Cambridge Textile Artist Sandra Scott

WOW! Cambridge, England textile artist Sandra Scott stitched the quilt in the photo. WOW! Sandra shares on her blog that her "work is a reflection of who I am as a mother, wife, teacher and artist. I enjoy experimenting with new art materials and gadgets." Take a moment to visit Sandra's blog and give a shout out to this sistah quilter in England! Enjoy!

African American Quilt Circle wins 2010 Indies Art Award

Congratulations to the African American Quilt Circle (Durham, NC) for winning a 2010 Indies Art Award for their extraordinary community contributions! The award is from the local community newspaper. The guild has about 60 members. Click here to read the newspaper story. Enjoy!

Going Green: Re-Purpose, ReCycle & ReUse

Mark your calendar! The Ebony Stitchers Quilt Guild is hosting an exhibit, Going Green: Re-Purpose, ReCycle & ReUse, featuring their quilts and the works of Gees Bend Quilters Tinnie and Minnie Pettway. Visit the Porter Sanford Art Center in Decator, GA from July 22 - 25, 2010. Click here to learn more about the quilt classes you can take. Enjoy!

Militant Needles - 1984 Quilt Exhibit

Going through old files, I came across this photocopied program quilt historian Joyce Gross sent to me. It's for "Militant Needles: An Exhibit of Slave-Made Quilts" curated by Gladys-Marie Fry, Ph.D. The 1984 exhibit featured eight quilts:

1. Floral Quilt, 1852, stitched by a slave called "Yellow Bill"
   
2. Eight-Petal Flower or Snowflake Quilt, early to mid-19th c., owned then by Mrs. Irma Koski of Arlington, VA
3. another Eight-Petal or Snowflake Quilt, also owned by Mrs. Koski
4. Tulip Quilt, circa 1850, collection of Mrs. Mildred Guthries, Snow Camp, NC
5. Holly Quilt, mid-19th c., collection of Dr. Fry
6. Carolina Lilly Quilt, 1847 - 1852, Collection of Bonnie Cooper Banks, Shaker Heights, OH
7. North Star Quilt, also 1847 - 1852, Collection of Bonnie Cooper Banks
8. Strip Design Blanket, circa 1890, collection Kenneth Combs, Cleveland, OH

I sometimes wonder why I'm so driven to keep these bits of paper documenting African American quilt history. Then, I re-read this program on July 4th about "Militant Needles" and slave-made quilts and know it's worthwhile! Happy July 4th!

Quilter Sherry A. Byrd's new Blog

Sistah quilter Sherry A. Byrd has launched a blog featuring stories of her quilts and family. Sherry is "a descendant of the slave Edward "Ned" Titus who was brought to Freestone County (TX) in the year 1852." The Titus Family includes six generations of quilt makers! Visit the blog at QuiltStoriesBySherryAnn.blogspot.com. Do take a moment to visit and leave a welcoming comment. Enjoy!

Teri Gandy Richardson - Denim Textile Works

Can I introduce you to the work of Teri Gandy Richardson? She's a painter and textile artist and graduate of Cooper Union. Her recent works, including "Squeeze" in the photo here, focus on denim. In an artist statement, she writes "Denim in blue - the archetypal color for mother, comfort, nurturing and healing... Denim's texture and historical content move me to create shapes and surfaces that though sometimes whimsical and unexpected, reiterate some memory of our past." Visit her website - TeriRichardson.net - and be amazed! Enjoy!

Arbie Williams and the Britches Quilt

The tradition of quiltmaking with blue jeans is demonstrated in the works of Arbie Williams, a 1991 National Heritage Award-winning artist. The photo here is of the 14-page "Arbie Williams Transforms the Britiches Quilt" exhibit catalog by Eli Leon (1993, Mary Porter Sesnon Art Gallery). Enjoy!