Daily Blog

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Have you been working on your TQS BOM Afternoon Delight quilt? Well, Sheralynn Humble of Bullard, TX created her own version, Afternoon Delight, Thanks Sue, and she just became a National Association of Certified Quilt Judges (NACQJ) Award of Merit ribbon winner!

Quilted by Beth Kindall of Lake City, CO, take a look at this beautiful quilt.

Congratulations to Sheralynn and Beth!

(Photo: NACQJ)

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Peter Byrne's quilt, Starring You, won Best of Show at QuiltCon 2020 and we got a chance to have him talk about it. And, oh, by the way, Peter won another big ribbon at QuiltCon. Stay tuned for more on that.

Artist Statement: “Working within a modern aesthetic, I limited my colour palette to black and white to bring attention to the large graphic, yet striking minimalist design. I used 90 pieces of turned edge appliqué to create the explosive star burst as it provides the greatest freedom of composition. The expansive negative space is densely quilted with a variety of hand guided quilting motifs and to highlight and add definition, I used a heavy weight black thread.”

Instagram: @petersquilts & hoverquilting

Email: petersquilts@gmail.com

Website: peterbquilts.com

(See photos and details of Starring You beneath the video.)

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Image of Percy Kent Bag ad for Alice in Wonderland feed sack prints, circa 1951.
The ad features three different prints available in the Alice in Wonderland series. 
Clockwise from upper right:  Garden of Live Flowers, Mad Tea Party and March of the Cards. 
Image courtesy Matt Crandall.

Movies Represented in Quilt Fabric
by Marian Ann J. Montgomery, Ph.D.
Curator of Clothing and Textiles, Museum of Texas Tech University

Licensing of Disney products around their movies began in 1929 when Mickey Mouse was first featured on a children’s writing tablet. It is thought that the merchandizing around the Disney movies kept the studio afloat during the Great Depression (1929-1939).

When Alice in Wonderland opened on July 28, 1951, Disney entered into an agreement with the Percy Kent Company to place their images on feed sack bags. The Percy Kent Bag Company was the first firm to put prints onto feed sack fabrics in 1937. To edge out the competition, increase consumer demand and improve sales, the company hired the well-known New York fabric designer A. Charles Barton to be the company’s design director.

As one of the top firms in 1951, Percy Kent Bag Company entered into a licensing agreement with Disney. Three different designs were printed on either a white, yellow, blue, pink, green or purple background. The ad above, from the Percy Kent Bag Company, documents the series.

March of the Cards from the Nickols Feed Sack collection TTU-H2015-053-238, with a white background. 

The Alice in Wonderland fabrics were definitely available in Texas and Oklahoma because the Merit company ran an ad showing the prints. The Merit company had mills in Oklahoma City, Muskogee and Sayre, Oklahoma as well as Amarillo, Texas. The Alice in Wonderland prints also ran on Rodkey’s Best Flour bags.

March of the Cards with yellow background, Gift of Matt Crandall, TTU-H2019-083-002.

Painting the Roses Red on green background. You can see the licensing information along the right-hand selvage. Gift of Matt Crandall, TTU-H2019-083-001.

In the 1950s Davy Crockett was a hero to many children who watched the Disney television programs. A quilt recently offered to the museum in the Grecian Square pattern included Crockett fabric.

Learn more about the Clothing and Textiles Collection at the Museum of Texas Tech University.

Click here for related articles from the Museum of Texas Tech University Textile Collections.

Learn more about Feedsacks:

Cotton & Thrift: Feed Sacks and The Fabric of American Households by Marian Ann J. Montgomery

Feed Sacks by Linzee Kull McCray.

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Here's Janet Noever's stunning version of The Halo Medallion quilt which was the TQS BOM for 2017, also designed by Sue Garman, from Barbara Black's show.

Watch Barbara talk about this and other BOMS in Show 2601.

Original Photo: Mary Kay Davis

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Beginning today, TQS will now be featuring quilts exhibited in 2019 at the Houston International Quilt Festival as part of their 45th Anniversary, the Sapphire Anniversary. The Sapphire Celebration exhibit is described as:

"Quilters have long used the color blue to symbolize trust, loyalty, wisdom, confidence, intelligence, faith, truth, and heaven. Sapphire is also the chosen gem to celebrate 45th anniversaries—which International Quilt Festival is doing this year (2019)! These new and antique blue and white quilts will be suspended from the ceiling in a spectacular and unforgettable display."

To be a part of the exhibit, quilts had to fit the following criteria:

• Entries may be Traditional, Modern or Art.
• Entries must have been made between 1974 and 2019.
• The minimum size is 50” x 50”

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G and I decided to take a trip out to Biosphere 2, which is a research facility whose mission is to serve as a facility for research, teaching, and understanding of Biosphere 1, the Earth. In its original conception, it was to be a closed system of various climates on Earth. The plant life that was in the Biosphere 2 was to provide oxygen and nourishment for the crew of scientists who lived in the Biosphere 2. It was sealed off environmentally from the outside world and had its challenges. It was only used twice for its original intended purposes as a closed-system experiment. The second time providing an amazing amount of research information and setting records in closed ecological systems. Under ownership by the University of Arizona, it continues to provide a place for international scientists to research and test hypotheses.

 

 

 

The tour was fascinating, but the part of the tour that really got me thinking was when the tour guide talked about the second experiment which included a crew of 8 who were shut in the Biosphere for 2 years without any outside food, water, or air. These 8 individuals were not allowed to bring anything scented...such as deodorants, shampoos, or soaps into the Biosphere. But they were allowed to bring something to entertain themselves during their rest or down time. So, when she asked...What would you bring into the Biosphere if you knew you were to be shut away for 2 years?...I started making my list!!! The obvious was books and lots of them...but, for this Quilt Roadie the list boggles...

 

I would have to bring along my Sue Spargo Sand dollars project...this is Sue's and I love it! Lot's of stitching to accomplish.

 

 

And then there is my Buttermilk Basin BOM, it would be nice to get it done :)

 

 

But we're talking 2 years!!! It would have to be all handwork because no additional machinery like a sewing machine would be allowed. If you were going into the Biosphere for 2 years, what would you bring??? 2 years!!!

 

Stay tuned and travel along with us on Quilt Roadies.

Click here for Anna's blog.

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Audra Rasnake wanted to use up some of her green fabric stash. She also wanted to work with the Hosanna or Palm Leaf block. Cutting up scraps, she created 1500 leaves and then used an original design for the center "dahlia-like" flowers. When all was said and done, Hosanna was completed in 1300 hours. How big is your stash of green fabric?

Hosanna by Audra Rasnake won Third Place, Mixed Large, sponsored by ABM International, Inc. / Innova, at Road to California 2020.

Photos by Anna Bates

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You might remember Ian Berry, the artist who creates quilts entirely of denim. If you don't remember, catch the video with Ricky by clicking here. Here's a 360° view of his Studio of Denim.

Ian writes: "The closest thing to being in my studio without being in it. Navigate yourself around the video (with finger/cursor) by the brilliant guys at @SYS Luxury using the latest tech."

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We love Jane Sassaman's work, but we never thought it was "sinister". What do you think?

Artist's Statement for Johnny Jump Ups: "I love to abstract the designs I see in nature, especially plant forms. The distinct characteristics of Johnny Jump Ups seemed to have real graphic possibilities. So this is where I landed...larger than life, rather formal, and a bit sinister."

Johnny Jump Ups by Jane Sassaman won First Place, Appliqué, Small, sponsored by World of Quilts Travel, at the Houston International Quilt Festival 2019.

30" x 50"

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Art Quilt Quarterly, published by Studio Art Quilt Associates, Inc., (SAQA) is for anyone who loves beautiful quilts: collectors, art venues, museums, professional artists, and art enthusiasts. 

Inside each issue, you’ll enjoy articles on a broad array of topics plus interviews with quilt artists from around the world. Images from SAQA’s Global Exhibitions program and its Juried Artist Members are also featured in the magazine, providing a wealth of inspiration.

Editorial highlights include:

·       Insider details about select museum and private collections.

·       Resources on the proper ways to display, insure, and care for your art quilt collection.

·       Interviews with quilt artists from around the world.

·       60+ pages of artwork by SAQA’s Juried Artist Members.

·       Galleries from SAQA’s traveling exhibitions.

·       Inspiration and guidance on how to navigate your creative career.

Edited by Dr. Sandra Sider, curator of the Texas Quilt Museum in Houston, the magazine’s articles are written by individuals active in the world of quilting.

Now entering its fifth year, Art Quilt Quarterly is published four times a year and is available as an annual subscription for $34.95 (non-U.S. addresses pay an additional $12).

TQS newsletter readers can order a one-year subscription for $29.95 using promo code TQS.

To learn more about Art Quilt Quarterly and claim your discount, visit saqa.com/aqq.