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Quilt Show Honors Legacy of Local Benefactor

A quilt exhibit and sale will be held at Mariandale Retreat and Conference Center, Ossining, New York, on Saturday and Sunday, June 8 and 9, from 1 to 5 p.m., and on Wednesday, June 12 from 7 to 9 p.m. An opening reception will be held from 3 to 5 p.m. June 8. All are welcome. Admission is free. Proceeds from the sale will benefit the Mariandale Retreat Center’s Outreach Programs.

The quilt show has a rich backstory. The late Nancy Murphy of Croton-On-Hudson succumbed to breast cancer in 2001, leaving behind a husband and two sons. An avid quilter and quilting teacher, she also left behind fabric and equipment, which her husband sold, donating the proceeds to cancer research.

Roll forward to just last year, Mike Murphy was moving to a smaller house, his sons now grown and starting families of their own. In the attic he discovered tubs of unfinished work: quilts; needlepoints; appliques and embroidery.

Having heard that there were quilters who met at Mariandale, Mike Murphy called to see if he could donate the materials. He met with Sister Donna Brunell, a Dominican Sister of Hope, and director of Hands for Hope. Sister Donna enlisted the help Carole Burton, a Mariandale quilter, who actually had known Nancy Murphy, to help catalogue the donation.

“Although we expected fabric we might use in other projects, we were both amazed at the beauty of the unfinished quilts and high quality of the craftsmanship. At first I was overwhelmed by the number of projects in various stages of being completed,” said Sister Donna, “but then I recognized the legacy, not only of the quilts, but of the techniques we could learn by completing them.” It was decided that the quilts would be finished by volunteers from among Mariandale quilters and friends and would be celebrated in the exhibit and sale in June.

At Mr. Murphy’s request, any proceeds from the sale of Nancy’s quilts will benefit Mariandale Outreach Programs. These programs serve the spiritual needs of the poor, marginalized, previously incarcerated, homeless and especially women in the surrounding communities, including New York City.

The quilt exhibit and sale, which will also include quilts crafted by Mariandale quilters, will be on display in the Chapel at Mariandale. Besides the posted hours above, they can be seen by appointment, also, during the week of June 8th to the 15th. Call 914-941-4455 ext. 100 for an appointment.

The Mariandale Retreat and Conference Center is a sponsored ministry of the Dominican Sisters of Hope. For more information, visit www.mariandale.org or call 914-941-4455.

Story and photo by Alison Faubert, Communications Director for the Dominican Sisters of Hope

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Learn more about the National Quilt Museum in Paducah, KY, and about the Friends of the Museum program. And, keep your eyes open and you'll get a peek at Ricky's Fire Dragon Rhapsody quilt.

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A new Executive Director has been announced for the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show. Jeannette Pilak will be replacing current ED Ann Richardson who announced her intention last fall to step down from the position following the 2013 Show.  If you are in the area this summer, this is a show you'll want to attend and if you get a chance, bid a fond farewll to Ann who has run the show for the last 11 years.

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Have you ever heard of a low-volume quilt? Usually it means a quilt with really soft color or tint, pale, faded, or made from neutrals.  

Take a look at this bag from Pretty by Hand and you'll get the idea.

Have you ever made a low-volume quilt?

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A new exhibit just opened at the deYoung Museum in San Francisco. It is called From the Exotic to the Mystical: Textile Treasures from the Permanent Collection

Here's the latest information from their site.

"Drawn from the Museums' extensive collection of textile arts, this delightful selection represents 15 centuries of textile arts and includes finely detailed English embroideries, playful Spanish laces, magnificent tapestries, and a set of elaborate French ecclesiastical vestments from the reign of Louis XIV. Allegorical imagery serves as the overarching theme of the exhibition, which further explores the subjects of exoticism, mythology, religious symbolism, and the fantasized animal world.

From the Exotic to the Mystical offers a glimpse into the breadth of the Museums' textile collections and showcases many true masterpieces from the European holdings. The exhibition also honors Anna Gray Bennett, who died in 2012. Bennett was the founding curator for textile arts at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco and a champion for the study of European textile traditions."

The exhibit runs May 4, 2013 - August 4, 2013.  The museum is located at 50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park.  Click here for hours and admission.

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If you are in the neighborhood, stop by Alden Lane Nursery in Livermore, CA to see a special exhibit of the Quilts of Valor to honor U.S. veterans at the Mom & Apple Pie Event. The Valley Veterans foundation will be selling apple pie to raise funds for equipment for local disabled veterans. All Military Mom's with ID will receive a free slice of apple pie! 

And, two more Quilts of Valor will be presented.  

Alden Lane Nursery, 981 Alden Lane, Livermore CA - May 11-12 - 10am - 4pm

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The next time you need inspiration for a quilt, take a look at these beautiful gems from Fraser Smith.  All of his quilts are carved from wood, which he then paints. Yes, these are made from wood, not cloth.

To see more amazing quilts, click here.

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Have you always thought you had what it takes to design a winning quilt?  Here's your chance!  The National Quilting Association is having a contest to design the official 2014 National Quilting Day Quilt.

The NQD quilt should be large enough to be used as a donation quilt. It should be a simple design that could be completed easily by a quilter with any level of experience or by several members of a quilting group, who may have different levels of expertise.

In addition to having the quilt design published and featured as the 2014 National Quilting Day Quilt with full credits, the winner of the contest will receive a complimentary two-year membership to NQA and a 3-day admission pass to the NQA 2014 Annual Quilt Show.

The deadline for submission is July 1, 2013.  Click here for more information.

(Quilt - A Nine Patch Stars and Stripes quilt designed by Kathy Lichtendahl, former NQA Communications Chair)

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The National Quilting Association needs your help.  They need more quilts for their 2013 Show being held in Columbus, Ohio on June 27-29.  The great thing about the NQA Quilt Show is anyone is eligible to enter whether you are a professional quilter or beginning quilter.

The thought of having your quilt judged may be a scary proposition. But a Judges' comments are both positive and constructive. Knowing what you do well inspires you to be more creative and knowing where there is room for improvement will direct you to specific classes and books.

Right now they have 200 quilts entered for their 2013 Show. They want to hit their usual limit of 400 entries. That's why THEY NEED YOUR HELP. Enter your quilts by going to http://nqaquiltshow.org/Show and follow the directions for completing the form. Entry forms must be postmarked by May 10, 2013. Even though your quilt may not be completely finished, you can still enter now because you have until mid-June before you will need to ship it to Columbus.

And if you can, please join them in June to Celebrate America at their 44th Annual Quilt Show. Meet your friends, attend classes, walk the show, shop the vendor mall, and stop by the NQA booth to say hello.

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Join Yvonne Porcella, TQS Quilting Legend 2010, at the San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles on May 12, Sunday, 2-4pm for Fiber Talks! Inspiration! How the Fabric of Ethnic Culture inspired my Quilting.

Yvonne Porcella, a Quilter's Hall of Fame artist and legendary quilter will show slides of her work and be in conversation with Lilia Aguero, Director of Education at School of Arts and Culture. Select pieces from the collection will be on view.

Porcella is Founder and served as President of the Board of Directors Studio Art Quilt Associates 1989-2000; as well as a 16 year member of the Board of Directors of Alliance for American Quilts; 2 terms on the Advisory Board of the International Quilt Study Center, University of Nebraska; currently serving on the Board of Directors of the San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles. In 1998 she was inducted into the Quilters Hall of Fame in Marian Indiana and she was the 5th recipient of the Silver Star Award at Quilt Festival in Houston, Texas. Michigan State University selected her as a Quilt Treasure for an Alliance for American Quilts documentation project archiving the history of American Quilt makers. She was filmed for a one hour segment honoring the 2010 quilting “Legend” by The Quilt Show, hosted by Ricky Tims and Alex Anderson, shown on their subscription internet program. A major retrospective exhibition of her art work shown January to April 2012 at the new Carnegie Art Center in Turlock, CA., curated by Rebecca Phillips Abbott showcased the depth of her artistic endeavors.

Purchase Online
$20 Members/$30 Non-Members/$15 Students and Seniors
Member's Discount: $65 for the entire series if purchased by May 12. No refunds, No exchanges.
rsvp@sjquiltmuseum.org / 408-971-0323 x. 14