The view from our hike. This past November, my husband and I (Kara) had the opportunity to visit the spectacular country of Wales. This was to be our relaxing treat after such a crazy past year of visitors and travel. We chose the location based on its proximity to Snowdonia National Park—renowned for its beauty—and it did not disappoint. The scenery was spectacular and the hikes through various areas of the park were diverse in landscape and beauty. While hiking through the hills was one of our main goals, seeing some of the towns and castles was another. We decided to visit Caernarfon Castle on our way back to our rental. Any fans of The Crown out there? We couldn't see the castle because they were filming Season 3! Beefeaters being prepped for the shot Filming in action While the scenery and the filming were wonderful, getting to see all the quilts at the Welsh Quilt Museum, just days before it closed for good, was the absolute highlight for me! I knew that the museum would be closing in November, but I thought I would give them a call to see if I would be able to get in. As fortune would have it, the exhibit would be closed the following Saturday, but if I wanted to visit in the next two days, they would be open. My husband and I drove down to Lampeter and were able to visit with the lovely Jen Jones, owner and curator of the museum. A few show catalogs and Jen's book, Welsh Quilts Jen showed us around the museum and shared some of her vast knowledge of Welsh quilts. Her efforts through the years to save this disappearing art form has resulted in a collection of over 350 pieces. While not all of her collection was on display, this exhibit was a summary of past exhibits and showed a variety of amazing Welsh quilts. I could go into more detail about the history of these quilted beauties, but it would be better to just show them, and let you read more about the history in Jen's book Welsh Quilts. As you look at all the quilts, take notice of the incredible hand-quilting on each and every one of these quilts. The view as we walked in Tree of Life quilt from an Indian, hand-painted, fabric panel. Quilted in 1810 and exhibited at the 1851, London Great Exhibition. The colors are still so vibrant and the stitching is exquisite! Floral Patchwork, 1920 Blue and Yellow Star quilt, 1920 and Blue Spotty Strippy quilt, 1890 Quilts from the very first exhibit in 2009 Military/Tailors Quilt, pre-1938 The maker of this quilt is still a mystery! Interesting blocks! Such bold colors! From the 2014 exhibit titled, Early to Bed. This exhibit celebrated Folk Art and "Make Do and Mend" So many pieces and so much quilting! A creative example of using what you had Victorian Patchwork What a unique center! From the 2018 exhibit, Nos Da-Goodnight Prince of Wales Feathers, 1890 Close-up Red and White Strippy This quilt won an award in 1901, and I can see why. Central Star Quilt, 1895, on top made by Sarah Lewis. The quilt on the bottom was used for 25 years to protect the mattress from the boxsprings, circa 1870. 2010 exhibit highlighting the history of paisley in Welsh quilts Shawls that would have been used in the quilts. The beauty of the quilting is so evident in this one. Quilting close-up. One of my absolute favorites! Golden Yellow Quilt Made by Anna Davies, born in 1895 Hand-quilted, satin cotton with lambswool batting It was a challenge to get good pictures of the amazing whole-cloth quilts. This one is stunning! A typical Welsh quilting motif Another close-up Welsh quilting frame It was a wonderful experience seeing such a collection of what could have been a lost art. Jen has spent the last 45 years not just rescuing these quilts, but learning about their history and genealogy. She has found them through many different channels and saved a few of them from a practical existence of keeping a cow warm. This is a card for purchase in the shop that I couldn't pass up. If it weren't for Jen's tireless efforts to save such a valuable quilt heritage, this incredible art form would have been lost. While the museum is now closed, this quilt collection will be soon be traveling around the world to various locations. I will leave you with a few words from the introduction of Jen's book that give you a glimpse into her passion for this art form: Those quilts that have survived (sadly many have not) come into our own times as living emissaries of another age. They evoke the dexterity, imagination, and creativeness of people who somehow managed to produce such remarkable visual art from such humble and limited resources. What began for me as a salvage operation has evolved into a way of life. Jen Jones Welsh Quilts Thank you, Jen!

NEON NIGHTS - NEON NIGHTS is a wall hanging quilt that I designed using my own photos of Chris Young (Country singer) at three different shows in 2012. This quilt is being auctioned off on my Facebook page to benefit St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. The auction is going on right now, thro

How did art quilts establish themselves as an art form? Sandra Sider answers this question and more as she explores the history of the art quilt from 1980–1999.

These beautiful blocks are my friend, Juliann's. Aren't they gorgeous?! Spencer Museum pattern by Jan Patek She passed this pattern to me to sell with the books and I asked her if she minded if I kept it and made it and then she showed me her beauties! Karen Beigh has agreed she'd like to do it with me this year and she already has the pattern. I am contemplating doing 1 each for a 4 block quilt. The pattern blocks are 20" so I could easily stretch it to about 60". We are not starting right away on this so if you'd like to join in that would be great! It is available on Jan's site for $9. See it HERE. Karen and I were trying to decide if they we inspired by any of the Carrie Hall blocks. If you know anything I'd love any information. Have a wonderful weekend!

The MSU Museum will honor World AIDS Day by displaying two NAMES Project AIDS Memorial quilt blocks from Dec. 1 to 11.

Date: ca. 1900. Geography: Made in United States. Culture: American. Medium: Cotton. Dimensions: 76 1/2 x 75 3/4 in. (194.3 x 192.4 cm). Classification: Tex...

When I was in Oregon recently, I got to see Bill Volckening's collection of New York Beauties at the Benton County Museum. We call them ...

The Muskegon Museum of Art describes the exhibition Excellence in Fibers in this way. “Each year, hundreds of artists from around the world submit art for consideration by a team of expert jurors r…

Sold by  Create your own from scratch  Size: Standard Postcard Create your own vacation-worthy postcard! Any view you’ve seen, any monument you’ve fallen in love with, can all be added to your postcard with our personalization tool. Dimensions: 5.6" L x 4.25" H; qualified USPS postcard size High quality, full-color, full-bleed printing on both sides Paper Type: Matte A classic, all around paper with a natural feel and an uncoated matte finish; our Standard Matte stands the test of time. Elegant and understated, colors print softer and more subtle. 17.5 pt thickness / 120 lb weight / 324 GSM Light white, uncoated matte finish with an eggshell texture Paper is easy to write on and won't smudge Made and printed in the USA

Join BERNINA Brand Ambassador, MJ Kinman, as she shows you how to create your own sparkling diamond with freezer paper piecing techniques!

A new V&A exhibition traces the history of British quilting, showcasing elegant bedspreads from the 1700s as well as contemporary designs by Tracey Emin and Grayson Perry

More about the Wall Hangings as seen in Stores interiors and their creators on Wescover. This piece consists of different fabric manipulation and fiber techniques to create a vivid mixture of colors and textures… Explore unique Art & Wall Decor and Wall Hangings by rising artists around Denver. Find original art such as wall tapestries, wood art, ceramic sculptures, macrame and fabric wall hangings on Wescover.

This posting is for the lace geeks out there. On our second full day in Venice we took the vaporetto (water bus) from Fondamente Nuove to Burano. Burano is known for its vividly coloured houses (th…

Learn to sew perfect satin stitch circles with this tip from Philippa Naylor's new book, Applique Master from Dragon Threads Publishing.

Today, we have a real treat! My friend, Crystal, compiled the history of the crazy quilt. She has a knack for research and a love of social history; something that has rubbed off on me through many hours of period movies and wine, when our brains are just too rummy to work anymore. She handles all the operations stuff here, everything from post office runs to cooking fantastic meals that keep us going late into the night (how else do you think we get stuff done?!). Chances are if you’ve gotten

Over the past year, I’ve been playing with the idea of large multiple cut curved blocks. The motif is simple–take a stack of blocks and cut random curves out of three of the four corner…

Greetings dear readers! What a month it’s been for me re quilting – the trunk show, our guild’s show, and a great quilt exhibit at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts too! My dear friend Liz and I…

The estate of art scholar and collector Eli Leon donated nearly 3,000 quilts to the UC Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive.

A crafting legacy that began 19th century Alabama, the quilts from Gee's Bend document a history of struggle, survival and miraculous making.

I just shipped another set of figures for the Thistle Threads Door'd Mirror and just had to share them ~ they came out so cunning I love them! Instead of requesting the generic King & Queen, the buyer requested they be painted to resemble her & her soon to be hubby.... (Congratulations Leslie Ann! ). So instead of my normal palette of browns for the bows and eyes, I painted them up in shaded greys I think I prefer the grey palette! Does not the King look far more Noble and Handsome in his aged distinction? And a precious blushing bride~ her eyes just sparkle with excitement! These figures are by far the most challenging little wee ones to sculpt~ their entire heads are smaller than my thumbnail. Even so, I do my best to breathe life and spirit into each and every one~ and not only what I have a vision of, but more importantly, what my customer envisions.

Woven Rug by Gunta Stölzl, 1922 Collection of the Museum of Modern Art. 1927 Gunta Stölzl was chair of the weaving department...

Modern Quilts Traditional Inspiration. Delving back to the traditional styles that first sparked her passion…

When I was in Oregon recently, I got to see Bill Volckening's collection of New York Beauties at the Benton County Museum. We call them ...

Last month Jim and I traveled across northern Nebraska and through Wyoming to Yellowstone National Park. We’ve posted several times about our 3,000 mile road trip in our joint blog, Our View …

One of the first things you see when you enter the Freedom Center is Aminah Robinson's amazing "quilts" -- what she calls "RagGonNons" because they "rag on and on." They both tell a story of her family's journeys beginning -- in the upper left corner -- in Africa. The medium: cloth (including socks), thread, buttons, beads, ties, paper, paint, graphite, shells, and music boxes. The work was a public art commission, and it's stunning.

I was just thinking that I hadn't updated my blog in a long time (it's been a busy month full of not enough sewing, lots of travel, etc.) since my last post was about our Matisse collages back in October... then I saw this Matisse-inspired fabric by Alexander Henry over at Hancock's of Paducah. (photo from Hancock's of Paducah) FABULOUS!! I was wondering why no one had licensed his work for fabric yet... I'm hoping some of this collection will find it's way to my house for the holidays. It will make the Matisse inspired quilt I'm planning for one day much more jazzy ;-) I'm hoping to actually finish something- or things- this month... it's going one stitch at a time...

American artist Bisa Butler uses recycled fabrics to create absolutely mesmerizing quilt tapestries, bursting with color. “I have always been drawn to portraits. I was …

Quilt art by Spanish quilter and textile artist Cristina Arcenegui Bono #WomensArt

Environmental and ethical reasons to extend the life of old clothing.

From Insects to Elephants is at Wisconsin Museum of Quilts and Fiber Arts in Cedarburg, Wisconsin, through January 10, 2016 Gayle Simpson – “Vespula Maculata Nest Pieces” Scientists believe there are