Nubian Heritage Quilters Guild launch new website!

The Nubian Heritage Quilters Guild, founded in March 1995 in Newark, NJ, just launched their website! Do take a moment and visit www.nubianquilters.org . Enjoy!

1.6 Million African American Quilters: Survey, Sites, and a Half-Dozen Art Quilt Blocks

I'm excited to announce a new book - all about you! 1.6 Million African American Quilters is a handy, eye-opening booklet about today's Black quiltmakers:

- You'll find the latest quilt industry figures from the Quilting in America Survey, including the number of Black quilters nationally.

- The most comprehensive resource of websites, blogs, and YouTube videos featuring African American quilters and guilds - more than 270!

I was amazed by the variety and passion for quilting that you see online! There are 35 guilds listed. You'll find links to Sistah quilters in the US, the UK, Tanzania, Nigeria, and more! Can you name 10 African American male quilters? Find their websites in the booklet! Also included are selected textile artists, dollmakers, fabric designers, and quilters from the African diaspora.

- Six afro-centrically designed art quilt blocks by Washington, D.C. artist Francine Haskins, who is also a member of the Black Artists of DC organization. I hope you'll enjoy these blocks as quilt or redwork embroidery patterns. I'm happy to post your completed blocks here on the Black Threads blog! By the way, Francine also illustrated the book cover! Didn't you just want to pull up a chair and sew!?

- Bibliographic references, many annotated, for selected books, articles, exhibit catalogs, dissertations, papers, and films about Black quilters. I've also included the wonderful self-published books by guilds and quilters. And... in a new category... this booklet includes references to several Sistah quilters who have donated materials (papers, exhibit catalogs, photos, quilt patterns) about their quilt-making to different museums nationally. How cool and inspirational is that!?

1.6 Million African American Quilters is all about documenting and encouraging networking. I hope you enjoy it. I hope your personal copy becomes dog-eared and filled with scribbled notes indicating which sites you've visited, new quilter friends you've met. I hope the booklet's spine becomes bent from having photocopied the art quilt blocks. I hope you see yourself in the pages. It is truly an honor to declare - there are 1.6 Million African American Quilters today!

Black Threads Press, 62 pages, $9.95 - Available on Amazon.com. Enjoy!

African American Quilt and Doll Guild - October with Rachel Clark

The African American Quilt and Doll Guild in Warrensville Heights, Ohio invites you to attend the "Inspirations, Visions and Traditions" Quilt and Doll Show October 15 - 15, 2010. The guest teacher and lecturer is Rachel Clark. For more details visit the guild's website at www.aaqdg.org.

Henry Holmes: Fabric of Love - Imaginations of Portrait &Traditional Quilts in Baltimore

I'm always amazed to learn about the works of other quilters! On exhibit August 12 - 28, 2010 in Baltimore, Maryland is "Henry Holmes: Fabric of Love - Imaginations of Portrait and Traditional Quilts." If you are nearby, visit the Creative Alliance at the Patterson. There are 24 pieces in the show. According to the promo materials:

Henry Holmes’ quilts tell stories that are at once deeply personal and speak broadly to the African American experience. Dorothy Dandridge is self-possessed and flirtatious as she smiles at you over her bare shoulder. Elsewhere, a group of plantation workers appear not as broken figures from a distant past, as the embodiment of urban cool.

Henry Holmes lives in Baltimore, but is a native of Harlem. If you can not visit the exhibit, take a moment to visit his website at HenrysArts.weebly.com or click here to see a quick 30 second video of his quilts on YouTube. 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!

Stitches From the Soul - new site from Ohio guild

Do take a moment to visit the new website from Stitches From the Soul - a quilting guild which meets at the Third Baptist Church, 402 Pinewood Ave., Toledo, Ohio. The founder is Sistah Quilter Lauretta Odoms Russell. Here is a photo featuring quilts made for the local Ronald McDonald House. In the photo are: Jeanna Temple, Lauretta Odoms, Rev. Glenn Jones (who has known me since I was a kid - Hi, Glenn!), Carrie Brown, and Sandra Page. Best wishes to the Stitches From the Soul guild! Enjoy!

African American Quilters of Los Angeles - new site!

Congratulations to the African American Quilters of Los Angeles - they have a new website. It's www.easysite.com/aaqla. Do take a moment to visit the site and see the fabulous pictures section! Drop a note on the site's Guestbook. Enjoy!

TheRoot.com new online magazine

Check out www.TheRoot.com - a new website by the Washington Post company. This online magazine is targeted to African Americans - with news and commentary on politics and culture as well as tools for researching one's family genealogy. Henry Louis Gates Jr is the editor of TheRoot.com. Lynette Clemetson is the Managing Editor. Check out the site or read article from the New York Times (photo by Librado Romero). Let's hope there will be future stories on African American quilting and quilters! Enjoy!

Wendel George Brown - 7 feet quilts

Have you visited Wendel George Brown's website? This Newport News, VA native is also a quilter, painter, and sculptor.

Wendel has a series of quilts based on spirituals. The quilt here is 7 feet by 7 feet! You can see others in his series on his website. Earlier this year I and a few quilting Sistahs visited his studio. I was FLOORED at the scale of Wendel's quilts. You should see the three- dimensional quilts he has - there's one featuring a family dinner. You just want to pick up a fork from the quilt and start eating!

Can't wait to see more from Wendel!

Barbara McCraw - Patchwork Quilt - WOW!

Ok - the post below is about patchwork gone WRONG. I just stumbled upon award-winning quilter Barbara McCraw's website - which you MUST visit to see her portfolio of quilts. She has one patchwork quilt, titled OYA II (photo of quilt inset), that is wonderful! Barbara - I'd buy a purse with your patchwork quilt design - way to go!

Piece of My Soul website

Thanks to Susan who emailed me the link to the "A Piece of My Soul: Quilts by Black Arkansans" website. Learn more about the quilts collected for the STATE'S art collection! Hope you also have the catalog written by Cuesta Benberry in your quilting library.

New! Quilting Sistahs Website

There's a new website showcasing the works of five California Quilting Sistahs! Jan Emanuel of Pasadena, Louvenia Austin of Inglewood, Frances Moore of Los Angeles, Althea Kennedy of Altadena, and Carolyn Pruitt of Carson (one of her quilts is in the photo here) offer their works for display and for sale. Congratulations to http://www.quiltingsistahs.com/!

Phyllis Jackson Harris - Texas Quilter

Have you seen Phyllis Jackson Harris' work? Phyllis is a self-taught quilter since 1998, though she's been sewing since age 13! She has exhibited extensively in the greater Houston, Texas area. One of her quilts was a Finalist at the International Quilt Festival 2000. Visit http://www.phyllisjharris.com/ to see her appliqued story quilts! Enjoy!

Tracey Rico - Our Glory Quilt

On this Memorial Day, thought I'd introduce you to the work of Sistah-Doctor quilter, Tracey Rico. Here is her quilt Our Glory, click here for a detailed description of this story quilt. Dr. Rico is board-certified in Emergency and Pediatric Emergency Medicine. She is a self-taught quilter. According to a 2003 Black Enterprise article, her quilts range from $5,000 - $16,000. You can see more of Dr. Rico's work on her website, www.JadeRico.com. Enjoy!

Marion Coleman - New Website!

Check out San Fran sistah quilter, Marion Coleman's new website at www.MarionColeman.com. She has completed an artist residency at the de Young Museum. She teaches art quilting, and created the quilt on the right. Marion is a former president of the African American Quilt Guild of Oakland. Her website features four different quilt galleries: Narrative, Portraits, Out of Africa, and Public Art. Congratulations, Marion!