Dispatches
June 2007

We are on the home stretch now, and can begin measuring time until QBL ’07 in weeks instead of months. Remember to check the website for updates, and sign up for QBL E-News by clicking on the link on the left side of the page. It’s a great way to stay in touch.

“The soul should always stand ajar; ready to welcome the ecstatic experience.”

Teachers in the News
Design Exercise
Books to Consider

Teachers in the News

The QBL faculty has been very busy these last few months!

Bob Adams recently was interviewed for an article in Australian Country Threads Magazine. Bob was invited to show four pieces in an upcoming show at Gallery One 36 in Indianapolis, Indiana, and will also have four pieces in a show this summer at the Columbus Cultural Art Center in Columbus, Ohio. Bob is one of six featured quilt artists in the exhibit “Contemporary Quilt Artists” at the Earlville Opera House in Earlville, NJ July 24 through August 18. Earlville is not too far from QBL if you want to take a field trip!

“Blue Trunks”

“Lunar Series Blue Halo”

Anna Hergert has been very busy teaching this spring. She taught two very successful workshops in the Coupeville Arts Center on Whidbey Island in Washington State. From there she returned home, repacked my suitcase and left on the red eye for this year's SAQA conference where she presented a number of lectures and mentoring sessions on E-Newsletter marketing. For Anna’s newsletter go to www.nucleus.com/~hergertfamily/Anna/A_Home.htm.

Anna says the highlight of the trip was the opening of Quilt National 2007, “a true feast for the eyes!” Recently Anna was notified that her quilt “A Day in Monet's Garden - Sunrise to Sunset” has been accepted into the Sky is the Limit exhibition at the Houston Quilt Festival later this year. Anna says, “I am busy preparing for QBL and have started some new work to enhance the examples I am bringing along for the "Mystical Molas" workshop offered during the first week of QBL.”

“Indian Summer”

Bill Kerr’s company FunQuilts, that he and his wife run, will be releasing a new line of contemporary patterns in late June all of which use RJR's solids line. The patterns will be available through FunQuilts and kits will be marketed nationally by RJR. Along with these patterns they also are writing articles on working with solids for American Patchwork & Quilting and Quilts & More magazines. Bill says he “eagerly anticipates QBL in July.”

Priscilla Kibbee recently finished making her fourth outfit for the Bernina Fashion Show, which will be debuting in Houston at the International Quilt Market and Quilt Show in October. On a more exotic note, Priscilla taught at the International Quilt Show in Istanbul, Turkey in May! She also wants students to know she will be updating the supply lists for her classes soon and more information can be found on my web pages at www.priscillakibbee.citymax.com.

Katie Pasquini Masopust shot a video in her studio during the last weekend of June on how to make an art quilt. Katie says it was really fun, and the video will be available in August. I am spending the rest of June working on her new book, “How To Make An Art Quilt” with the July 5th deadline fast approaching. Katie’s class at QBL the end of July is based on the new book.

Elin Noble’s work has been accepted into a number of exhibits, including:

• “Intimate Apparel” is an unusual and provocative exhibit of artists’ merkins on view June 1through 30, 2007 at the Pi Gallery in Kansas City, Missouri. Curator Linda Gass invited 23 artists from around the world to participate and the resulting collection of 37 works is wildly diverse and inspired. (www.piartgallery.com)
• “Sum of the Parts” 2007 SDA Traveling Membership Show. These pieces were selected from over 200 entries that were shown at the H & R Block Artspace at the Kansas City Art Institute as part of the 2007 SDA conference Mind and Body.
• “Lush” is an International Juried Exhibition of Yardage influenced by the infinite microcosm of the natural world. September 6 through October 18, 2007 at the Grimshaw-Gudewicz Art Gallery at Bristol Community College, Fall River, MA. (www.bristol.mass.edu/gallery/index)
• “Art Quilts Lowell 2007” is a national juried exhibition, organized by the Brush Art Gallery, to identify and encourage quilt artists. The 2007 exhibition has been expanded, from previous years, to include art quilts from artists throughout the United States. The exhibition will provide an overview of some of the finest quilts being produced in this country; it is a feature of the 2007 Lowell Quilt Festival to be held August 2 through 5, 2007, Lowell, MA. (www.thebrush.org)

Elin also will be vending her hand-dyed threads and fabric at A Quilters' Gathering, November 7 through 11, 2007 at the Sheraton Hotel in Nashua, NH (www.aquiltersgathering.com). Hopefully she will bring some of these beautiful threads to QBL as well!

“Nuts and Bolts”

Carol Taylor has a two-page article about her work and her studio on pages 48 & 49 of the July-August issue of Quilter’s Home magazine. She also has two quilts in the New Visions Art Quilt Gallery from June 16 through August 5 in San Diego, CA and two quilt in the Images 2007 exhibit at Penn State’s Robeson Gallery from June 13 through July15. Carol was notified recently that her quilt, “Sedona: Red Rocks and Blue skies” won the Juror’s Award of Merit in the Images 2007 exhibition.

Design Exercise — well, sort of . . .

This one is all about getting ready . . .

1. Take out the course description(s) for your 2007 class(es) at QBL, read through them to reacquaint yourself with what excited you about the class way back last fall.
2. Now look through the supply list, and see what else it has to tell you about the class. Do you need a few specific things or many general ones? Are you supposed to come with an idea or will the teacher help you get there? Is it a project class or a process class?
3. Jot down the thoughts that come to mind—ideas/inspiration, colors you would like to work with, size, how much you hope to accomplish, what inspires you about the teacher’s work, what you hope to/expect to learn, etc. Take a couple of weeks to think about it off an on, like you would leave a quilt under construction on the wall over time to have time to really look at it.
4. Think about supplies; they fall into a few categories. Those you have on hand and need to put in one place to pack, those you know you do not have and have to purchase or borrow, and those you have but have to really think about. The last category is usually the hardest one, and most often is fabric. If you have an enormous stash, this can be a very difficult task. Here are some things to try:
   • work with a color family or two that you love
   • work with colors you hardly ever use
   • pick a fabric that is multicolored, and select others to use with it. Even if you never use the original one, the rest are very likely to work together
   • use only hand-dyed or hand painted fabrics
   • Don’t forget to include a variety of values, including dark-darks & light-lights, a variety of textures and to vary the scale of the prints, assuming you are using prints.
5. Pack your bags and hit the road! No matter what you do not have with you at QBL, you can borrow from a classmate, shop at the vendors, or decide to make do with what you have with you. Sometimes this provided just the serendipitous event needed to make your piece spectacular.

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Books to Consider

Judi Warren Blaydon recommended two books to me that I am pleased to pass on. I loved them both, and hope to read more by the same author.
A Map of Glass and The Stone Carvers by Jane Urquhart

I can also recommend:

The Vision of Emma Blau by Ursula Hegi, who also wrote Stones in the River, another wonderful novel.
The View From Castle Rock by Alice Munro-wonderful interconnected stories about Ms. Munro’s Scottish ancestors.

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See you in a few weeks!
Kathy
qblnews@aol.com

Past Dispatches
June 2007
April 2007
January 2007
October 2006
June 2006
April 2006
February 2006
November 2005
June 2005
April 2005
February 2005
October 2004