my next book

Pre-ordering is now available on Amazon, so I can finally start talking about my next book!

Modern Roots, Today's Quilts from Yesterday's Inspiration features 12 projects inspired by patchwork from 1840 to 1970. It is my first time doing a project book, and it is really an invitation for today's quiltmakers to explore aspects of modernism present in antique and vintage quilts, a bridge between the traditional and modern.

The book will be published by Stash Books, a division of C&T Publishing, and will be released in 2016. So, you may be seeing me at places like Quilt Market and other trade events in the not-so-distant future. I will have more news as we get closer to the release date. To check out the listing and pre-order the book, click here.

"No Girls Allowed!" @ Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum

"Fruity Beauty"

Good news! My quilt, "Fruity Beauty" was juried in to the biennial, all men's quilt exhibition at the Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum in Golden, Colorado. This year's show, the museum's 13th biennial for men, is called "No Girls Allowed" -- but everyone is welcome to go see the quilts.

"Center Star"

I also had a quilt in the 2014 exhibition, that year called "MANifestations".  The quilt, "Center Star" was featured in most of the press including the invitations and front cover of the gallery guide. As a novice quiltmaker, that was a nice surprise and a treat.

"Fruity Beauty" is a 21st century, digital-age New York Beauty, made with Spoonflower fabrics I designed using original photos of citrus fruits and juicers. It is 35" x 36", beautifully quilted by Jolene Knight of Good Knight Quilts - yes, "girls" are allowed to do the quilting - and is my contribution to the New York Beauty genre. It is inspired by quilts in my collection, but at the same time it is something new.

I have collected antique, vintage and modern-day New York Beauty quilts since 1989, and earlier this year published a book about them: "New York Beauty, Quilts from the Volckening Collection" (Quiltmania/France). Later this year, I will exhibit quilts from that collection at the Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum, serendipitous because one of the other names for the pattern is Rocky Mountain Road.

"No Girls Allowed!" will be on display from January 29th through April 26th, 2016. The Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum is located at 1213 Washington Avenue, Golden, Colorado. For more information, visit their website.

Giveaway Winner!

We have a winner! Comments were numbered in order and a random number was drawn to determine who would win. Out winner is Diana Tatro of Yuba City, California! Congratulations, Diana!! Many thanks to C&T / Stash publishing and Mandy Leins for providing the book for the giveaway. If you did not win and wish to buy a copy, click here.

Giveaway: Where in the World is Wanderlust Quilts?

Wanderlust Quilts by Mandy Leins goes South of the Border just outside Portland, Oregon

Welcome to my stop on the Wanderlust Quilts Blog Hop! Wanderlust Quilts is a phenomenal new book by Mandy Leins, with 10 modern projects inspired by classic art and architecture. One lucky reader will win a copy on each stop of the hop. Keep reading for how to enter today's giveaway.

Tessellation, from Wanderlust Quilts
Courtesy of Stash Books.  Photo by Nissa Brehmer.

Mandy invited bloggers to imagine a project from the book made with our choice of place for inspiration. I picked "Tessellation" -- a quilt full of wonderful color and pattern, inspired by Roman Mosaics.

Rather than go to Rome, I decided to go South of the Border with Pepitas, a favorite little Mexican restaurant just outside Portland, Oregon. The place is like an oasis, full of tchotchkes, neon lights, margaritas and delicious food. It would be a wonderful inspiration for a Tessellation quilt.

If only I could sew like Mandy! She's an absolute whiz, a Bernina Ambassador, Craftsy instructor, and award winning quiltmaker and long-arm quilter. She recently quilted one of the Double Wedding Ring quilts by Victoria Findlay Wolfe, displayed last week at the International Quilt Festival in Houston.

Mandy Leins, author of Wanderlust Quilts

I knew Mandy was the real deal way before that. We got to know each other through social media, and one day I received a message from her. She'd found a quilt in an antique shop in Tennessee, and thought about me even though we'd never met. The quilt eventually appeared in my New York Beauty book, so I was very grateful!

(I haven't forgotten about the giveaway...keep reading)

Mandy found the quilt, and I found a new friend.

We met at QuiltCon last year., where her "Egg & Dart" quilt was one of my favorites in the whole show, and to my eye there was something very different about it-- in a good way! So, how do I really feel about Wanderlust Quilts? In my Amazon review, I said,

"The first time I saw one of Mandy's quilts, I felt like I was seeing the future. Such a talented, technically proficient and thoughtful artist she is, and her work is elegant. I knew the book would be great, but it turned out much better than I'd imagined. It is brimming with new ideas, and the inspiration is crystal clear. Congratulations, Mandy, and also to the staff of C&T/Stash for their outstanding behind-the-scenes work. The photography and design are simply gorgeous. I can't wait to see what Mandy will do next. May there be many more books, and loads of success!"

Of course, I was thrilled to be part of the blog hop, and now I'm thrilled to offer a giveaway! One copy of Wanderlust Quilts is now up for grabs. All you need to do is leave a comment -- just one comment! A random winner will be selected on Monday, November 9th, and you'll be able to find it here at Wonkyworld.

Mandy's Blog —Mandalei Quilts

Link to find her book – Wanderlust Quilts by Amanda Leins

A recent interview — CraftyPlanner

Thank you for reading along. Please leave a comment to enter the drawing-- only one comment per person. Winner will be announced here on Monday, November 9th. 

"Glass Half Full" by Cath Hall

"Glass Half Full" 2015, by Cath Hall

I liked Cath Hall from the moment I first met her. Originally from Brisbane, Australia, Cath is a fellow member of Portland Modern Quilt Guild and was an officer last year. With the help of Michelle Freedman, she created the 2015 "Row-By-Row" pattern for Modern Domestic. After I said how much I liked the quilt, she gave it to me!

The clever design is called "Glass Half Full" and it includes six water glasses with water-- a different amount in each glass. Cath made the quilt with the glass getting more and more full from left to right, and I like that! Knowing how much talent she's got, I have a feeling her plate will soon be as full as the glass on the right. Here are a few of her other quilts.

"Cross Stitch Sparkle Quilt" 2015, by Cath Hall

"Rainbow Crazy" 2015, by Cath Hall

"Modern Medallion" 2015 by Cath Hall

She also pieced the back of the Portland Modern Quilt Guild Medallion, which was raffled off at last December's meeting-- and guess who was the lucky winner!

So now I've got two quilts that she worked on. What good luck I have. Thank you, Cath! To see more of Cath Hall's beautiful work, visit her site ~ Wombat Quilts.

Tuesday was a good day, too

Monday was a good day. My cat, Lulu made an appearance on the morning news, I was in three magazines at Barnes & Noble, a fourth one later in my mailbox, and I saw a rainbow.

Today was good, too. A quilt arrived from an auction house in Maine, and it's an interesting one. It's an early 20th century Suspension Bridge, and one of the details caught my attention.

It is a piece of stamped fabric, and I needed to reverse the image (on the right) to read it. The stamp says Artamo Ladies Dress No. 327. More research needs to be done, but I did find an advertisement for Artamo in a 1922 issue of the Dry Goods Economist.

Monday was good, but Tuesday was a good day, too! I wonder what tomorrow will bring...

Bicentennial Quilt & The Returnee

At Thursday night's Portland Modern Quilt Guild meeting, Mary Fons gave a talk about the Great American Quilt Revival of the 1970s, and how the period led the quilt industry to be what it is today. Right up my alley. Or, as I like to say lately, "da kine I like."

We chatted about it later at Radio Room, and I revealed my recent epiphany. Those zany, madcap polyester quilts I'd been collecting were actually the quilts of the revival.

The 1970s came sharply into focus for the quilt world in the last few years. Maybe I had something to do with that, but surely I am not the only one who figured out all roads led back to the 1970s.

Recently I bought an interesting Bicentennial quilt. I'd never really thought of collecting Bicentennial quilts, since many of the really great ones will never be sold, but this one caught my eye for a couple reasons. First, I liked the design; second, the price was very low.

I lived in Jersey in '76

Almost as soon as the auction ended, I saw another one on eBay.

It was over $170 more than what I paid (I gave less than $30 for mine). The mattress-pad quilting should've been a giveaway that the quilt was mass-produced, but seeing another one confirmed it.

I wasn't unhappy to have a mass-produced Bicentennial quilt. In 1976, the Bicentennial was hugely marketed, and there were many products. All I needed to do was identify the manufacturer, if possible. Sometimes it's hard to do, because tags are usually removed. Luckily, I found a record on The Quilt Index.

Louisville Bedding of Louisville, Kentucky produced the quilt based on an original design by Albert G. Fleming, who made quilt for Bedford Public Library, Cuyahoga county, Ohio; which conducted a fund raising raffle with the quilt as a prize. The winner of the raffle donated the quilt to the White House. The design was reproduced with screen printing, mass produced and marketed. 

While enjoying Mary's lecture, I thought, "should've brought those Bicentennial quilts for show and tell!" But I did bring a neat, c. 1900 patchwork quilt, also patriotic in red, white and blue. It's one I'd sold/traded with another collector a couple years ago, and recently we swapped back. Quilt boomerang, we call it. I am happy to welcome back the returnee.

Here's that quilt. Yeah, it's amazing. I think Mary liked it, too. She was trying to get pictures of it, I noticed. The quilt originally came from Laura Fisher in New York, and is a wonderful, early example of a Bargello style quilt with a zig-zag design. Somehow, it looks so much more fresh and modern than most of the Bargello quilts made in the last 20 years, and it is also an optical illusion quilt. Just ten colors, but what an incredible use of color. Glad to have it back. It's a great example of how some old quilts look surprisingly modern.