New book! Quilters Questions: A Book of Curious Queries. What's YOUR favorite question?

What's YOUR favorite question?

Hello!
How about a different kind of quilting fun? Just published is Quilters Questions: A Book of Curious Queries.

I hope you enjoy this newest book!  Quilters Questions is perfect for quilters of any age or skill level.  You can explore topics ranging from quilter identity, creative inspiration, collaboration, exhibiting, fabrics, your quilting legacy, sex and quilts (yes :>) and more!

Quilters Questions includes 300+ open-ended questions. This engaging read provides hours of fun and conversation. And is great for you to answer on your own - or as a guild activity. With the holidays approaching, it's a great gift idea or stocking stuff for any quilter.

What kind of curious questions can you expect?

• Would you accept $25,000 to stop quilting forever? What if the offer was only $2,000?
• Would you consider sewing a hidden mini camera into a quilt to monitor someone? Why or why not?

I had a BALL working on this book and hope you enjoy it and share with a quilting friend!    Best, Kyra

Quilters Questions: A Book of Curious Queries
Black Threads Press
126 pages, $9.95
ISBN: 0-9824796-4-6

Lolita Newman's Freedom Gone: Embroidered Quilts of Slave Life in the Civil War

Have you incorporated black work stitching into your quilt making?  Consider Southern California artist Lolita Newman's publication Freedom Gone: Embroidered Quilts of Slave Life in the Civil War.

The 96-page book includes instructions for seven quilts and six projects illustrating daily chores, family life and "the quest for freedom" experienced by enslaved African Americans during the 19th century.

You can also purchase individual block patterns from Ms. Newman's etsy store, Stitchin' by the River. Enjoy!

Quilt Me Into Memory by Sherrie Theriault

Wanted to share news of a charming new children's picture book by outsider artist Sherrie Theriault titled "Quilt Me Into Memory."  Sherrie has self-published over twenty illustrated books featuring her art. In Quilt Me Into Memory, she writes about a little girl who's family remembers her in a quilt. Sherrie's mother stitched the quilt on the book cover.  Fans of Harriet Powers will smile when you read this story. (I don't want to spoil the story!)

You can read an interview about Sherrie's inspiration for this particular book on the Publish Your Own Quilt Catalog blog.  Enjoy!

Mixed Greens: Saving the Earth One Quilt At A Time - book now available!

Congratulations to Gwen Maxwell-William and the Pacific Northwest African American Quilters guild for publishing "Mixed Greens: Saving the Earth One Quilt At A Time," a catalog featuring environmental and recycle themed quilts. The 64-page, full-color catalog is available from Blurb.

The quilts are on exhibit at the La Conner Quilt & Textile Museum in La Conner, Washington from June 29 to October 2, 2011. The exhibit is curated by Deborah Boone – quilter/fiber artist and member of the Pacific Northwest African American Quilters. Enjoy!

Bold Expressions - San Diego Exhibit, New Catalog!

On exhibit from May 26 through Sept. 11 at the Mingei International Museum, 1439 El Prado, Balboa Park in San Diego, California is “Bold Expressions: African American Quilts from the Collection of Corrine Riley.” Riley has collected quilts for more than 35 years. This exhibit features more than 50 quilts made throughout the American south between 1910 and the 1970s, including those in the American folk art tradition and African-American quilts with improvisation and modern takes on traditional quilting patterns. The majority of quilts were created in Alabama and Texas; other quilters represented are from Mississippi, Georgia, Louisiana, Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri, Arkansas, Indiana and Illinois. This show is curator by Christine Knoke, the Museum’s director of exhibitions.

There is a 96 page catalog that includes 50 color photos. The catalog is available via the museum's online store for $18.95.Admission to this show ranges from $3 to $7.

On June 11, 2011, the award winning Black Storytellers of San Diego, Inc. will host a program titled "Quilt Me A Story" from 7pm - 8:30pm. Tickets are on sale at the museum website. Enjoy!

In A Time, A Season - A Visual Tribute to Oprah Winfrey - new book

A quilt by Georgia Sistah Quilter Renee Allen is included in the new book "In A Time, A Season - A Visual Tribute to Oprah Winfrey" edited by Janelle Dowell-Publisher of Black Art in America. The works of about 65 artists are included. Faith Ringgold writes the Foreword. This full-color book is 118 pages and retails for $165. You can preview the book by clicking here. Congratulations Renee!

Update: Wanted to share the names of other quilters in the book. Congratulations also to Valerie S. Goodwin, Sandra Hankins, and Aisha Lumumba. Enjoy!

Black Art Project

If you are interested in Black Art - you should bookmark George-McKinley Martin's blog titled the Black Art Project. He describes himself as an "[a]rt librarian, historian, and collector driven by a passion to raise the visibility of black art history and the work of black artists through documentation, education, and advocacy."

You will find info on the latest exhibits of African American art nationally. Now, I like to document aspects of African American quilting. I'm an infant compared to Mr. Martin, who is amazing! He has assembled an ANNUAL list of Black Art exhibits. And, for the truly serious among us, you've got to see his list of African American Art Books on WorldCat. Enjoy!

Aminah Robinson: Voices That Taught Me How To Sing

The exhibit "Aminah Robinson: Voices That Taught Me How To Sing" is on display at the Toledo Museum of Art through February 28, 2011. According to the Columbus Dispatch,

"...Robinson created "The Ragmund Collection," a 10-volume set of sculptural books that include drawings, poems, stories and books-within-books. The collection was recently acquired by the Toledo Museum of Art... The 10 volumes, not previously shown publicly, cover the artist's career and her many methods of creating works. The recurring themes include her childhood in Poindexter Village, a former neighborhood on the East Side of Columbus, and her experiences examining the African diaspora. In her work, she uses fabric; buttons; everyday objects; and a mixture of mud, pig grease, dyes, sticks and other materials."

You can click here to see the YouTube video, titled The Toe Party, of Aminah Robinson sharing one of her extraordinary books! The museum has also published The Ragmund Collection: Books by Aminah Robinson, $29.95. This book includes pullout pages and other sculptural effects. Essays by Amy Gilman, museum curator of contemporary and modern art, and Barbara Tannenbaum, director of curatorial affairs at the Akron Art Museum are also included. Enjoy!

Artistic Expressions of Quilters of Color - now available!

The Ebony Stitchers Quilt Guild has done it again! They have just published "Artistic Expressions of Quilters of Color"! This 48-page softcover book features quilts, profiles, and short text for the following 33 quilters:

Ms. Ceree Bowden, Renee Allen, Marquetta Bell Johnson, Linda Asbury, N. Yvonne Bernal, Nicole Blackwell, Myla Chapman, Jessica Coleman, Cleme Cosby, Anita Burns Crosby, Joyce Daniels, Edna Marie Gaddis Anderson, Mamie Ellis, Lindsey G. France, Nancy DeCreny Franklin, Gwen Gordon, Janice Hunter, Melanie Ligon, Aisha Lumumba, Ernestine Merritt, Wardean S. Miller, Tricia Montgomery, Carolyn Newton, Elaine Parker, Theresa Polley-Shellcroft, Belinda Pedroso, Tinnie and Minnie Pettway, J. C. Rice, Billie Jean Richardson, Paulette Strain, Carolyn W. White, Inez Wilkerson, and Irma Young.

The book also includes a pattern for a Bird of Paradise quilt. Margaret Warfield created the cover design. Michael Angelo Chester is credited for the book design and layout. The quilts from these quilters from Georgia to California are just marvelous! The book retails for $20 and is available from the Ebony Stitchers Quilt Guild website. Great holiday gift. 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!

A Legacy of Twelve - Poems by Quilter Dorothy Montgomery

Have you had a chance to read South Carolina quilter Dorothy Montgomery's 58 page poetry booklet "A Legacy of Twelve: Notes from a Musical Scale Create Many Styles of Music"? Her 2006 book includes images of five of Miss Montgomery's quilts - including this one on the book's cover. The poems mostly focus on musical themes as Miss Montgomery is a retired music teacher. My favorite poems are the two about Harriet Tubman. Enjoy!

Michael Cummings Shares Quilt Insights

Thanks to Eric L. Jones for interviewing artists and posting the interviews on YouTube. Enjoy this 2 min. video where Michael Cummings provides insights about his 2003 "Christ Bearing the Cross" quilt. This quilt was featured in "Threads of Faith: Recent Works from the Women of Color Quilters Network" exhibit and book. Enjoy!

Sneak Peek - 2011 Book on Black Ohio Quilters!

Shhh! You can pre-order Dr. Carolyn Mazloomi's new book titled "Stitching a Culture Together: African American Quilters of Ohio." This 128 page book is set to be published in January 2011. I'm taking votes - what state should be next? Enjoy!

The Quilt That Wouldn't Quit by Cynthia Gibson - children's picture book

Today I saw this 30-page illustrated children's book titled "The Quilt That Wouldn't Quit" by Cynthia Gibson and illustrated by Oklahoma graphic artist Kiamichi Goodbear. According to one source: "This is a story of courage, prayer, and the faith of one young girl who stopped the tribal wars of her country Kenya, Africa with her amazing quilt." This paperback book, published in 2009, is $12.95. Enjoy.

Guided by the Ancestors - 2009 catalog

I recently received in the mail a copy of Tina Williams Brewer's Guided by the Ancestors. This is a 62 page full-color catalog featuring forty quilts by Mrs. Brewer. You might recall that she received a 2009 Lifetime achievement Artist award from the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts. The catalog includes an introduction by Laura Domencic, the Center's director and an essay titled "The Extraordinary Journey" by Samuel W. Black, curator of African American Collections at the Heinz History Center. It is a pleasure to see an entire book of Mrs. Brewer's quilts! You can order your copy for $30 total ($25 book + $5 s/h) by contacting Jen Carter, Shop Manager, 412-361-0873 or sending an email to shop@pittsburgharts.org. Enjoy!

500 Art Quilts - An Inspiring Collection of Contemporary Work

Don't you just want to walk around and sit on the bench with this old man in the black hat? This quilt and more are featured in the soon-to-be published book 500 Art Quilts - An Inspiring Collection of Contemporary Work by Karey Breshenhan and Ray Hemachandra.
Included are quilts by Sistah Quilters Alice Beasley, Renee Allen of Atlanta, GA, according to one source, and Toni Kersey. I can't wait to see the book and see works by other well-known quilters such as Yvonne Porcella, Susan Shie, and Caryl Bryer Fallert. Enjoy!

Update: Congratulations to Diana Bracy for her quilt The Duke being included as well!

Art Quilts from Haiti

Patience to Raise the Sun: Art Quilts from Haiti and their Power to Change Women's Lives.

Here is a catalog of art quilts from Haiti based on the recent Bennington Museum exhibit. Curator of Collections Jamie Franklin provides the catalog's essay about Haitian quilts. Nora Nevin writes about the PeaceQuilts project, which features Haitian quilts. The catalog is $19.95 and includes 60 pages.

• Visit the Haitian Peace Quilt website
  
• Read article about the Haitian quilt exhibit
  
• Purchase quilts by Haitian quilters
  

Blessings to our Sistah Quilters in Haiti.

Stories That Cover US - Guild Publishes Own Catalog

When you can, do add yo your library "Stories That Cover Us: Meditations and Fiber Art by the Pacific Northwest African American Quilters" by Lynne K. Varner-Hollie and Deborah Boone. Edited by Gwen Maxwell-Williams. Foreword by Rachel Clark. This book is available on Blurb.com. This is the website that allows you to create your own book!

This coffee-table, gorgeous full-color catalog is 75 pages and includes quilts and short biographical sketches from sistah quilters including: Patricia Batiste-Brown, Deborah Boone, Carol Flanagan-Frank, Iris Franklin, Lynnette Gallon-Harrell, Antoinette Hall, Annie Harper, Antoinette Lewis Bush, Oneda Elizabeth Harris, Cheryl Haskins, Chistine Jordan-Bell, Donna Kimbrough, Paula Maranan, Gwen Maxwell-Williams, Johnnie Miller, Wadiyah Nelson-Shimabukuro, Vera Patterson, Lynne K. Varner-Hollie, Brenetta Ward, and Marilyn Wilson-Hanseling. The hardcover is $45. The softcover is $32. I love that the Pacific Northwest African American Quilters guild are documenting and sharing their work with us! Enjoy!

The Journey of Hope in America: Quilts Inspired by President Barack Obama

Opening December 18, 2009 is the exhibit "The Journey of Hope in America: Quilts Inspired by President Barack Obama" at the National Afro-American Museum and Cultural Center in Wilberforce, Ohio. Dr. Carolyn Mazloomi is the curator who has organized the quilts of 95 artists! The 208-page color catalog is available for pre-order for $16.50. The book ships in April 2010. Congratulations to all the quilters with pieces in the show! Enjoy!

Order Form for Autographed Copy - Harriet Powers book

If you would like to order an autographed copy of "This I Accomplish: Harriet Powers' Bible Quilt and Other Pieces," simply click here to download the order form. The book is getting very positive reviews from those who have read it. Thank you for supporting my research in African American quilting! Best, Kyra