Quilts From the Pen of Bisa Butler

Wangari Maathai quilt by Bisa Butler

 

A native of Orange, NJ, Bisa Butler is an American fiber artist known for her quilted portraits and designs celebrating the lives and culture of African Americans.  As a child, she spent her free time first watching her mother and grandmother sew, then being taught by them. She majored in Fine Art at Howard University, where she studied the work of Romare Bearden and attended lectures by prominent black artists such as Lois Mailou Jones. While pursuing a master’s degree, she took a Fiber Art class that inspired her choice of quilting as an artistic medium. After that class, she made her first quilt, a portrait created in homage to her grandmother upon her deathbed.  From that point on she turned to quilting full time, and the rest is HERstory.

Sewing Superstitions From Around the World

 

 

superstition {noun}

su·​per·​sti·​tion | \ ˌsü-pər-ˈsti-shən \

Definition of superstition:
1: a belief or practice resulting from ignorance, fear of the unknown, trust in magic or chance, or a false conception of causation
2: a notion maintained despite evidence to the contrary

 

When Cabin Fever Hits, Grab Yourself Some Tapestry !

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For some, the colder and often restricting weather of the seemingly never ending winter season can lend to feelings of restlessness, lack of motivation, and even cabin fever. For others though, being hunkered in while Winter is in full swing can create just the right setting for some serious sewing. In fact, starting or completing sewing projects while waiting for the fullness of spring can be just the perfect remedy for the ‘winter blues’ that occasionally blow in and sometimes stay. My testimony started with a winter storm and some tapestry.

Quilting With Calico

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Originally produced in Calicut on the southwestern side of India by traditional weavers  called Chaliyans before becoming popular in Europe during the 1700’s, calico fabric is one of the most popular fabrics for quilt projects and hand crafted creations. Made from unbleached cotton, calico consists of a plain-woven textile featuring miniature prints in an assortment of  delightful designs, patterns and colors making it a great accent or base for many quilting projects as well as dresses, blouses, skirts, purses, bed sheets and more.
Also known as Chintz, calico is truly a fabric rich in history, pride and legend. Because of it’s natural fibers, calico offers a harmonious union between fiber and flesh, is washable, durable, and eco-friendly (if non-gmo based). Quilting with calico has never been so much fun, and at J&O Fabrics we carry a selection of both vintage and modern day calico to suit almost every creative nitch.
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Check out some of our selected calico:
j&o fabrics

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J&O Crafty Customer: Pearl Hinz’s Nebraska Huskers Quilt

 

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Every now and again one of our crafty customers shoots us an email sharing a pic or two of projects they’ve completed with the help of our wide range of fabrics. One such lady is Pearl Hinz.

Mrs. Hinz sent us a Nebraska Corn Huskers themed quilt she created for her nephew using our collegiate cotton material featuring the popular team logo and mascot in a red, black and white color theme.  Using several square cuts, she overlaid black framed Husky prints quilted in a similar fashion creating a beautiful heirloom for her sister’s son to have for many years to come. Workmanship like this is truly a labor of love.

Remembering 9/11

jando9/11quilts

Everyone morns and reflects in different ways. Many choose to do both of those things in artwork. That is precisely what the Peninsula Piecemakers Quilt Guild did to commemorate the ten year anniversary of September 11th, 2001. Those in the guild were asked to express their feelings about the events of that day thorough their work. The result was thirty beautiful, touching quilts. While it was not easy for members to try to accurately describe their feelings through quilting, the results are still poignant.

jandopersonal9/11quilt

Quell Quilting Quandaries

Figuring out all of the ins and outs of quilting can seem overbearing. However, with the right resources, getting started is simple! We at J&O have taken the time to compile our top three books and blogs as well as provide some inspiration via novelty fabric!

 

Our Favorite Books:

1. Quilting For Dummies

Quilting Together Communities

Summer is the time when communities come together most. Everyone is out on their porches and in parks; there is less hustle and bustle to get from door to door without a wicked winter wind blowing; time seems to slow down just enough to be able to do all that catching up with your neighbors that you have been meaning to do during the colder months.

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J&O Crafty Customer: Lorna Holley ‘Relay For Life Quilt’

jando fabrics, jo fabrics, lorna holley, relay-for-lifeAs our J&O Fabrics Facebook fan page keeps growing, more and more of our crafty customers are showing off their cool creations for our J&O family and community to view, share and comment on. One such fan is fellow Facebook page holder Lorna Holley.

When Life Gives You Scraps, Make a Quilt!

Over the years, I have had the pleasure of not only being inspired by a myriad of crafty customers from around the world who have purchased fabrics from us to start, complete, and add-on to various quilts they are creating, but educated on the numerous methods of creating such masterpieces. From politically inspired designs that emerged after Barack Obama made history by becoming our nations first African-American president, to charitable quilts created by individuals and organizations whose hearts are as wide as the sea, the creativity abounds and continues to inspire. And though I never thought much about learning how to quilt in the more conventional sense, seeing just how unique and creative some of the projects turn out that have been shared with us via email, have certainly made me more excited about trying my hand at creating something close to one in my own way.
 
I especially love both the memory and rag quilts that utilize various prints, colors, patterns and even photographs to form the final work of art destined to become a memorable gift to be cherished and maybe even-handed down for generations to come. I can just see it now, for my dad, I can use fabric scraps saved from the numerous textile crafts I made for him in the past to create a quilt that brings back memories of family, nature, and fabric reflecting some of his favorite pastime activities like fishing and hunting. For my son who is a BIG extreme sports fan, I would combine camo, denim, an assortment of biker and skater themed novelty prints, and some solid blue and red broadcloths (his favorite colors…today) to make a quilt he throw on his bed.  As for myself, African prints and eclectic retro fabrics would suite me well.

So, in recognition of quilters everywhere, and for the road that will finally bring me to the starting point of my own quilting project, here are a few really cool quilts I came across that can offer inspiration and even some visual instruction for any novice along their journey. From crazy and rag quilts, to strip and tied quilts, there is a technique for everyone; even those of us who may not necessarily want to sew. Sew ENJOY!