San Diego People of Color Quilt Guild Opportunity Quilt 2014

I was born and raised in Los Angeles, California - and when I was on the San Diego People of Color Quilt Guild website - I recognized that this was a California quilt!

This gorgeous 2014 Opportunity Quilt was hand pieced by Norma Jones and machined quilted by Vivian Townes.

Visit the guild's website to see this and other guild quilt photos. Enjoy!

Afro Modern: A Twist on Tradition

Look what I got in the mail!  The program guide and postcard for the African American Quilters of Los Angeles' 2013 quilt show - Afro Modern: A Twist on Tradition.

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to see the show in person, which took place in Carson, California in November. I've been in previous years and the quilts are FANTASTIC! I counted 85 or so exhibiting quilters in this 2013 exhibit checklist! Congratulations to AAQLA and president Linda County.

Here's a link to the AAQLA website - http://www.easysite.com/aaqla - jazz music plays when you visit, so be careful if you are web surfing from work!  Enjoy!

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!

Sisters of the Yam - Quilt at the VMFA in Richmond

The Sisters of the Yam, a quilting guild in Richmond, VA since 2001, has a lovely quilt on display at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. The quilt is a complement to the current exhibit American Quilts: Selections from the Winterthur Collection is organized by Winterthur and curated by Linda Eaton, Senior Curator of Textiles at Winterthur. The Sisters of the Yam recently presented their 2011 "Opportunity Quilt" as a raffle benefiting the Black History Museum in Richmond. This gorgeous handmade quilt, titled "Diamond Trellis," is 84" x 96" featuring 224 blocks in a diamond pattern with black stripes creating a trellis design. Raffle tickets $5 each or 3 for $10. The drawing will be held March 17, 2011. Contact the Black History Museum at 804-780-9093 for info on purchasing tickets. 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.

Zuri Quilting Guild of Nashville Exhibits at Airport

Flying through the Nashville International Airport between now and May 31, 2010? Cruise on over to Concourse A, across from Gate A-3 for the exhibit "Sistahs of the Cloth: Pieces Together Our Past While Keeping Ourselves in Stitches" featuring quilts by the Zuri Quilting Guild of Nashville. If a trip to Tennessee isn't planned, do visit the Zuri Quilting Guild blog. Enjoy!

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!

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!

Happy 10th Anniversary - Sankofa Seam Alliance Quilters

Happy 10th Anniversary to the Sankofa Seam Alliance Quilters of Louisville, KY! Stitch on!

Needle Rules! Society of Detroit publishes quilting books

Sistah quilters of the Needle Rules! Society have published "One Stitch At a Time," a 24 page full-color book documenting an inter-generational quiltmaking workshop. The text was written by Louise Hamm and photographs taken by Christina Drane. The book is available via the website Blurb for $50 softback and $60 hardback.

Also available is "For the L.O.V.E. of FABRIC" by LaDonne Young of the Needle Rules! Society, with photographs by Christina Drane. This book is also full-color, 26 pages, and available from Blurb for the same prices.

Be sure to click on both book titles and see the Preview for both books. Enjoy!

Mother Willie Mae Brown and her 45 year old pieced quilt in Denver

I wish I could meet Mother Brown in person! The African American Quilters Guild of Denver, CO, founded in 1988, has posted eight videos from a show earlier this year. Take a moment to see the 2 minute videos featuring quilters Winnie Anderson, Dr. Adrienne Bryant, Rosie Smith who made quilts for her 10 grandkids, Erma Weekly,a retired electrician who shares her Flying Geese quilt, Mrs. Geneva Chapman who shares the story of her flower basket appliqued quilt, and Darla Sipp-Wells who gives us a peek at her finished pink and green marriage quilt. Many thanks to the Guild for sharing the show to all of us to see! Enjoy!

Ebony Stitchers Quilt Guild, - New Show July 23

If you are down Georgia way, do visit the exhibit titled "Award Winning" by the Ebony Stitchers Quilt Guild in Decatur opening July 23. The exhibit features quilts that celebrates African American Academy Award and music winners - yes, the black film stars and singers! Visit the Guild's website for details or contact Ebonystitchers1@bellsouth.net. Enjoy!

African American Quilting Guilds Online

Are you looking for a local quilting guild to join? Here are a few you can contact online. This is by no means a comprehensive list, so feel free to leave a comment if there are others you'd like to share! Enjoy!

African American Quilt Guild of Oakland

African American Quilters of Baltimore, Maryland

The AAQB 20th Anniversary Quilt, Fine Art and Craft Show will be held at the James E. Lewis Museum at Morgan State University in March 2009.

African American Quilters of Los Angeles Be sure to check out the guild’s photo gallery!

Brown Sugar Stitchers Quilt Guild, Decatur, GA

Great Lakes African American Quilter's Network

Needles & Threads, Chicago, IL

Pacific NW African American Quilters

Quilters of Color Network, New York

Rocky Mountain Wa Shonaji Quilt Guild

• Here is a link to the updated Rocky Mountain Wa Shonaji Quilt Guild of Denver site! Check it out!
  

Sisters in Stitches Joined by the Cloth (New England, Holbrook, MA)The photo here is from this guild’s website.

Sisters of the Cloth Quilting Guild Visit this site to learn more about the guild’s 19^th annual Gathering!

Uhuru Quilters Guild, Clinton, MD

Busy Fingers Quilt Club - 60th anniversary

All the best to the Busy Fingers Quilt Club of Alton, IL for recently celebrating its 60th anniversary! In the photo by The Telegraph photographer Margie M. Barnes are from the left:
Mattie Jean Miller, Esther Jackson, Georgia Bratton and Viola Bradshaw holding the Busy Fingers quilting club's new presidential quilt. Other guild members are: Nancy Beacoat, Josephine Beckwith, Wanda Jacques, Viola Bradshaw, Esther Jackson, Edna Cannon, Heather Stewart, Vivian Williams, Rose Pitts, Rose Rhetta and Jane Rhetta.

The Club decided to commemorate it's anniversary and historic Presidential election by creating a special quilt with images of each party's Presidential and Vice-Presidential candidates.

The guild does not yet know where the quilt will be displayed. I hope that a local historical society or local museum will document this guild's extraordinary 60 years of quilting! Click here to read a recent Telegraph newspaper article on the guild. Enjoy!

Needle Rules! Society Celebrates 10 years!

Congratulations to the sistah and brother quilters of the Needle Rules! Society of Detroit, Michigan. In September 2008, the group celebrated their 10th anniversary with an outdoor Line Quilt Show at the MBAD African Bead Museum. You can see pictures of the gorgeous quilts on Flickr (http://flickr.com/photos/mbadmuseum/). Congratulations to the Guild, Louise Hamm, President. Enjoy!

Heritage Quilters Guild of Greensboro

The Heritage Quilters guild of Greensboro were featured last week in the Carolina Peacemaker newspaper. The guild is eight years old and has 12 members. Quoted in the article are Sistah quilters Andrena Coleman, a vice president and chief administrative officer at Bennett College, Helen Robbins, a retired school teacher, and Gwen Cobb. The Heritage Quilters Guild meets every Thursday at 10 a.m. at the Vance Chavis Branch Library. Enjoy!

Uhuru Quilters Guild - Hanging By a Thread Show

On June 28, 2008 I drove to Lake Arbor Elementary School to experience the Uhuru Quilters Guild exhibit "Hanging by a Thread III." WOW! Sistah Quilters are something else. The nearly 200 quilts were well worth any investment in $4 a gallon gas. Here's a photo of the 26 page exhibit catalog which each attendant received.

This year's Uhuru Quilters Guild show was co-chaired by Carol Williams and Lisa Lewis. The committee members included: Cynthia York (Celebration committee), Betty Phillips (Children's Corner), Jennifer S. Morris (Layout), Elsie Houston and Charlene Marshall (Marketplace - yes, I did buy fabric!), Terry Gibbs and Lynora Williams (Program), Deb Sanger (Raffle Quilt - which is gorgeous!), Theresa Brown and Charlene Dean (Refreshments - just what was needed given the heat), and Tammie Morrow (White Glove committee). Mr. David E. Morris taped the event so that one can purchase images of the quilts on DVD. The show was even streamed on the web by Mr. Morris!

These Maryland quilters are on jam! If you have 2 minutes, do view the short video I created of the show. Thanks to Uhuru Quilters Guild coordinator Carol Williams for taking a moment to be interviewed and share the history of the guild's shows. Enjoy! Update: In just a week, nearly 150 have viewed the video! Have you seen it?

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!

Harlem Girls Quilting Circle - See It!

In collaboration with The Franklin H. Williams Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute presents "SPEAK OUT!" - Works by the Harlem Girls Quilting Circle from March 22 to June 27, 2008.

Quilters with works on display: Lucinda Alexander ♦ Anna Alvarez ♦ Michelle Y. Bishop ♦ Valerie Deas ♦ Ife Felix ♦ Laura R. Gadson ♦ Paula Wynter ♦ Gwen Jones-Diallo ♦ Pat Mabry ♦ Myna Majors ♦ Robyn Mahone-Lonesome.

According to exhibit release: Armed with the fabrics of their craft, the members of Harlem Girls Quilting Circle share their social commentary in quilt to SPEAK OUT! regarding the issues that affect their lives. As fiber correspondents, SPEAK OUT! depicts the voices of women who question and dialogue about matters of community, family, human rights, gentrification, politics,
culture, solidarity, economics, education and religion.

See the exhibit at The Caribbean Cultural Center Gallery, 408 West 58th Street, between 9th and 10th Ave. Telephone: 212-307-7420. Exhibit hours: Monday to Friday 10:00AM to 6:00PM. Do drop a note here to share your thoughts about these exciting quilts!

Heritage Quilters of Fresno, CA

Congratulations to the Heritage Quilters of Fresno, California! This 8-member guild was founded in 2005. Recently they had two quilt shows in the Frenso area and a detailed article written by reporter Margaret Slaby published in the Fresno Bee newspaper. Heritage Quilter members are (photograph by Kurt Hegre) "Irene Rush, left, Centhy Hansford, Sharon Carter, Ann Joseph and Wanda Carter." Go Sistahs!