NeedleChasers Recent Meetings and Workshops
Our September 2024 meeting was a Zoom meeting with David Owen Hastings, presenting a talk entitled "Exploring Nature with Paper & Stitch.
He started with showing his inspiration pictures of the area where he lives and explaining his creative process. He showed his amazing stitched paper artwork and finished with his quilted fabric creations. His presentation was both beautiful and inspirational. Below are pictures from the meeting.
He started with showing his inspiration pictures of the area where he lives and explaining his creative process. He showed his amazing stitched paper artwork and finished with his quilted fabric creations. His presentation was both beautiful and inspirational. Below are pictures from the meeting.
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Our August meeting was our annual summer camp. The morning gave us all an opportunity to try some improv piecing techniques. Three techniques were taught, Round We Go, Skinny Strips Make the Connection and Patchwork Fieldsand. We all got a chance to try them. Camp would not be complete without a great lunch. Below are pictures of the day.
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July 2024 our program was titled "Leaves of Redemption: A Memory Project,"
The presenter, Lynda Tredway described her motivation for this project as follows: “As a white, Midwestern daughter, I experience racism’s pangs in my family raising a mixed race daughter. As a mother, I hear the all-too-regular stories of my daughter, her father, and her husband. As a teacher, I hear similar stories of racism from my students—Black men and boys whose gifts are a treasure in and for our society. Because I want the unknown names of the victims of lynching
to be memorialized, remembered, counted, as an artist and a history teacher and a memory keeper, I make quilts for each state—often
several quilts for some states—to remember the thousands of men and women lynched in America.”
The presenter, Lynda Tredway described her motivation for this project as follows: “As a white, Midwestern daughter, I experience racism’s pangs in my family raising a mixed race daughter. As a mother, I hear the all-too-regular stories of my daughter, her father, and her husband. As a teacher, I hear similar stories of racism from my students—Black men and boys whose gifts are a treasure in and for our society. Because I want the unknown names of the victims of lynching
to be memorialized, remembered, counted, as an artist and a history teacher and a memory keeper, I make quilts for each state—often
several quilts for some states—to remember the thousands of men and women lynched in America.”
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In June we were treated to a Bus Trip to the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Renwick Gallery.
At each destination we had docent-led tours. The exhibit at the Smithsonian American Art Museum was
Pattern and Paradox: The Quilts of Amish Women.
The afternoon tour took us to the Renwick Gallery to see: Subversive, Skilled, Sublime: Fiber Art by Women.
Two very different shows but both very interesting. Below are a few pictures from the day.
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At our April 2024 we were treated to a trunk show and talk given by Rae Cumbie titled “Making a Tabula Rasa Jacket: Trunk
Show and Process Description”. We had an overview on how to make a Tabula Rasa Jacket. She inspired us with many beautiful jackets.
Below are pictures of a few jackets and Rae Cumbie.
Show and Process Description”. We had an overview on how to make a Tabula Rasa Jacket. She inspired us with many beautiful jackets.
Below are pictures of a few jackets and Rae Cumbie.
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Our March meeting featured Cindy Grisdela. She shared tips and tricks for working improvisationally. Her beautiful quilts are created using many methods of improvisational piecing. They feature many curves and straight lines and makes use of many scraps, mostly solids. A fabulous presentation.
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What a terrific day. Febuary 2024 was Needlechaser's annual Quilt-a-Thon. We were tasked with the finishing of incubator covers requested by The George Washington Hospital Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. They are so fabulous and useful, other hospitals have requested some. There was a fantastic turnout. Below you will see some of the covers and members who participated. A great job done by all the planners and organizers.
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In December, we celebrated the season with a chili luncheon ending with a cake to mark Needlechasers 45th year of quilting and friendship. Games were played, quilts were shared, food and money was collected for a local food bank and by all accounts it was a wonderful way to end another year. Below are some pictures of the festivities.
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At our November meeting, we were treated to a very interesting talk from Audrey Esarey on Low Water Immersion Dyeing.
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At our October 2023 meeting we heard Linda Syverson Guild present Stepping Outside My Comfort Zone
Linda talked about how she transforms materials from estate sales, antique sales, old clothing and quilts, and tablecloths to build designs in fabric, letting the project be the story.
Linda was originally trained as an architect. Her fiber art career has taken several twists and turns. Having moved away from traditional quilting, she stepped out of her comfort zone to shared how she plays with individual colors, using one color from the color wheel; how she builds pieces that appear to span space, unsupported; and how she finishes small pieces, combining them to make larger pieces of art.
Below are pictures of Linda and some of her amazing works.
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The August meeting featured Judy Gula of Artistic Artifacts. Judy presented the history of indigo dyeing around the world. Many dyeing techniques were presented. The techniques included arashi, ne-maki, itajime, kumo and shibori. Following the presentation several members attended the workshop
given by Judy where they were given the opportunity to try some of the techniques. Below are pictures of some of the beautiful fabric created.
given by Judy where they were given the opportunity to try some of the techniques. Below are pictures of some of the beautiful fabric created.
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July meeting was back to zoom. From the comfort of our own studios we had the pleasure of hearing Patricia Belyea.
In keeping with our “It’s a Material World” quilt show theme, she showed how she uses vintage Japanese yukata and other global fabrics in her quilt compositions. Patricia shared her creative approach to developing new ideas for quilt designs. Leapfrogging from one compositional concept to the next, she took us on an exploration of her newest series of quilts – Big Grids with Inserted Curves. You can read more about Patricia at her website https://okanarts.com/, where she writes many informative blog articles.
Patricia Belyea is a creative quilt maker, speaker and teacher. Patricia co-owns Okan Arts with her daughter Victoria. The small family business imports vintage Japanese textiles for adventuresome quilters and hosts textile tours to Japan. Patricia is the author of East-Meets-West Quilts, a book about making improv quilts with Japanese fabrics.
Below are pictures of Patricia and some of her fabulous creations.
In keeping with our “It’s a Material World” quilt show theme, she showed how she uses vintage Japanese yukata and other global fabrics in her quilt compositions. Patricia shared her creative approach to developing new ideas for quilt designs. Leapfrogging from one compositional concept to the next, she took us on an exploration of her newest series of quilts – Big Grids with Inserted Curves. You can read more about Patricia at her website https://okanarts.com/, where she writes many informative blog articles.
Patricia Belyea is a creative quilt maker, speaker and teacher. Patricia co-owns Okan Arts with her daughter Victoria. The small family business imports vintage Japanese textiles for adventuresome quilters and hosts textile tours to Japan. Patricia is the author of East-Meets-West Quilts, a book about making improv quilts with Japanese fabrics.
Below are pictures of Patricia and some of her fabulous creations.
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NeedleChasers had Summer Camp in June 2023. What a fun day! There were activities, games, prizes, counselors, ice cream sundaes and so much more. Below are pictures of the day.
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| Gathering in our camp groups. | Electronic label making | |
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| Label Making | How to face a quilt | |
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| How should I quilt this? | Thank you Gretchen for leading the guild. | Ice Cream Sundays, Yum |
NeedleChaser's annual Quilt-A-Thon was held in May 2023. It was a well organized, fun event. Many charity quilt tops were completed. There were games and prizes and everyone enjoyed a delicious lunch supplied by the board. Below are some pictures of event.
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Carly Mull presented Color and Market Trends at our April meeting. Carly shared her insights on the new color palettes on display at Quilt Market 2022 in Houston, as well as the more general business trends she is observing in the market for quilting goods and services (brick-and mortar stores, fabrics, thread, tools, machines, finished products, etc.). Here is her website (https://www.carlys.net/) for her periodic blog posts. Below are pictures from her presentation.
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At the March meeting, Elizabeth Lay spoke to us on Maryland antique quilts. She highlighted three local quilts: the Woodbourne Quilt (mariner),
the Clarksville Quilt (chintz) and the Diamond Crazy Quilt. Elizabeth recently retired as Curator at Montgomery History. She specializes in American decorative arts with a focus on creative women working between 1915 and 1965. She has a master's degree in the History of Decorative Arts from the Smithsonian-GMU program in Design History. She speaks regularly for the Smithsonian Associates hosting "Lunch with the Curator" program. Below are pictures of Elizabeth and the quilts. Also included is an antique quilt belonging to one of our members.
the Clarksville Quilt (chintz) and the Diamond Crazy Quilt. Elizabeth recently retired as Curator at Montgomery History. She specializes in American decorative arts with a focus on creative women working between 1915 and 1965. She has a master's degree in the History of Decorative Arts from the Smithsonian-GMU program in Design History. She speaks regularly for the Smithsonian Associates hosting "Lunch with the Curator" program. Below are pictures of Elizabeth and the quilts. Also included is an antique quilt belonging to one of our members.
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