Ulster Inspired Quilts

I wrote in 2011 about Ulster inspired quilts…or possibly Ultser inspired, per the research of Valerie Wilson published in 1991. You can click here to see that post.

The other day I stumbled across a top on eBay that so reminded me of a photo in that 1991 Uncoverings American Quilt Study Group (AQSG) research paper that I snapped it up.

And so the research continues.

Again, refer back to my original post on this subject by clicking here.

 UPDATE - 2017 February: Barbara Brackman posted some interesting photos of quilts on her blog today that contain the "shamrock or hearts" appliqué pattern that I have been writing about. 

Jazz Signature Quilt and Yarn Bombing

Jazz and Quilts 

Have a Lot in Common!

Scanned art by KarenQuilt: 100% cotton and the
found "skeleton" of a leaf.

Click on any photo to enlarge.

The artists of both forms 

know how to incorporate "soul" 

into their work!

Dindga McCannon's "A Tribute to Charlie Parker" from Textural Rhythms: Quilting the Jazz Tradition by Dr. Carolyn Mazloomi.

See one of Dr. Carolyn Mazloomi's jazz and quilts exhibit here (http://www.jazzschool.com/html/events_live.html)

Click here to visit Carolyn's website to order one of her books.

Our First Jazz Cruise!

Just back from our first Jazz Cruise. What a fabulous experience! It was unlike any other jazz event I have ever attended with Gary. It wins hands down as the kind of venue in which I can enjoy experiencing jazz. 

Some of the members of the marvelous Clayton Brothers Quintet. L-R: Terrel Stafford, Jeff Clayton, and Gerald Clayton at piano.  Missing from the photo are bassist John Clayton and drummer Obed.

Below are signatures on fabric from the Clayton Brothers Quintet. Love the way John Clayton and the drummer added a little icon with their signature!

Their most recent recordings were nominated for Grammy awards for best Jazz Instrumental Album, Individual or Group "Brother to Brother" (artistShare, 2009).

Here and here are links to John Clayton playing with Diana Krall and another link to one of John's jazz workshops. Love this man!

I am not a hard core jazz fan. It's weird, but I have seldom had any music on in my office the past 10 years. I'm not quite sure why that is.

And I can't sit and listen to live jazz for more than one set at a club without getting restlesss...until now!! I have discovered the secret for me....having needlework in my hands.

Dark jazz clubs and concert halls do not readily lend themselves to executing needlework. The eye strain is terrible.

 

Love the saxaphone! L-R: Grant Stewart, Harry Allen, Ken Peplowski. All I can says is WOW!
Ken is also a wicked comic!! 

Then came The Jazz Cruise, which changed my whole experience of jazz!

I now know that if my hands are engaged, I can sit through set after set! In fact, the needlework actually helps me concentrate on the music!

Remember the small quilt (above) I told you about in my previous post that I rushed to put together to take on the trip?  Quite frankly, I am not sure if these were remnants from one of my mother-in-law's projects or of someone else's project that I was given since moving to this island. I didn't stitch or cut out any of these pieces myself. I just laid them out on plain muslin in a pattern that pleased me.
 

At any rate, I thought I was preparing a "doll" quilt to embroider while cruising, but once I started stitching, I realized it was really meant to be a small signature quilt for the musicians to sign!

And the more I looked at it, the more the "story" this little quilt wanted to tell began to come to me.

There are two pillars, one on either side of the central medallion which contains the original "flame" of jazz....THE HUMAN SOUL, if you will......THE PURE LOVE OF MUSIC AT THE HEART OF ALL who have the ear to hear!

The two pillars represent the incredible confluence of African rhythms --and its call and response-- with that of Western classical music. The checkerboard effect of these scraps represent (to me) how these two musical streams have experienced a long evolving journey through human history. The spark this confluence of musical streams ignited has evolves endlessly, just like our quilt art does!

So many wonderful musicians! 

And because of the venue, you actually get to talk with them one-on-one!

We were once again privileged to hear Freddy Cole --brother of Nat King Cole-- and to meet him in person this time...

as well as meet George Wein --founder of the Newport Jazz Festival. What an honor to have both sign my little quilt!

....Plus all but 2 of the female musicians and/or singers, including the marvelous Grammy winning Janis Siegel (who was there with her own Quartet) signed. Of course Janis is still singing with the original Manhattan Transfer group as well --going on 31 years now!  Manhattan Transfer is one of my all-time favorite singing groups. I first heard them while living in New Orleans in the 80s. The concert was outdoors at Audubon Park next to the zoo. I asked Janis if they knew ahead of time they were going to be riding elephants onto the concert grounds ---or was it a last minute surprise the organizers pulled on them?!! It was pretty much last minute surprise, she said, that they decided to go along with. I have to say as an audience participant, it was a pretty darn exciting entrance!!!

Janis was intrigued with the idea of a signature quilt when she went to sign it. Unfortunately, I had left my camera in the cabin the first four days of the cruise so I never got any photos of her. You can hear a song and see her here.

Talk About a Beautiful Soul!

I also heard Nnenna Freelon perform for the first time. Yes, you read right. It's spelled Nnenna.  Click here to read about her on Wickipedia.

Nnenna Freelon - WOW! What an incredible human being!

If you like jazz at all, you may have already heard of Nnenna. I haven't kept up with current jazz artists so she was new to me.  WOW!  Just click here and here to see some of her performances on YouTube. Once you go to the first one, more will come up on the right side of your screen. She is well worth a "visit".

Nnenna Freelon, nominated for 6 Grammys, has a huge heart for arts education and loves talking about parenting. When she signed my little quilt she exclaimed, "Oh, a quilt! Don't people sometimes make quilts out of people's clothes? My sister and I want to do something with our Mama's clothes but we don't want to just give them all to Goodwill. Maybe we could make a quilt!" 

I told her I would be happy to connect her with someone who could help her get such a quilt made and that I could also help her document any quilts her mother or grandmother had made. Her eyes lit up and she asked if I had a card. I did! I hope she finds  time in her busy schedule to contact me or find someone else who might help her to realize this dream of a quilt made of her mother's clothes.

I also shared with almost a dozen women on the cruise about Dr. Carolyn Mazloomi, the Women of Color Quilt Network, Kyra Hicks and Cuesta Benberry.  You can read my tribute to Cuesta at her passing here. The transcript of Faith Ringgold's interview of Cuesta is here.

Two More Incredible Women Artists in the Field of Jazz New to me.

Italian Ada Rovatti (left) and Israeli Anat Cohen (right).

 See Anat on Wiki here.  Ada Rovatti  plays with the Randy Brecker Quintet.

Bucky Pizzerlli and his son John are two of our favorite guitarists. Bucky was on the cruise this year. John Pizzerelli will be on the cruise next year!

Bucky Pizarelli above

Our lovely dinner companions for the week of the cruise!

And here is a link to one of my newer posts about Jazz and Quilts!

Are you still in the mood for more color?

Have you heard about YARN BOMBING? I learned about it from a British gentleman on the cruise. He told me about it after he saw me stitching on my small quilt.

Take a peek at their blog. Some call it "stitching graffiti". Wikipedia even has an article about it. Click here to see it. Here are some marvelous photos of what knitters and crocherts are doing to spiff up public places as well as a talented fiber artist. It's a hoot and is spreading around the world!!

ANOTHER UPDATE: Finland's capitol is taken over by the Yarn Bombers  -

click here to see more photos from Finland.

Update from England

HAVING A GREAT YARN about Galway’s Biggest Coffee Morning are (l-r): Helen Jennings, Mary Somers, Aoife Burke, MaryJo Curran and Sandra Morrissey. These ladies are all part of the Athenry Craft and Chat group and they created this fantastic ‘Tractor Yarn Bomb’ to raise funds for Galway Hospice! Galway’s Biggest Coffee Morning will take place on Thursday next, September 20th, sponsored by Bewleys, in aid of Galway Hospice. You can still register as a Coffee Morning Host by contacting Galway Hospice, or you can register on-line at www.galwayhospice.ie

The ‘Tractor Yarn Bomb’ can be seen at the Eyrecourt Agricultural Show this Saturday 15th September, where the public will have an opportunity to view this fantastic work of art, and all donations on the day will go to Galway Hospice! Photo courtesy of Joe Travers Photography. — with Sandra Morrissey.

And a motorcycle!  Is there anything they won't cover with yarn?

And a bit of humor to close with....

Karen in the Islands

PS: Gary's jazz radio program --JoySpring of Jazz-- streams live on Mondays and Friday at 3-5:30pm PST or 6pm EST on KLOI Lopez Island. Click here http://www.kloi.org/ to find the live streaming link and listen via your computer. He also does a classical program!

PPS: My sweet husband fixed the most fantastic meal for me last night and did it ALL by himself! This was my Valentine surprise gift. His preparing a complete dinner is a rare event in 43 years of marriage. Who says an old dog can't learn new tricks!

Signed and Dated Bed Curtains - 1709!

From the 2006 Cora Ginsburg catalogue.

Talk about signing and dating our quilts! Here is one smart lady who signed and dated her bedcurtains. No "ANONOMOUS WAS A WOMAN" is she!

Read the story here.

Take some time to browse thru all the Cora Ginsburg catalogues on this site. Best get yourself a cup of nice hot tea or coffee first...and maybe a plate warmer. Your tea is going to be cold by the time you get thru the first couple of catalogues!

I have much to share about my recent trips to the Cuesta Benberry Symposium hosted by Michigan Stage University Museum in Lansing Oct 7-8, plus my five days of volunteer work at the museum.  It will take a while to share all of this.

Meanwhile, take a peak at the Symposium selections here.

There were four very interesting papers presented plus a documentary—The Skin Quilt Project. My head is still buzzing from the excitement. I bought three of the DVDs of the documentary to share with other quilt friends. (You can order one here.) I gave one to my good friend Lisa Portwood to pass around among the Mid-West Quilt Study Group members so be looking for it.

It was such a thrill to see so many of Cuesta's quilts on exhibit, plus a selection of her quilt history ephemera.  Cuesta was inducted into The  Quilters Hall of Fame in1983. I first met Cuesta at Sally Garoutte's home in Northern California in 1985 on my way to my first AQSG Seminar.  I attended her funeral in late August 2007.

 From Lansing I flew to Minneapolis, site of this year's AQSG Seminar...my one annual trek I am determined to make if I can attend only one seminar a year. Stay tuned for more news and photos infuture posts.

This was the last Live Auction item of the night at Seminar. L-R: Ginny Gunn,
Pam Pampe, Laurel Horton and Emer Fahy. 

The above quilt was won by Emer Fahy (the visiting Irish quilter in the plaid shirt). She is working on her dissertation in a quilt related topic. She believes the quilt either came from Ireland or was made by someone who knew the Irish quilt traditions from the homeland. I'll get back to you with additional info as I am able to track it down. By that time of the evening I was half asleep and didn't catch all the details.

Though I have been a member of AQSG since 1981, I could only attend about every 5 years as I was working and raising kids. But in 2000 I started attending every year.

You need to be a member of this group if you are at all interested in quilt history!  Download this year's Seminar brochure just to give yourself some idea of the topics we cover each year.

More Trip Report later! Meanwhile, enjoy the Ginsburg catalogues!

KarenQuilt

The Western Washington Quilt Study Group salutes the American Quilt Study Group

If you like to learn about antique quilts or the women who made them, this is the group for you!


Come join us for the Western Washington Quilt Study Group meeting Saturday, May 30th, 10:00 a.m. at the LaConner Quilt Museum in LaConner, Washington. WWQSG has a close association with AQSG. (More about AQSG below.) The museum address is 703 S 2nd Street, La Conner, WA 98257


The quilts of the late Sidney Knopf are on exhibit on main floor. Sidney kept a Quilt Journal of the creation of each of her quilts. Most were made in the 80s/90s and due to her illness, several remain just tops. Her husband, Ken, will join us to talk about Siddy and her quilts at our May meeting.

Please feel free to bring a quilt to share.

(Photo of Siddy Knopf Courtesy of LaConner Quilt Museum.)

Afterwards the meeting we will tour the museum and see Shiela Groman's "Vision in Fibers" and Karen Frazin's "Birdscapes."


2001 AQSG Williamsburg Seminar workshop.

Interested in learning more about antique fabrics and quilt history? Check out the AMERICAN QUILT STUDY GROUP by clicking here.

AQSG holds the premiere quilt history seminar in the USA. They also publish a collection of research papers related to some aspect of quilt history every year titled Uncoverings. Click here to search a subject you are interested in. They also publish a meaty newsletter Blanket Statements four times a year.

AQSG's first seminar was held in Mill Valley, CA, in 1980. Some 29 years later it is still going strong! Their annual seminar is now held in a different city each year: 2000 - Rockford IL; 2001 - Williamsburg VA; 2003 - Dallas TX; 2004 - Vancouver WA; 2005 - Denver CO; 2006; Hartford CT; 2007 - Lowell MA; 2008 - Columbus OH. 2009 will be held on the West Coast again in San Jose, California. Come join us! I had the good fortunate to learn about this group just as I got started in quilting so I joined in 1981. My only regret is every seminar I missed for I was able to attend only 1985, 1989 and 1995 due to other committments. But I was able to attend 2000-2007 and look forward to seeing everyone again in 2009.

Not only do you get to hear at least 6 quilt-related research papers presented and see wonderful quilts, you also get to tour the museum quilt collections and some private collections in the cities in which we meet. And the networking among fellow lovers of quilt history has no equal!

See you May 30th!

Karen Alexander
Member of AQSG since 1981