How did you learn to quilt? In my case, no one in my family was a quilter, so I was introduced by a friend. I purchased four block of the month kits from JoAnns and gave it a try. Then I started reading. I got Harriet Hargrave’s Quilter’s Academy books (freshman and sophomore years only—I…
Hooray! Hooray! Yippee! Hooray! It’s a good thing I’m writing rather than talking because I’d be tripping over my tongue with excitement. I have big news. A few months ago, I told you about the process for nominating someone to be selected as a Quilters Hall of Fame Honoree. Well, I went through that process…
My first blog entry was about Gail van der Hoof, who is known as one of the forces behind the ground-breaking quilt exhibit at the Whitney Museum in 1971. Now it’s time to tell you about the other half of that partnership, Jonathan Holstein. As a refresher, the exhibit they mounted, Abstract Design in American…
I wondered when I’d get a chance to say “It’s not rocket science” here. And then I came across Dr. Carolyn Mazloomi. This Honoree has a PhD. in aerospace engineering! But as intriguing as that might be, it’s not what she’s known for among quilters. Dr. Mazloomi is an author who has written a dozen…
In addition to writing this blog, I am also a member of the Quilters Hall of Fame Collections Committee. At our annual meeting a few weeks ago, something came up that started me thinking about quilt collecting. The Collections Committee reviews potential donations and recommends to the Board which items to add to our Permanent…
Did you enjoy the 2020 Virtual Celebration? I sure did! While nothing takes the place of seeing quilts “in the cloth” and getting together in person with quilting friends, it was still a fun experience. Maybe you bought something in the vendor mall or bid on an auction item—thanks for your support of The Quilters…
If you were quilting in the late 1970s and 80s, you were lucky to have Eleanor Burns; she made quilting easy. She pioneered the use of time-saving devices like rotary cutters and specialty rulers, and showed you how to make a quilt in a day. And if you didn’t start out with Eleanor, she’s still…
When I first started quilting, my guild buddies talked me into taking a workshop to learn how to appliqué. Even though I was–and still am—drawn more to geometric rather than organic shapes, they suggested that I should have this skill in my wheelhouse. Having heard other piecers refer to appliqué as the ‘A’ word”, I…
I’ve been writing every week about Honorees of The Quilters Hall of Fame, but this time I’m going to switch up and write about people who haven’t been inducted—yet. My inspiration, if you can call it that, was my sewing experience earlier today. Did your mother ever say, “Don’t sew on Sunday or the Devil…