In This Issue Posing with Patchwork - Prairie Quilt Guild

1 Prairie Quilt Guild 1 Volume 36 Issue 1 January 14, 2014 Posing with Patchwork Janet Finley combined her fascination with a life-long interest in photography and quilts into a collection of 1,000 historic photographic images, each containing a Quilt and dating from 1855 to 1955.

2 Janet was the Executive Director of the Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum in Golden, Colorado, (2000-2004) when she learned how to bid on these vintage photographs on eBay. She is the author of Quilts in Everyday Life, 1855-1955: A 100-Year Photographic History. In 2012, her historic photographs were exhibited at the International Quilt Study Center in Lincoln, Nebraska. Her photographs have been featured in Quilt LIFE and THE AMERICAN QUILTER magazines. Ricky Tims and Alex Anderson recently interviewed her for the online series of THE Quilt LIFE. A new development for Janet is that she will be on Ricky Tims and Alex Anderson s show sometime in 2014.

3 They film in Boulder, Colorado. She says that Ricky is very excited about her photos. An award-winning quiltmaker, her current interests continue to be the research and collection of these rare and insightful photographs. In this Issue Next Meeting January 14 At our January 14 PQG Meeting your president would like our members to pay tribute to our Wichita State Shockers. Wear your Black and Yellow at the Guild Meeting on January 14. It was wonderful to see that Sea of Red you wore in December. Happy New Year Good Folks 1 Posing with Patchwork 2 President s Column 3 Upcoming Workshops 4 Library Lines 5 Block of the month 6 Persian Pickle Film Quilt 7-8 Get Away Gals Retreat 9 Bees, Charity Quilts 11 Common Threads Quilt Show 12.

4 15 Upcoming Events 12 Program Schedule 12-14 Advertisers 14 Door Prize Winners 2 Prairie Quilt Guild As one of 50,000 freezing zealots (FANATICS?), I sat in the stands of Bill Snyder Stadium watching the Oklahoma University football team mercilessly beat our Kansas State boys. I looked to the row behind me to get a brief respite from the arctic blast at my face and what happened? I saw the lady behind me seated comfortably wrapped in a fantastic purple and white Quilt .

5 It was a super looking log cabin made of nine purple fabrics, with the various blocks surrounding a white center that acknowledged a young lady s college graduation in both appliqu and embroidery. Being me, I had to strike up a conversation with the young woman. It turns out she was from Sedgwick and had received the Quilt as a gift from her grandmother, who was proudly acknowledging the family s first college graduate. The girl had originally been so happy to receive the Quilt that she never intended to ever take it to a football game, but her grandmother told her that she had made the Quilt with wool batting for just such a freezing day, and she would feel proud when the young lady used the Quilt in such a public place.

6 I thoroughly enjoyed my short conversation about such a precious Quilt . Turning back to my seat, I began to envy the warmth that Quilt gave the young lady, and this led me to contemplate the many ways the Quilt had warmed her. Eventually my mind wandered to the many ways our quilts warm those of us who have embraced this art form. My first thoughts brought me to the warmth which comes from the spark of inspiration and the act of creating a new Quilt . As I sat there, I was warmed simply remembering the fun I had picking the pattern and fabric for the Christmas Quilt I had just made for my granddaughter. To locate just the right fabric, I had visited four local Quilt shops where I was encouraged by helpful sales people who really made me feel they wanted to see me create the best Quilt ever.

7 Each one of them left me with an invitation to return to show them my completed Quilt . That led me to recall the warmth I feel from the companionship of working with the members of my three bees. It doesn t matter how difficult our quilting project, the conversation is sure to leave me with warm feelings from the always lively and frequently unexpected topics. Can you imagine me being included in a zany conversation about childbirth?! I think the redness on my face could have boiled a pot of water. I still remember how much giving away my first gift Quilt warmed my spirit at the wedding of my niece, Leigha. Susan and I had collaborated on sewing the star Quilt for her, but when we began to assemble the various blocks, we quickly learned that we have different ideas of the width of a quarter inch.

8 with a lot of help from our friend, Leslie, and bit of ripping, we were able to finish a Quilt that made us quite proud. We were so pleased with ourselves that we even had to find a special box for the Quilt , which we were sure was to become a family heirloom. I can only imagine the warmness of the hearts of our Prairie Quilt Guild members who sew and give away Charity Quilts each month. But, best of all, think of the warmth people feel when they receive a gift Quilt . Someone thought of me Someone cares about me Someone wants me to recover, or heal or feel special for just a bit More than anything, Someone gave of themselves so I could have this gift.

9 this present wasn t just bought in a store. It is something special. The day before I was to close this article, I happened to observe an elderly woman driving an ancient golf cart in the vicinity of St Joseph Hospital. Her cart was unheated, but encased by clear plastic awnings. It was loaded with bread, milk, canned goods, and apples. this old woman was a Sister of St. Joseph who was delivering donated food to needy families. As I watched her go along her route, I noticed that she was covered with a well-worn Quilt . this very vision encapsulated everything I had been trying to say in my article. President s Notes by John Madia The Many Ways Quilts Warm Us Prairie Quilt Guild 3 Antique, English-Pleated, Log Cabin Block January 15, 2014, 9 12 Location to be Determined In her workshop.

10 Janet Finley will talk about the history of the Antique, English-Pleated, Log Cabin Block, more properly known as the Manx Roof Tile Quilt or The Isle of Man, Pleated, Log Cabin Block. this is a hand-sewing class and Janet says, this is a fun and relaxing method and it is addicting! Posing with Patchwork : Quilts in Photographs, 1855-1955. Janet will reveal the story behind some of her more interesting photographs. Since the publication of her book, Quilts in Everyday Life, 1855-1955: A 100-Year Photographic History, many more photographs have been added to her collection of over 1,000 photos. Janet will reveal their fascinating secrets. In all of these photographs, the photographer and the subjects chose to include a Quilt ; a decision that enhances our understanding of the image and illustrates the old saying, A picture is worth a thousand words.