Archive for the ‘artisan quilts’ Category

I’m not the only one who has experienced the profound “present” energy of Joe the Quilter. Not only does Joe Cunningham make quilts that are wonderful personal expressions of who he is and how he moves through this world, he is a quilt historian who brings the stories of early quilters to life in insightful... read more +

A sample pieced with yukata cottons and quilted with No. 8 perle cotton, Tangled Garden was designed to show other quilters ways to combine busy Japanese patterns. It’s made from simple doodles and freezer paper patterns. The bright squares in the border are reverse fussy-cut—utilizing the background color of Japanese floral prints. Marianne Burr at... read more +

It was a blustery, downpour of a day for the Okan Arts Open House, a mini-fundraiser for La Conner Quilt & Textile Museum. That didn’t stop yukata cotton lovers from turning up, shopping for fabric and savoring chocolate cupcakes. The outcome: $300 for the Museum, two new members, one membership upgrade to Friend, and one... read more +

It’s amazing that I actually have a piece in the La Conner Quilt Festival. My quilting is so slow these days. I finished “Babbling” in March and have completed only one little ditty since then. I can blame it on being busy but that’s not the whole truth. Since last October (one year ago!) I’ve... read more +

I bought a StashFest Experience with Judy Irish last year because I heard she was wicked funny. Today Trish Vickery and I headed to her studio in Arlington for a class on free motion quilting. Judy has won umpteen ribbons for her phenomenal quilting and is often the long arm quilter for the colorful quilts... read more +

Meet Lorna Shapiro, an accomplished quilter who has dedicated herself to the wonderful world of Asian fabrics. With in-home studio in Vancouver—Quilter’s Dream Fabrics, she sells Asian-patterned and batiked cottons, fat quarters, vintage kimono silk pieces and exquisite silk haori (jackets worn over kimonos). In the photo above, Lorna models a white-on-white woven silk haori.... read more +

There was the oddest conversation for the first ten minutes at the church hall in Mount Vernon this morning. Due to a complete miscommunication, the gals at Northwest Quilt Connection (NQC) thought I wanted six long tables for putting my presentation props on. My contract said that I was going to be putting on a trunk... read more +

Yesterday I traveled to Tacoma to check out the APWQ show at the Convention Center. Babbling hung between a ribbon winner and a Jean Wells quilt in the Art Nonrepresentational division. It made my heart soar to be part of the regional show. The winners were amazing. There was a preponderance of glitter and metallic... read more +

Arcadia Smails of Fibercopia was kind enough to include info on my yukata cottons and artisan quilts on her in-depth textile website. The site is a thoughtfully curated resource for finding a wonderful mix of fabrics and furnishings from around the globe. read more +

With Okan Arts Shop included in the Modern Quilt Guild Shop Hop, I got busy staging my inventory last night. I laid out the 450 bolts one layer deep on all the horizontal surfaces of the second floor bedrooms. What a thrilling feeling to see my yukata cottons ready to be loved by other quilters.... read more +