Museum Madness: Fiber Arts Blow-Out in La Conner, Patriotic Fervor in La Grange
Pack your bags for a late summer or fall weekend fling, and head to one (or both!) of two popular quilt museums for a little fiber arts therapy in a historical setting. First up is the latest major exhibit at the Texas Quilt Museum in La Grange, America The Beautiful.
Inspired by the familiar song of the same name, this new exhibit—featuring a total of 50 quilts from 15 different quilt artists–focuses on the bounty of the United States and the patriotic fervor of our citizenry. One section of the exhibit includes quilts celebrating America’s natural beauty, as expressed in landscapes, seascapes and floral displays.
Another section features red, white and blue antique quilts from the International Quilt Festival collection, including Velda Newman’s Freedom is Fragile (pictured above). And a third section showcases Americana quilts by New Jersey artist Teresa Barkley, including her quilts inspired by postage stamp images.
Other quilt artists in the exhibit include Melinda Bula, Barbara Confer, Grace Errea, Pat Gould, Patty Hawkins, Vita Marie Lovett, Katie Pasquini Masopust, Kathleen McCabe, Melody Randol, Kate Themel, Eileen Williams, Marianne Williamson and Martha Wolfe.
The Texas Quilt Museum is housed in two 19th century buildings in the historic district of La Grange, and includes a period Texas garden. America The Beautiful runs through Sept. 29. Visit www.texasquiltmuseum.org for more information.
Now to the Pacific Northwest
Head north next, to the La Conner Quilt & Textile Museum and environs for its annual Quilt & Fiber Art Festival Oct. 4-6. You’ll be happier than a quilter rolling in fresh FQs, considering the festival’s many events, including exhibitions of juried and judged quilts, fiber art and wearable art in two locations; specialty vendors; a silent auction; workshops; lectures; and a quilt walk in local shops featuring local quilters.
Oh, and the museum itself—housed in the historic 1891 Gaches Mansion—has three floors of exhibits of quilts ranging from traditional antique bed quilts to contemporary works by emerging and established fiber artists.
The festival is the museum’s largest annual fundraiser, and kicks off with a party at the nearby Swinomish Yacht Club. Workshop topics include beading, hand appliqué, original piecing and color theory and design. Workshop faculty and lecturers include Gail Harker, Joen Wolfrom, Robin and Thom Atkins, Kathy Dunigan and Jean Wells Keenan.
For more information on the La Conner Quilt &Fiber Art Festival, go to www.laconnerquilts.com.
Quilt Alliance Gears up for 3rd Annual ‘Quilters Take Manhattan’
ASHEVILLE, North Carolina–The Quilt Alliance‘s third annual big-city fundraiser, Quilters Take Manhattan, is even bigger this year, with its showcase event at the Fashion Institute of Technology, plus two days of add-on activities and a vendor event.
Hollis Chatelain
The featured speaker at the main Sept. 28 event of the gathering, which includes Moda as a headline “platinum” sponsor–is award-winning quilt artist Hollis Chatelain. Hollis’ presentation is entitled “An Artist’s Journey,” and she’ll share about her life of creating, including how her 12 years in Africa have influenced her art, as well as how her techniques and vision have changed over time.
The FIT event program also includes the debut of the Alliance’s new Go Tell It at the Quilt Show! interviews. The inaugural interviews of this new project will be with q-celeb Paula Nadelstern and members of her artist’s group Semper Tedium.
Tickets for the main FIT event are $45 for Alliance members and $60 for non-Alliance members.
Add-on events (Friday, Sept. 27 and Sunday, Sept. 29) are available for varying costs to all those who register for the FIT event on Saturday, Sept. 28. They include small-group workshops at The City Quilter shop, outings to the Garment District and a performance of “Wicked” on Broadway, receptions with established and emerging quilterati and a behind-the-scenes tour of the new alt_quilts: Sabrina Gschwandtner, Luke Haynes, Stephen Sollins exhibit at the American Folk Art Museum.
Also new this year will be a vendor product display at the FIT event involving many of the Quilt Alliance’s Gold sponsors. The array of goodies for sale will include fabric, thread, documentation supplies and quilt kits.
And if you can’t attend in person, check out the QTM Home Ticket. For $25, you’ll get first access to event video footage online, an event swag bag with samples and treats from all QA sponsors, and a chance to win select door prizes.
Visit the Quilt Alliance’s website for complete information about all QTM events.
Euro-Notions Grabs Grabbit® Sewing Tools, Launches New App
CHICAGO--Euro-notions, a fourth-generation family-owned wholesale sewing notions distributor and the North American importer of Schmetz needles, has had a busy summer! In early June, the company launched its new Schmetz iPhone app, and few weeks later, announced its acquisition of Grabbit® Sewing Tools from Blue Feather Products of Ashland, Oregon.
First the app: Euro-notions has created a free iPhone app based on the very popular Schmetz ABC Po9cket Guide, which helps quilters and sewists pick the best home sewing machine needles for the stitching job.
Screen capture from the new Schmetz iPhone app
The app–now also in development for Android–helps users select Schmetz home sewing needles by fabric, bookmark fave needles, and connect to the Schmetzneedles blog. It also includes a trouble-shooting feature with “change your needle” clues. The app is free from iTunes.
Now, the acquisition: Grabbit Sewing Tools was founded in 1980 by avid sewist and inventor Feather King and her husband John, who own Blue Feather. The company’s mission has been to create meaningful, useful organizational tools for people who sew, quilt and craft.
Feather’s most notable sewing tools include the classic Grabbit® Magnetic Pincushion, the widely popular BobbinSaversTM and the new myPad for NeedlesTM Organizer. Says Rhonda Pierce, Euro-notions marketing director, the Grabbit sewing tools are a perfect fit with Euro-notions’ existing product line of SCHMETZ home sewing needles.
“Feather uses hands-on knowledge to solve organizational problems inherent to sewing. With the sale of Grabbit® Sewing Tools, Feather will now have more time to sew and develop additional useful and innovative products for distribution via Euro-notions,” says Rhonda.
Grabbit® Sewing Tools’ offices and production will join Euro-notions at its Chicago warehouse this month, but the move is not expected to affect availability of Grabbit® Sewing Tools products.