Sunday, April 27, 2014

Mary McCauley - Fiber Artist

Shards: Self-Portrait as Pottery

Tetrahedron Fun


Mary McCauley will present her program "Fabric and Form" at the May 14th meeting of Estes Valley Quilt Guild. Mary is a mixed media fiber artist and member of Front Range Contemporary Quilters. She subscribes to the Wabi Sabi  aesthetic:

"Wabi Sabi is the Japanese expression of the imperfection in nature that makes it beautiful. It also conveys the impermanence of nature and the simple truth that nothing lasts, nothing is finished and nothing is perfect. Nature and it's imperfections are my inspiration and my goal in art. I use a variety of natural and recycled materials in hopes that their inherent imperfections will strengthen my work and add character to it."

Here is how Mary describes her presentation:

Fabric and Form is a trunk show of vessels and pop up pages in quilted form with an accompanying talk and Q/A session. Old and new, familiar and innovative, building on the past and exploring the unknown - these are the successful themes I discuss. The goal is to open the audience's perception of 1) What is 3D fiber art, 2) How is it made, and 3) Where is it going. I use many visual images and a full display of my own art as examples to show the audience these concepts. Audience members are encouraged to put on the white gloves I bring and touch the art, hold it up, and move it around to get the full 3D experience.

Visit her website at:  http://www.maryhmmccauley.com/

Friday, April 11, 2014

A Plus Students Complete Class


Students in EVQG's beginning quilting class have successfully completed Quilting 101 with excellent results. Well on their way to finishing their first quilts, Larraine (right) and Carol (left) are assisted by Jeanne Allen (center) in sandwiching and pin basting their quilts in preparation for quilting. Several quilt guild members served as teachers for the four beginners, two of whom were unable to attend this final evening. The classes met on four consecutive Thursday nights at a room provided by Good Samaritan Village.


Larraine cuts excess material from this adorable baby quilt which will belong to a granddaughter when it's finished. The bright modern green, yellow and gray fabrics feature ladybugs and flowers.


Jeanne assists Carol with her baby quilt, also for a granddaughter. Her rail fence pattern features blue and yellow honeybee and bear fabrics. Grandmothers can be some of the most dedicated of quilt makers!


Here is the front side of Carol's quilt ready for basting. We're proud of our students' efforts and we look forward to seeing their completed quilts. 

Thursday, April 10, 2014

Cindy Brick - Quilts & Stories


If you love old quilts and their histories, you would have loved Cindy Brick's program last night. She wowed us with her interesting stories and fascinating old quilts. Here are a few photo highlights of her program.



This is a very large old quilt made with the English paper piecing technique.
Cindy's family named the quilt "Baby" because when traveling by plane
she carries it in her arms like a baby!

This is a quilt from one of Cindy's books, Quilts of the Golden West: Mining the History of the Gold and Silver Rush.
The heroines of the era pictured on the quilt include:
Belle Starr, Molly Brown, Baby Doe Tabor

We were treated to some lovely Show & Tell items by our members. I'm sorry I didn't get photos of them all.

Ruth Turner shows her pine tree quilt.

Mardi Carter made this butterfly quilt in honor of her mother.

Jane Rising made these colorful zipper bags.

Saturday, April 5, 2014

Cindy Brick to Speak at April 9 Meeting


Pioneers East, Pioneers West is the title of Cindy Brick's program to be presented at the April 9, 2014 Estes Valley Quilt Guild meeting. Here's what Cindy says about her program.
Before the Forty-Niners of California, before emigrants struggled up the Rockies or slid down the Oregon Trail...there were pioneers carving a living further east, including wilderness areas like Michigan, Ohio...Kentucky! How did these Eastern pioneers cope with their new lives? How did they keep their families warm and happy, with limited access to resources? And how were their lives different from their Western forbears? This lecture explores the differences - and similarities - pioneers from both parts of the country have shared over the centuries, including textile and color choices, favorite patterns, and events that shaped the country for decades to come. Along the way, we'll discuss world's fairs, politics, farm and city life, magazines and literature, as well as that great equalizer - the railroad. Quilt, textile and paper examples include items from the 18th and 19th centuries, as well as modern items with a pioneer influence.

Read about Cindy Brick in the April issue of Estes Valley Quilt Guild Newsletter.  Visit Cindy's website, Brickworks at http://www.cindybrick.com/  and her blog at http://www.cindybrick.blogspot.com/