Regalia Company of St. Louis, Missouri.

I have not yet found an example of the finished ARBA quilt, not even a picture of one that I can recall, but the design is similar to the Mountain Mist quilt and pillow featured previously on my blog.

If you search my blog, you will find several posts in the archive related to Bicentennial quilts and textiles. To read more about the Mountain Mist Bicentennial Quilt pattern, click here.

Generation Q

 

A wonderful article by Susan Beal in the latest issue of Generation Q Magazine includes quilts from my collection, and one I made. The subject is wool, and Susan is the perfect person to write about it. She recently published a book with Pendleton called "Hand-Stitched Home, Projects to sew with Pendleton & other wools" - a must-have, in my opinion.

Three of the antique wool quilts illustrating the article are from my collection. One is an old New England patchwork quilt; one is an embellished crazy quilt from the late Victorian period, and the other is a sampler from the turn of the century. All three show the richness and versatility of wool, a material that can be used in many ways. 

old New England patchwork quilt, c. 1810

wool Crazy Quilt, c. 1900

sampler quilt made for Jasper Barnthouse, PA 1902

It was fun to see my "Wild Eyed Susans" quilt included with the article. This little quilt is probably ready to sign autographs with all the positive attention it has received. Props to the unknown person who made the tufted stars, upcycled and used as flowers.

Love everything about this magazine, the articles, the pictures, the staff-- and I'm honored to be included in it. Thank you, Susan Beal and Generation Q!! 

Quilters Questions, A Book of Curious Queries by Kyra E. Hicks

Would you accept $25,000 to stop quilting forever? What if the offer were only $2000? These questions and many others are included in Kyra Hicks' new book, "Quilters Questions, A Book of Curious Queries" - out just in time for holiday gift shopping season.

Quilters Questions is perfect for quilters of any age or skill level. Packed with delightful, humorous, and thought-provoking questions, this engaging read will provide hours of fun and conversation. Explore topics ranging from quilter identity, creative inspiration, collaboration, legacy and more!

One of my favorite questions is #179, "What is the value of your quilt collection? Have you had any of your quilts professionally appraised? Why or why not?" The answers depend on the individuals, and that's what I love about it. We all have our own answers.

Highly recommended, this book would make the perfect holiday gift for the quilter who has everything. Truly, I have never seen a book anything like it for quilters. It is wonderfully original, amusing, and poignant at times. A great read!

Kyra Hicks is a self-taught quilter who uses cotton to explore political, religious, family and romantic themes. She resides in Arlington, Virginia, where she tends her fragrant rose garden and researches the lives of quilters past. For information about this wonderful new book, click here.

2014 Ikebana Aki Matsuri & Sale

The 74th annual Aki Matsuri Ikebana Exhibition hosted by the Saga Goryu Hokubei Shisho is on display this weekend at the Buddhist Daihonzan Henjyoji Temple at 2634 SE 12th Avenue, Portland. Hours are 10AM to 4PM, and the exhibition will be open tomorrow. As always there are many wonderful arrangements to be enjoyed.

The Exhibition also has local artisans vending in the lower level of the temple, and my favorite local potter, Ken Pincus is back! I couldn't resist doing a little shopping while I was there. 

The theme for this year's exhibition is "Sei Ga" - refined elegance. In addition to the ikebana, there will be demonstrations of Chado- Way of Tea; shakuhachi (Japanese flute), Shodo (Japanese Calligraphy) and Ikebana presentations. Kudos to the organizers, especially David Komeiji who once again organized the event. This exhibition is one of the loveliest Portland traditions, so please go, enjoy, and do a little holiday shopping while you're there!