Daily Blog

  1

fShare

Tweet

Headed to QuiltCon in Austin this year? Can you spare two hours to volunteer in the Quilt Alliance booth? We'll be spreading the word about labeling and documenting quilts, selling our KidsQuilt kits and telling visitors all about our upcoming Quilters Take Manhattan* event. 

What's in it for you? A super cute Quilt Alliance tee, a chance to meet other quilters, and a big thank you from the non-profit Quilt Alliance! Full details and a signup form can be found here!

And even if you're not headed to QuiltCon, you can always support the Quilt Alliance at www.quiltalliance.org.

*Quilters Take Manhattan will return in September 2020! Read the media release.

(Other Colors Available)

  2

fShare

Tweet

Lilo recently visited the European Patchwork Meeting in Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines, France and discovered a wonderful exhibit they were featuring there. Swiss quilt group patCHquilt was celebrating their thirtieth anniversary by putting on a showcase of 100 challenge quilts for the occasion. The challenge was open to all members of the group of every skill level and each quilt had to adhere to the following criteria:

• Works must be original, not from a kit and must include a red border.
• They must be 30 cm wide, 120 cm long, and displayed portrait style.
• The quilt must include at least 1/2 of the Edelweiss fabric (that each person received), and feature a piece of that same fabric that is 10 cm x 10 cm in size.

To join in the celebration with patCHquilt, we will be featuring four of the challenge quilts each week that were displayed as part of the exhibition at the European Patchwork Meeting.

Please enjoy the next four quilts from Soraya Moresi, Stephanie Wedel, Susanne Neuhauser, and Susi Albrecht-Suter.

Title of Quilt: Wine Serving Dwarf

Quilter's Name: Soraya Moresi

Title of Quilt: Short Alpine Wander

Quilter's Name: Stephanie Wedel

Title of Quilt: The Long Way

Quilter's Name: Susanne Neuhauser

Title of Quilt: My Switzerland

Quilter's Name: Susi Albrecht-Suter

  2

fShare

Tweet

Click here for Anna's blog.

  8

fShare

Tweet

Isabel Colilles of Spain, took "a simple cotton and two colors of thread" to create this stunning representation of Hagia Sofia. Take a look at the number of different fillers she used for the background in order to highlight the amazing architecture of the building.

Hagia Sofia won First Place, Merit Quilting, Machine - Stationary, sponsored by BERNINA of America, at the Houston International Quilt Festival 2019.

  2

fShare

Tweet

Two different quilters, Cheryl Garrison and Geneva Carroll, stitched up the 2009 TQS BOM Stars for a New Day (designed by Sue Garman) in two totally different color ways. The quilts were made by the women before they knew each other and now they have become great friends. One quilt is made in black and white and the other "June Cleaver on Acid". Bound together by their love of quliting...two different quilters, two great quilts.

Cheryl's quilt is the black and white version and Geneva's is the multi-colored version.

  4

fShare

Tweet

Don't you love how Jinny uses border prints in her blocks? Find out the name of this block when you play the game.

  3

fShare

Tweet

Textile fragment, Istanbul, 1550–1600. The Textile Museum 1.53. Acquired by George Hewitt Myers in 1951. Image courtesy of The GW University Museum and Textile Museum.

As quilters we occasionally need a bit of inspiration. Walking through a neighborhood or park, looking at colorful murals and graffiti on city buildings, paging through magazines, and viewing art museum exhibitions are excellent ways to get those creative juices going. But sometimes it's just as wonderful to do a little 'inspiration walking' via the web. It's time to add another fabulous resource to your toolbox.

"After many years of preparation, The George Washington University Museum and Textile Museum are launching our pilot website featuring highlights from the museum and university collections. Accessible to anyone, anywhere, anytime, this is a major milestone in increasing access to our holdings of global textiles and historical artifacts.

Carpet, Central Caucasus, 19th century. The Textile Museum R36.5.10. Acquired by George Hewitt Myers. Image courtesy of The GW University Museum and Textile Museum.

The website debuts with more than 3,000 works from four collections—a number that will grow in the months and years ahead. To start, you will find nearly 1,000 artworks from The Textile Museum Collection that were exhibited in the past decade. Look for gorgeous ikat robes from Colors of the Oasis: Central Asian Ikats, festival costumes from Vanishing Traditions: Textiles and Treasures from Southwest China, and exemplary carpets displayed in our inaugural exhibition at GW."
 

View of Washington by Edward Sachse, Baltimore, 1852. Albert H. Small Washingtoniana Collection AS411.

The pilot site also includes more than 1,500 artifacts of Washington, D.C., history from our Albert H. Small Washingtoniana Collection, as well as a selection of paintings, photographs, and other works of fine art from the university collections.

What you see on the site today is just the beginning. We are midway through a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services to photograph and digitize some 6,000 textiles. With more time, labor, and resources, the site will catch up to the volume of artworks in our care. Expect new records to become available in batches, over time, until this site encompasses all 31,000 objects from the museum and university collections."

The goal is to have the entire Textile Museum Collection online for the museum's centennial in 2025.

  12

fShare

Tweet

Nostalgia, by Annelize Littlefair of the UK, is a wholecloth quilt made from silk for her oldest son's wedding. The quilting is stunning, but we were truly knocked out by the border treatment featuring silk ribbon, embroidery, and "pearls" of fabric.

Nostalgia won First Place, Merit Quilting, Machine - Frame at the Houston International Quilt Festival 2019.

Scroll to the bottom to see a close up of the extraordinary border design.

  2

fShare

Tweet

Do you have a special quilt at home? Would you like to know how museum professionals handle and store quilts? DAR Museum staff will walk you through the steps to best care for your quilt so that future generations can enjoy it just as much as you do.

Part 2 takes you through how to properly fold a quilt. 

Should you wear gloves? What are some common mistakes?

If you missed Part 1, here is How to Care for Your Quilt (Part 1: Storage and Handling).

The DAR Museum is free and open to the public Monday - Saturday (except holidays). It is located in Washington, D.C. between the White House and the National Mall. 

  1

fShare

Tweet

Add a little LOVE to your quilts with this Scalloped Hearts quilting motif from Lori Kennedy and WeAllSew.com. This sweet motif can be stitched in the center of a square block or you can try the variations to create horizontal and vertical borders. Combine all three for a quilt your sweethearts are sure to love!

Click here for tutorial.