Baltimore Book Festival - Join Kyra Hicks and Maria Murnane

If you are going to be in the Baltimore, Maryland area September 23 - 25, do stop by the Baltimore Book Festival! On Saturday, I will join Maria Murnane, the award-winning author of Perfect on Paper, a novel for anyone who has ever run into an ex looking like crap, to give a fun workshop on how to get published. Together we will explain the difference between traditional and self-publishing and provide a clear, step-by-step guide to each. We'll cover the pros and cons of both routes to help you weigh them against your goals as an author! Terry McMillian and Tavis Smiley will be at the Festival, too! Enjoy!

Google's new What Do You Love? - Try Quilting

Google has soft launched a new search engine called What Do You Love? It's a one-stop place to find image results, videos, books, mapping, alerts, trends in online discussions, and more! Here is a quick screenshot of African American Quilting in the new What Do You Love? search engine. Try it yourself - put in your own name, or your guild's name or Underground Railroad quilts, or Obama Quilts, or ..... What do you think of the new search engine? Enjoy!

Malene B - Carpet Designer

I wish this Market Women carpet came in fabric! Have you visited Brooklyn-based carpet designer Malene B's website? Go! Enjoy!

1.6 Million African American Quilters mug and tote bag

For those interested, you can get a 1.6 Million African American Quilters mug, tote bag or other items at Cafe Press. The mug is $11.99 and the tote is $13.99. Enjoy!

Artist Tai R's patchwork celebration of Arne Jacobsen's Egg Chair

Aren't these chairs adorable? They are from Danish artist Tai R. In 2008, he created 50 chairs to celebrate designer Arne Jacobsen's classic Egg Chair. Have fun - and click here to see the 50 Unique Egg Chair book! Enjoy!

Sabrina Fair - Ford's Theatre - Have you seen THIS Sabrina?

Have you seen the movie Sabrina? You know, the one staring Audrey Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart ... or even the updated version staring Harrison Ford and Julia Ormond? This is a Cinderella story of a chauffeur's daughter who falls in love with one of two sons of the rich Larrabee family. Sabrina escapes to Paris, in part to get over her love... or does she?

Well, this month the Ford's Theatre is now showing the play Sabrina Fair by Samuel A. Taylor. The play starts with Sabrina returning home after five years in Paris. And, in this play, Sabrina and her Dad are African American! (Photo: Tom Story as David, Susan Heyward as Sabrina and Todd Gearhart as Linus photographed by Scott Suchman at Hillwood.).

If you are in the DC area, the Ford's Theatre is offering two free tickets to the Sunday, October 10th 7:30pm showing to Black Threads blog readers. To enter the raffle for the free tickets, leave a comment and here about either the films or play Sabrina. You'll have to also leave your email address so that if you are selected, I can get in contact with you. I will randomly select a winner on Wednesday. Enjoy!

Jae Jarrell's Urban Wall Suit, ca 1969

This righteous "Urban Wall Suit" was stitched by textile artist and clothes designer Jae Jarrell ca. 1969.

According to David Lusenhop, an independent scholar who focuses on the Black Arts Movement, "This garment was exhibited in the first AfriCOBRA exhibition at the Studio Museum in Harlem in 1970. Jae plays off traditions including quilting, graffiti, and high fashion... It's an important work, and represents the extension of the AfriCOBRA ideas in to the street, where one can represent in public, and not just in visual arts venues like museums and galleries."

Now my appetite is whet to learn more about Ms. Jarrell and about AfriCOBRA! Do you know much about the movement? There's a Fans of AfriCOBRA on Facebook - have a look at the nearly 100 photos. I wonder where the Urban Wall Suit is today. Do you think quilted fashions can make such a political statement today? Do tell! Enjoy!

Photo courtesy of the Azzi-Lusenhop Black Arts Movement Collection, Chicago. Thanks Mr. L!

Turn your Blogger blog into a book!

Ok - in just 20 mins I was able to upload the Black Threads blog and see it online as a book that can then be printed! WOW! The service is called SharedBook. I learned about it from Blogger Buzz.

Here is the cover of the book- automatically taken from the first post I had on Black Threads. This book includes all my 549 posts and comments. I've read there is a feature to allow me to edit the posts, but I haven't located it. Anyway, the historian in me wants the entire blog. The service provides about two dozen cover templates. You can get your blog as a hardcover or softcover. If you have a Blogger blog, you might try the service. I'll let you know what I think when the book arrives. Enjoy!

Update: I rec'd my book and it is WONDERFUL! If you have a blog, it is a much different experience to see the blog in book format. My book was about $180 - but it is also 425 pages and includes all my posts since 2006 through May 2010 - including comments. The book is sturdy - the pages are white and heavy stock to show the color photos in best light. One thing I noticed is that no images from video posts were included. The post are printed, just not the video image. Overall, however, I was completely pleased with the quality of my blog as a book! What a way to document quilt history!

Here's what I've learned in the process. The Blog2Print SharedBook service is very easy to use. If you have a blog by Blogger, Typepad, or Wordpress, you can use the service. You input the blog URL, decide what date range to include in your book, decide whether to include comments or not. The service can automatically format the pages to maximize page layout (I did this - and it looks great!). By default, the first two photos in your blog will be used for the front and backcover photos - or you can select your own cover photos. The service has a simulator that shows you what the interior pages will look like. The entire process for my book - all 549 posts - really was about 20 mins! Enjoy!

Elizabeth Keckley Walking Tour in DC

Nineteenth-century sistah seamstress and quilter Elizabeth Keckley (sometimes Keckly) is hosting a 90 minute, 1.5 mile walking tour in Washington, DC - starting at the Ford's Theatre. Mrs. Keckley, played by actress Danielle A. Drake, "tells the story of her friendship with the Lincoln family and of her efforts to help former slaves find their way in the newly free city of Washington." Enjoy!

Cross-Stitch Black Women Buttons

Two of my weaknesses include: African American-themed fabrics and clothing buttons. So ..... when I saw these hand-crafted, cross-stitch buttons on etsy, I just had to order them. Each one is about 1.5 cm. I was surprised when the packet from Samantha and Sara arrived in the mail from Montreal. The pair also offer hair barrettes and pins. Do you collect buttons? Enjoy!

Underground Railroad Quilt Custom Shoes by Kweli Kitwana from Zazzle

Sistah quilter, multi-talented artist, and political activist Kweli Kitwana has taken her love of color and designed a number of canvas shoes on Zazzle.com, the website that allows you to personalized products and make them available for sale. Pictured here is her Underground Railroad Quilt Custom Shoes, available for $63.55. Kweli has also designed a toile-like Harriet Tubman themed fabric on Spoonflower.com - click here to see. I love seeing how Sistah quilters are using technology to push creative boundaries. Can you imagine - a local quilting guild could design their own themed-shoes or commemorative fabrics?! Enjoy!

Disney's Princess and the Frog - when will there be quilting fabric?

The new Disney movie the Princess and the Frog will open in the next few weeks. There's sure to be loads of licensed or themed products. I can't wait to get the cotton fabrics! I have a stash of African-American themed prints - and would like to add this new African American Disney Princess. This cover (photo) is a baby blanket. There are also twin comforters and sheet sets. Does anyone know if there is quilting fabric available? Do leave a comment here. Enjoy!

Little Helper - Where can I Buy It?

Alexey Chugunnikov and Alexander Trofimenk have designed this wonderful "Little Helper" - a spool of thread that comes with a magnifying glass to help you thread a needle. It looks to be just a design at this time, but I'd buy it. How about you!? Enjoy!

Have you created your own fabrics? Spoonflower.com

Have you tried Spoonflower.com to create your own fabrics? You create the design, upload it, and then you can order your own fabric! I haven't yet tried it - but it seems like fun.

I don't think you're able to order other folks fabric designs, but it is sure fun to look! One of my FAVORITE designers is Nalo Hopkinson from Canada. Sistah designer created this Colored Lady from New Orleans print and this Seaworthy print. Click here to see the Paper Doll design. Or, click here to see Nalo's Creole Print. And, finally, click here for her Honeybun print featuring a little boy.

Don't you just want to incorporate her designs into a quilt?! Which one do you enjoy the most? Enjoy!

Michelle Obama, Alice Frazier, and Martha Ann Ricks - 3 Black Women who Touched Royalty

I've enjoyed reading and watching news of First Lady Michelle Obama's time in London. I laughed when I heard she touched Queen Elizabeth II. Mrs. Obama appears to be one of three Black women who touched British Royalty. Who are the three?

1. First Lady Michelle Obama - April 1, 2009 at Buckingham Palace (Photo Daniel Hambury, Associated Press). See London's Daily Mail article.

2. Alice Frazier - May 15, 1991 in the Washington DC home of Mrs. Frazier. Accompanying the Queen were then HUD Secretary Jack Kemp and First Lady Barbara Bush.

3. Martha Ann Ricks - July 16, 1892 at Windsor Castle. Queen Victoria's Liberian Visitor(according to portrait the National Portrait Gallery) finally met the queen after 50 years of saving pennies to afford the trip from her home to England. Martha Ricks, so overcome about seeing the queen in person, she took the queen's hand and kept shaking it! Queen Victoria, the newspapers later reported, was very gracious! Enjoy!

P.S. There is one other Black woman who I strongly suspect also hugged a Queen of England. Who? Queen Victoria's adopted god-daughter, Sarah Forbes Bonetta (Sarah Davies). Have you ever heard or read about Sarah?

Shawn Lovell Metalworks - Lovely Tree Bed

Shawn Lovell, metal artist, designed this $15,000 Tree Bed. It's lovely - just needs a quilt! Enjoy!

Fanciful Things - new Obama Breakfast Cereal

Obama O's: Hope in Every Bowl. Ok - this has nothing to do with quilting, but the concept made me laugh. A new travel website, Air Bed & Breakfast, created this cereal as a promotion. Yes, there's actually cereal in it. Enjoy!

Have you read "The Shack"?

This post fits into the "fanciful things" category. Have you read "The Shack"? It's a novel about a father's transformation after his youngest daughter is involved in tragedy. God invites the father to a shack one weekend. Now, I'm not going to spoil it for you ... and if you leave comments, don't you spoil it for others either! Let's just say - if you haven't read it, treat yourself - there's one or two SURPRISING turns that my sistah quilters will ... ENJOY! P.S. The Shack has over 2,000 review comments on Amazon.com!

Happy Birthday! Ice Cream is great!

Guess where I'm going today?! As a kid, my Mom signed us up for the Baskin Robbins Ice Cream Club. What a treat! Did you know you can still sign up for the Birthday Club as an adult? Enjoy!

Photo of Brazilian Girl with Knitted Top sold for $760!

Ok - this is my last eBay auction post this week (smile!). Isn't this a lovely photo of a Black girl from Rio de Janeiro? Her name wasn't recorded on the photograph. This CDV or or carte de visite is by Alberto Henschel (1827 - 1882), a German photographer, who probably took this photograph sometime between 1870s and 1882, when he had a studio in Rio de Janeiro. The photo measures 2 1/2 inches by 4 inches. Carte de visites were popular in the late 1800s and were used much like a calling card or today's business card. These small, sturdy photos were collected (like baseball cards!) and could also be mailed.

I wonder if the portrait sitter knitted or crocheted her own blouse. The cowrie shells in her hair are stylish even today! You can click on the photo to see it close up. This eBay auction (item #330229125214) started at $44.77 on April 17. The ending price yesterday afternoon - $760! Enjoy!