It's Good to Be Green

Larkin Van Horn has spent the last year and a half organizing and curating the "It's Good to Be Green" exhibit for the Latimer Quilt and Textile center in Tillamook, Oregon. Today is the Opening Day of the exhibit, which will run through May 4. For any of you who will be in the area, the Opening Reception will be March 9, from noon to 4:00 p.m.

Oh how I wish I could be there!

I was thrilled to be invited to participate in this exhibit along with many of my fiber-art heroes. (Thank you, Larkin!)

Please go to the It's Good to Be Green website and click on "Sample Work" each day, for a different artist's work. Larkin's Magic Man (aka husband and partner Van) will be changing the page every day to showcase another quilt or mixed media piece.

Here's a sneak peek (detail shots only) of my submission, titled "The Season of Green":




It's a painted silk charmeuse quilt, with minimal bead and paint embellishment, 18" x 45" (the required dimensions for all the quilts).

An exhibit catalog on CD-ROM, including over 200 photographs of 47 art quilts and mixed media pieces created especially for this exhibit by 39 artists, is available for purchase. In addition to helping defray the shipping costs of the artwork, a portion of the $15 CD price will go to support the Latimer Quilt and Textile Center, and all additional funds will be donated to Habitat For Humanity.

The postcards that were made up for the exhibit were also beautifully executed:




I'm honored to be showing among the following artists:
Pamela Allen
Arlene Anderson
Frieda Anderson
Brooke Atherton
Jan Beall
Mary Beth Bellah
Liz Berg
Kathie Briggs
Debra Calkins
Laura Cater-Woods
Gerrie Congdon
Anne Niles Davenport
Julie Duschack
Jamie Fingal
Terry Grant
Trudi Chamoff-Hauptman
Margaret Hunt
Peggy Keeney
Lyric Kinard
Kathy Lichtendahl
Michele Merges Martens
Scott Murkin
Karen Stiehl Osborn
Nancy Porter
Shawn Quinlan
Jeri Riggs
Lesley Riley
Amy Ropple
Sandy Russell
Linda Schmidt
Louie Shellenberger
Susan Shie
Ruth Sinclair
Sarah Ann Smith
John Thompson
June Underwood
Larkin Van Horn
Beth Whitman

Beautiful T-Shirt Quilt

My friend Sharon Dixon of Katy Tshirt Quilts does longarm machine quilting for customers, and the latest addition to her business is making quilts from her customers' t-shirts that they bring her. Most customers seem to want simple blocks and sashings (see her website for examples), but this one (for the Awty School) is a bit more complex, with its compensating blocks. I just love what she did with it, and asked her permission to show it here ...



Beautifully constructed, and beautifully quilted. Sharon is not only a dear friend, but also one of the best and most dedicated quilters I know. Highly recommended ... tell her I sent you!

Galveston, Oh Galveston ...

Galveston, oh Galveston, I still hear your sea winds blowin'
I still see her dark eyes glowin'
She was 21 ... when I left Galveston

Does anyone besides me remember Glenn Campbell? sigh.

I've just gotten back from my second quilt retreat in Galveston and surrounds in the last month. The first time, with my beloved KatyBees, I neglected to take my camera (Bad Linda!) to the Bolivar Penninsula. Well, since none of us actually live in Katy anymore, we're not really the KatyBees, so we have gone through several different names, including the Quilty Ladies and the Pheasant Pluckers (don't ask). But since there are only 4 of us, it doesn't really matter ... we're just long-time friends. The other 3 are traditional quilters, so I'm always the Oddball ... just the way I like it!

This past week, I went with the FMLC, a small longarm quilting group ... also only 4 of us ... a good number. These other 3 are also quite traditional, although one seems to be testing the bounds of contemporary quilting. (heh heh heh, my evil influence is slowly but surely seeping into their subconsciouseseseses!) Here are a few pictures from our lovely 3-night, 4-day retreat. (Unfortunately, one of our members was unable to go at the last minute, due to a family crisis. Barb, we missed you terribly!) The only thing you can't see is all the food and drink we consumed.


Me, Betty, and Sharon


Sharon with her gorgeous batik-and-black quilt top


Betty's college t-shirt quilt (customer quilt)


We were having lunch at The Original Mexican Cafe, and this truck was parked across the street. I just had to have a picture of the local art scene!

I started two art-quilt tops, but they are only basted down. Pics to follow later.