Our exhibition was called "Progressive Patchwork: Eclectic and Eco-Aware Quilts" and featured a mix of modern quilted pieces, including blankets, art quilts and aprons. Many pieces were made from swapped, thrifted or recycled materials. A variety of traditional and non-traditional materials in a wide array of colors, textures and patchwork styles were showcased in quilted form.
Check out the pics and descriptions from our exhibition guide!
1. Hip to Piece Squares by Sarah Minshall
Sarah Minshall sells her quilted pieces under the name Hip to Piece Squares. Find her on Etsy at http://www.sarahminshall.etsy.com/ or email her at sarahminshall@yahoo.com.
1a. Patchwork Lunch Sack Dots and Flowers (2010, RAFFLE ITEM)
“The lunch sack was made this summer. I have similar lunch sacks for sale for $35 on Etsy. I got the inspiration to make it because I couldn't find a reusable lunch bag to purchase in a store that I liked enough to buy."
NOTE: Congratulations to Mary (Raffle #2)! She won the Patchwork Lunch Sack Raffle!
b. 1930’s Quilt (2010, $75)
“I had a small collection of reproduction prints that I really loved, and wanted to make a small quilt that really looked like it was made in the 1930's. The whole piece is make by hand--I pieced, quilted, and bound it without using my machine.”
2. Upcycled Quilted Fabric Art by Sarah Richter
Sarah Richter provided two pieces of upcycled quilted fabric art. She sells her crocheted and fabric items under the name yarnscratch. You can reach her at ms.sarah.mascara@gmail.com.
2a. Recycled Wool Sweater Pillow (2010, $35)
“I received a book at one of Flint Handmade's craft supply swaps that is about recycling wool sweaters into various new items. Christmas ornaments and stockings, hats, bags, pincushions, and pillows, just to name a few. This is my take on their patchwork pillow idea. I love making crafts that I know will be used and I doubly love making crafts that double as unique gifts. This is the third pillow in a series I've been working on. The other two have already been gifted away.”
2b. Flowered and Embroidered Sewing Machine Cover (2010, NFS)
“I bought a sewing machine a few years ago but never got around to buying a case for it. I sometimes wished that I would have, seeing as how there are two pairs of tiny hands who like to get into everything of mine I use for crafting! When I did start looking into buying a case or a cover, everything was boring me to tears so I decided to make my own. I started with the sampler square, which is an iron on pattern from Sublime Stitching (a great independent company! if you haven't heard of them, look them up!) and just worked around that. I had stitched up the sampler months ago and then was at a loss as to what should be done with it...until I decided to make my own sewing machine cover, that is.
All the material is second hand from friends or supply swaps. Even the embroidery floss I used was inherited from my grandmother. The only things I purchased specifically to make the cover was the natural cotton batting and the ribbon. I had a really great time working on this and I can't wait to make some more.”
3. White Wedding Quilt by Eleanor Quist (1989, NFS)
Eleanor Quist made this white quilt for her daughter, Vicki Quist, and son-in-law, Albert Price for their wedding in 1989. Eleanor handstitched the entire quilt, including the decorative heart, leaf and flower design keeping the quilt layers together. The tone-on-tone color palate of the white thread and white fabric give this vintage quilt a timeless quality that is thoroughly modern and fresh no matter the era.
Eleanor is now 89-years-old and in declining health. She is no longer able to quilt, but the White Wedding Quilt stands as a testament to the heartfelt love passed on from generation to generation in the form of handmade quilts.
4. Tie-Dye Quilted Apron by Jan Costea (2010, NFS)
“I made this quilted apron from tie-dyed sheets by trimming them down into strips and then stitching them back together. The back, as I show in the second picture, is made from a different tie-dyed sheet.
I love to watch the quilting shows on PBS! I happened to have this scrap fabric that used to be tie-dyed sheets, but in lots of odd sizes. So I cut them into strips and stitched them back together and then cut out the apron shape. I had one big piece of the purple tie-dyed fabric so I used that for the backing.”
Jan Costea is a local artist and crafter. Contact her at mammamia23@gmail.com if you are interested in commissioning a custom apron for $25 plus the cost of fabric.
5. Recycled Patchwork Purse by Brooklyn Awad and Jessica Nickola Planck (2009, $35)
“This purse can be used as a clutch or worn over the shoulder. The purse was constructed by folding black plastic "Have a Nice Day-Thank You" bags into squares and then patchworking the pieces together. It is lined with vintage fabric and includes a zipper and interior pocket.
This piece was made as a collaborative crafting effort. Brooklyn folded the bags and stuck them onto a self lamination sheet. I did the patchwork sewing, lined, and finished the purse. Brooklyn gave me instructions on how to work with the material. She has made several other purses using the same process. Brooklyn has been making purses from recycled plastic since 2005. We made 3 purses out of recycled material for the 2009 FH Holiday Craft Market.”
Brooklyn Awad makes clothing and accessories. Email her at brookeawad@gmail.com for commissioned pieces. Jessica Nickola Planck is a local crafter and art activist.
6. Patchwork Denim Work Apron by Crystal Pepperdine (2010, NFS)
“I had been wanting to make a denim patchwork piece since 2005 when I slept under a denim quilt that was so warm and heavy I affectionately called it a lead blanket. I was intimidated by the thought of making an entire bed quilt, so I didn’t pursue the idea again until this year when I decided I needed a heavy duty work apron for a lot of the new artisan crafts I’ve been trying out lately.
I asked all of my friends and family members to donate an old pair of jeans that I could deconstruct and piece back together to make the apron. I wanted to be able to point to each piece of denim and remember the loved one who gave it to me. Donors to this piece include Tom Gardner, Tunde Olaniran, April Pepperdine, Mary Pepperdine, Wayne Pepperdine, Anne Pepperdine-Sandmore, Jessica Nickola Planck, Michelle Stolz and Milo Bean Stolz.”
Crystal Pepperdine is the Executive Director of Flint Handmade. She sells her crafts under the name beautiful JUNK and donates half of all profits to the Humane Society of Genesee County. Visit her Etsy store at http://www.beautifuljunk.etsy.com/ or email crystalpepperdine@hotmail.com.
6. Stache ‘Ghan by Nayyirah Shariff (2010, $120)
“With every project I try to challenge myself creatively. I have never made a granny square afghan even though it is an iconic form of crochet. I also never made anything I felt was intentionally masculine. I sought to combine both of these ideas and layer moustache appliqués over each granny square. The result is the stache 'ghan lap blanket!”
Nayyirah Shariff sells Crochet Science at local craft markets and online at http://www.crochetscience.etsy.com/. She teaches intergenerational crochet classes at the Brennan Community Center and afterschool crochet classes at Urban League of Flint. Contact her at crochetscience@gmail.com or 810-610-3681.
7. Such Is Life by Michelle Stolz (2010, NFS)
“I've become a collector of vintage and other forgotten fabrics that eventually find new life in the bags and accessories that I make for Aisle 3. When I found stacks and stacks of precut fabric squares, some mini blocks salvaged from an old quilt, and a variety of sweet vintage linens at the last Flint Handmade Craft Supply Swap, I knew the quilt I had always thought about making was soon to be created.
As usual, I didn't use a pattern and really had no idea what I wanted the quilt to look like in the end. It's difficult to explain without sounding like a complete weirdo, but I was motivated greatly by the patterns which evoked memories of my childhood, and by the disbelief that people had discarded such useful materials. I know, weird. But this is it. My very first quilt. A hundred little pieces and no plan. Such is life.”
Michelle Stolz is the Director of Technology for Flint Handmade. She sells her crafts under the name Aisle Three at http://www.aisle3.etsy.com/. Email her at aisle3@comcast.net.
9. Chirp Dittle by Stephanie Bills (2010, NFS)
“The 'Chirp Dittle’ quilt was made after Easter for my daughter Olive Mae. She was born July 7, 2009. The quilt is backed with terry cloth, so it’s very warm. I hung it in her bedroom as a wall decoration during the summer and will use it in her crib for the winter.”
Stephanie Bills crafts under the name Frankenstitch Productions and sells her products online at http://www.1stephbills.etsy.com/. She can be reached at stephbills@hotmail.com.
10. Starry Night by Julie Faust (2010, NFS)
“This is my first art quilt. I was reading online about sewing with LED lights and knew I wanted to try adapting Van Gogh's Starry Night painting into a quilt. The finished quilt is made with a variety of free cut batik appliqué pieces and free motion quilted. I stitched in three yellow LED lights with conductive thread and a battery holder on the back.”
Julie Faust blogs at http://www.daisysewing.wordpress.com/. You can email her at julie.faust@gmail.com.
11. Art Quilts by Jill Hamilton-Krawczyk
Jill Hamilton-Krawczyk creates buttons, mirrors and magnets under the name Barrel of Monkeys. Find her on Etsy at http://www.barrelofmonkeys.etsy.com/ or email her at wwwjnhk@earthlink.net.
11a. Entomology (2003, NFS)
“This quilt was created for an exhibit with the theme ‘garden party’. I wanted to create a quilt with an image that wasn't what you would first think of for this particular theme.”
11b. Moon Beam (2006, NFS)
“The idea for this quilt came from the piece of reverse dyed fabric (that I created) used for the moon.”
11c. Day of the Dead (2006, NFS)
“This quilt was inspired by the Mexican holiday Dia de los Muertos and my need, at the time, to do an excessive amount of hand stitching.”
12. Art the Iguana by Donna Hamilton (2000, NFS)
“This quilt was created with a personal challenge in mind -to use photographs printed on fabric and the incorporate three-dimensional pieces in the quilt.”
Donna Hamilton is the mother of Jill Hamilton-Krawczyk. She has been making and displaying art quilts for years. She can be reached at drhart@ameritech.net.
13. Soothing Waters by Marcia Clark (2010, $350)
“I began making quilts many years ago for babies of close friends which over time became both an artistic and stress-relieving outlet with more emphasis on color, texture and design than practicality.
My quilt is made from 100% cotton fabric, thread and batting. I think the colors and the random layout have a modern, eclectic feel. First, I fell in love with the fabrics. Then, I saw what I thought was the perfect pattern to use. I really liked the random quality of the design."
Marcia Clark makes custom quilts and handbags. She can be reached at marcialee@chartermi.net.
I was able to witness this unique style for the Flint Festival of Quilts and I was impressed by the the variety of the exhbition. If you missed it, you really missed it. This is good but seeing it live was great. Keep up the work. Cathy
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