quiltersmuse.com Blog

On October 24 & 25, 2009, the Henrietta Quilt Club set up a display of newly-made quilts, as well as antique quilts, in a show that is offered every other year. This event took place in Henrietta, New York (Rochester area). This group of 77 quilting aficionados meet every Tuesday at 1 p.m., at the Henrietta Public Library located at 455 Calkins Rd., Henrietta, NY.

Beth Davis sent some photos, at my request, for your viewing pleasure.

Beth states that the show took volunteers four hours to set up, but only 50 minutes to take down!

Another view of the show. Any quilt show is a labor of love!

Antique bed quilts were flipped, one at a time, in this method of showing quilts.

Many thanks to Beth Davis for providing these images! Beth is the contact person for this group.

This appears to be an active group of quilters. Thirty-six members displayed 65 quilts. A lunch of homemade Lasagna was available to the show workers.

Patricia Cummings
Quilter’s Muse Publications

I have been aware of the Gollywog doll and its history for a number of years now. My doll was ordered from England, where they are still made and are popular, apparently. At the time I sent for one, I did not realize that there were any racial slurs attached to it. I’m not sure how I might have missed that fact. The doll’s image is still located in one of my related files online: African and African-Inspired Textiles.

This morning, I stumbled upon three interesting links:

1) http://www.gollyville.com/story.htm

2) A quilt named “Gollyville One,” which won a blue ribbon at the Pacific International Quilt Festival and has the same design as the “Gollyville 1 kit” sold by gollyville.com

3) Gollyville 1

The quilt, #1028, that won a prize for “Best Hand Workmanship” was made by Ruth DeBord and Wendy Reyes. The quilt was made from a kit that originated in Australia where Golliwog dolls are popular and are not meant to be derisive. To those who speak the King’s English, a “wog” is anyone of color: an Egyptian, an Indian, etc. You get the picture.

I would like you to think about this topic. When we make drawn caricatures or dolls that overexaggerate the physical characteristics of other humans, such as the emphasis on large lips, or curly hair, or skin color, does that always constitute racism or just poor taste? When, if ever, is that practice acceptable?

A second question is this: Should quilt judges award blue ribbons to quilts that are done perfectly, but carry a message that is contrary to acceptable and ethical social responsibility? In other words, is perfect appliqué more important than the message a quilt conveys, one that could be offensive to many others?

These are just words for thought on this dreary, rainy day. You would probably enjoy reading the file I prepared about “Mammy Quilts and other Black Memorabilia”, as well as the opinions of Dr. David Pilgrim, an African-American who finds many (most?) of these kinds of collectibles to be degrading and humiliating.

Touchy subject, I know. All comments welcome.

Patricia Cummings, pat@quiltersmuse.com
Quilter’s Muse Publications

What a lovely day for a trip “down the road apiece” to Massachusetts where more than 180 quilts awaited our viewing pleasure! The Concord Piecemakers set up their displays in St. Matthew’s United Methodist Church in Acton, MA. The show featured wearable art, vendors, beautiful items for a silent auction, and two rooms full of quilts of all sizes. In this short review, we will share our picks for “favorite quilts.”

“Stone Portal” is a wonderful quilt by Tina van Roggen. I love her use of color and the way she creates dimension in this quilt.

“Serenity” by Janet Wilhelm looks like its name sounds: serene. Viewing this quilt was almost as good as a walk in the woods!

“Birds of a Feather” by Mary Barbaro is a quilt that I spotted from across the room and had to take a closer look. I love its whimsical nature – very fun!

“Memory Quilt” is such an unusual design, made completely of ties. The corners are beautifully-quilting, adding to this stunning quilts. The colors sing!

“Pineapples, Palms and Papayas” by Mary Zessoules is an amazing Hawaiian style quilt. It looks very unusual in the chocolate brown color chosen for it. I was drawn to the fine appliqué work, the large size of the quilt, and the amount of hand quilting that was done. See the “echo” patterns? Nice!

All of the quilts were lovely and it was difficult to chose personal favorites. I was not setting myself up here as judge and jury, just wanted to share a part of my day with you so that you could appreciate a little of the current work that is going on in New England. Quilting does not appear to be going away any time soon, and that is a good thing!

Many thanks to Barbara Weiss and Susan Lee for being co-chairs of the show. For more information about this group, please visit:
Concord Piecemakers online.

Patricia Cummings
Quilter’s Muse Publications

For Immediate Release

Lowell, MA—October 12, 2009. The New England Quilt Museum is excited to announce their new exhibition of international art quilts. “Masters: 40 Contemporary Master Quilters,” opens November 19, 2009 and explores the cutting edge of art quilting, with today’s most regarded global quilt artists represented in this comprehensive exhibition.

Guest curator Martha Sielman has assembled a seminal collection of representative works by master art quilters, explored in this exhibition and in Sielman’s companion book, Masters: Art Quilts. This expansive look at state-of-the-art quilting brings together works by artists from around the world including Australia, the UK, Japan, Israel, Hungary, France, South Africa, Denmark, and Belgium.

“Metamorphosis” made by Jane Sassaman in 2000

Artists included in the exhibition include Noriko Endo, whose detailed, realistic landscapes have won critical acclaim worldwide, Kyoung Ae Cho, whose minimalist wood constructions push the boundaries of the fiber art form, and Jane Sassaman, whose bold, sinuous designs have been widely respected among quilt lovers for over 20 years. The exhibition shows not only the wide geographic reach of quilting, but also its thematic range.

From energetic sculptural works to deeply personal portraits, from meticulous visual narratives to enigmatic still-lifes, art quilting embraces as many diverse forms as contemporary painting or sculpture. For those unfamiliar with the medium, the exhibition is a great introduction—for those who have long appreciated the art quilt, a welcome chance to see old favorites and new discoveries.

Sielman, herself a contemporary art quilter whose commissioned works are featured in many corporate and private collections, set out to gain a comprehensive view of contemporary quilt art, researching the works, techniques, and design philosophies of some of today’s leading artists.

The result was first her book Masters: Art Quilts, published in 2008 by Lark Books, and now the exhibition that bears its name, showcasing representative works by each of the forty artists profiled in the book.

This exhibit at the New England Quilt Museum in Lowell is the only stop in the Northeast for the exhibition, and its last stop. This exhibit is the only chance for many to see key works by international artists seldom shown in the United States.

Masters opens on November 19, 2009, with a formal opening reception on Saturday, November 21 at 1pm. Sielman will be signing copies of her book, Masters: Art Quilts at the reception. The exhibition will run through February 25, 2010.

About the New England Quilt Museum

The New England Quilt Museum, located in Lowell, MA, preserves, interprets, and celebrates American quilting past and present.

Museum hours are 10 AM-4 PM Tuesday through Saturday; and Sundays 12-4 PM, May through December. The museum is closed during the first two weeks of January (Jan. 1-18).

Admission is $7, $5 for seniors and students, and free for museum members. Two for one admission for WGBH and AAA members.

Visit www.nequiltmuseum.org or call 978-452-4207, for more information.

–
Christina Inge
Public Relations and Marketing
New England Quilt Museum
18 Shattuck St., Lowell, MA 01852
978-452-4207, ext. 19

This announcement brought to you by Patricia Cummings, Quilter’s Muse Publications as a public service.

The fall foliage is at peak this weekend in New Hampshire, the perfect time to host a quilt show! This Cheshire Quilter’s Guild of Keene, NH featured 120 quilts on display in a two-day show from October 9-10.

The Monadnock Covenant Church hall came alive with five vendors, demonstrations, and quilts of every size. Special events of the show include guest artist Pam Druhen who has been creating representational landscapes and floral designs since 1996. See her work at her website.

In addition, there is a craft boutique, a raffle quilt and raffle baskets, as well as a mini quilt auction.

While driving home, Jim and I agreed on the one quilt we liked best.

This cheerful and colorful quilt is done, penny-rug style, with wool pieces and buttonhole stitch.

A second quilt that was memorable has its roots in World War II and was hand embroidered and hand quilted by Margaret Richter of Peterborough, NH. She has recently moved to the area, and is now 92 years old. The quilt’s title is, “V is for Victory.”

The motifs on this quilt are just charming!

Jim took a few photos and then sat in the van with his book. I enjoyed sitting for awhile with some ladies who were practicing their buttonhole stitch for a good cause: making a quilt for a nursing home. The patch I worked on was a bright orange motif on a brown background. I really enjoyed myself!

It’s refreshing to find friendly people these days, and I’d say that quilters are probably the friendliest you’ll find anywhere!

Co-chairs for the 2009 show, “Fall for Quilts,” are Peg Smeltz and Cary Jardine.

Although it was raining on the way home, it seems that the fall foliage looks even more vibrant when the sky is gray. As usual, we saw Wild Turkeys, by the side of the road, in a few places. Congratulations to the Cheshire Quilters for another great show, and to the hard-working vendors!

The Cheshire Quilters meet every 2nd Wednesday of the month at the Keene Recreation Center, 312 Washington St., Keene, NH from 7-10 p.m. For more information, please write to them at: Cheshire Quilters’ Guild, P.O. Box 1481, Keene, NH (no zip provided), or visit their website address:
http://www.cheshirequilters.com
Everyone is welcome.

Patricia Cummings
Quilter’s Muse Publications