Tuesday, May 31, 2016

SAQA-CT May Newsletter

Hello dearest SAQA-CT members! Did you enjoy your three days of spring before this summer weather hit? Hoping you all have some wonderful projects in the works [but without too much hot ironing involved!]. If you’re on Instagram, don’t forget to tag #saqact so we can all ogle your in-progress shots and completed masterpieces!

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I know that you’re all hankering for our next regional meeting. Well, at long last, here’s the scoop:
We’re having a vendor day/tag sale! Saturday July 16, 10:00 til 1:00 at Overshores Brewery, 250 Bradley Ave, East Haven.
Come to sell, come to shop! We will not be having our usual meeting agenda this time around to give everyone plenty of time to peruse the goodies.

If you’re interested in selling - fabric, artworks, crafts, overflow from of your stash, housewares, whatever! - tables are $10 each [and can be shared]. Please let Christina [christina.onebobbin@gmail.com] know your interest by July 2 so that we have enough tables and can visualize the spacing.

And when you’re done shopping our meeting, there is plenty more to do along the shore that day, including the Guilford Arts Center Craft Expo! Fun times!

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Not enough quilting camaraderie for you? Don’t forget to reach out to other SAQA-CT members in your area - we may not be plugging them but you can certainly still join or form parlor groups to get a more regular SAQA fix! [What’s a parlor group?] And be sure to stalk each other’s blogs and social media. I will be attempting to highlight and link to your blog posts on the SAQA-CT site more frequently starting this summer. Please email me if you have a blog that isn’t linked to your name on the member list!

Have you been “Working in a Series”? Or do you want to be? Working in a series is a fantastic way to see and push the evolution of your artistic voice. It’s also a means for increasing the size of your body of work. Please email Christina this week if you are interested in being part of the Working in a Series sub-group.  This group does not have a "form" yet; once we know who is interested, we will go from there.

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What are you doing June 11? The Windham Textile Museum (411 Main St. Willimantic, CT) is having a Quilt Day from 10am-4pm. Many SAQA members have been working hard to put this day together - I hope many of you can make the trip to enjoy it!

VENDORS:
            Allison Wilbur -  Vintage Fiber Art Embellishments
            Carol Eaton - Unique Hand-Dyed & Painted Fabric
            Michele Palmer - Vintage fabrics & Textile Books
            MJ Fiber Art  -  Hand-dyed silk scarves and Fiber Art
            Schillers Sewing Circle – Sewing & Embroidery Machines for demonstration
            Stitch Chicks  -  Quilting Fabric and notions
QUILTS ON DISPLAY by Catherine Whall Smith

MUSIC: Heartstrings -  Melanie & Mack Johnston, mountain dulcimer, mandolin & guitar; Sally Rogers – Folk & Mill Music

DEMONSTRATIONS:
Ongoing
Schillers Sewing Circle – Sewing & Embroidery Machines
Carol  R. Eaton  - Designing a quilt

Scheduled
12:00pm  Hand Quilting -  Catherine Whall Smith
1:00pm  Folk & Mill Songs - Sally Rogers
2:00pm  Printing Images on Fabric -  Cathy Smith and Joan Blade Johnson
3:00pm  Working with Pre-Cut Fabric - Stitch Chicks Quilt Shop

LECTURES / TRUNK SHOWS in the MAIN BUILDING, SECOND FLOOR:
11:00am  SAQA Trunk Show - Hope Barton
11:45am  Modern Quilting -  Rita Hannafin
1:15pm    Quilts for Change -  Allison Wilbur
2:00pm   Mill Girls Painted Quilts - Barbara Barber
2:45pm    Anatomy of a Quilt Appraisal - Lois Palmer, Certified Quilt Appraiser

Additional Info:
There will be food available for purchase at the museum.
Willimantic has several good restaurants within walking distance of the museum including interesting ethnic choices.
Stop by the Swift Waters Artisan Coop at 866 Main St and the Kerri Art Gallery.
Pick up some organic groceries at the Food Coop on Valley St.
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As always, thank you for your patience, your enthusiasm, and your passion for art quilts. Can’t wait to see you again.

Textile Trio events at the Windham Textile Museum

Mark your calendars for this fantastic three-Saturday event! The Windham Textile Museum is hosting Textile Trio 2016, three days of amazing workshops and vendors. June 11 is Quilting and Fiber Arts - which includes SAQA members: Melanie Johnston, Joan Blade Johnson, Carol Eaton, Allison Wilbur, Michele Palmer, Catherine Smith, Hope Barton, Barbara Barber, Rita Hannafin, and Lois Palmer! This is also your chance to view the SAQA-CT Trunk Show and the WTHM/SAQA-CT Spool quilt. June 18 is a celebration of Worldwide Knit in Public Day, and June 25 features weaving and spinning. I hope you'll make the trip for some textile goodness.

Oh wow!

Whirlwind Thoughts by Clara NarteyClara Nartey also had two pieces juried into the Current exhibition at the Brush Gallery, as well as a piece into the New Legacies Contemporary Art Quilts Show in Fort Collins, CO! Rather than write up the details here, go see it on her blog - along w a great video showing her process in creating "Whirlwind Thoughts", the work in the New Legacies Show.

Sunday, May 15, 2016

Currents exhibition

CT co-rep, Christina Blais, had a piece accepted into the SAQA-MA/RI exhibition, "Currents", and it will be on display at the Brush Gallery [256 Market Street, Lowell MA]. It opens Sunday August 7, 2016, with an artist reception from 2:00 to 4:00, and will be up until September 18.

Did you know that you can be a part of a second region? Being able to take part in another SAQA region doubles your contact with members and their ideas and work AND gives you bonus opportunities to enter pieces into regional exhibitions! Log in to your membership profile at SAQA.com and go to "Manage Your Account" to add your second region!

Quilt National '21 is Coming to Connecticut

Congratulations to Catherine Whall Smith , whose quilt "Transfusion in Two Parts" will be on tour with Quilt National '21.  Th...