October 2024 – Well, the good news is that my quilt, John Oliver Cabin, Cades Cove, won first place in its category at the 40th Asheville Quilt Show …. the show that wasn’t. We had it all hung, ready to go, then Helene showed up; never even got to open the doors … a huge setback for my beloved Asheville Quilt Guild.
The bad news is that Helene decimated much of my little town of Old Fort, including the gallery, Arrowhead Gallery and Studios, where most of my quilts were displayed. I only lost two quilts, and my hanging system, which is much better than most of my fellow artists. I believe the gallery plans to relocate and rebuild, but for various reasons, I’ve decided not to stay with the gallery.
I want to help Old Fort and western NC to recover from the tragic effects of Helene. I’d like to sell my remaining quilts (since I have no place to display them) and I am willing to donate 80% of the sale price to the NC Disaster Relief Fund (or any other Helene-related nonprofit one might prefer). I will cover the cost of shipping. So, if any of the quilts listed here for sale appeal to you, know that 80% of the proceeds will go to help my community, which is so sadly in need of help. Just email me at [email protected] and we’ll work out the details. Thank you!
June 2024 – Wow, I can’t believe I haven’t updated this in over a year! Last night I went to the dedication, and dance, at The Barn at Montreat. So proud that my quilt is front and center at this much-loved and long-standing community institution. You can read more about this quilt on my Unique Quilts page.
March 2023 – Very pleased that this little guy, titled “Things I’ve Learned from Trees: Resilience” won First Place in the spring “Resilience” show at Arrowhead Gallery and Studios. $135
March 2023 – I’ve been getting back into pottery in the past year (while I wait for machine repairs!), selling my work at Arrowhead Gallery and Studios in Old Fort. I’ve been doing a lot of experiments – pottery is really different than it was when I was throwing pots fifty years ago – so many new glazes, underglazes, and toys to play with! I’ve been focusing on cups — wine cups, water cups, whatever. Also focusing on my Toad on the Doorstep idea. This particular cup is actually a ‘second’ I took home with me … many better ones and all sort of other designs are available at the gallery! This is an original design of mine … outline is silkscreened onto white clay bisque ware, then painted with underglazes and topped with food-safe clear glaze. The story behind ‘Toad on the Doorstep’ is below.
In many world cultures, a toad (or frog) on your doorstep is a good omen, symbolizing transformation, purity, fertility, and wisdom. Unable to hop backward, toads symbolize moving forward, towards change, abundance, and good fortune. As with butterflies, they go through great transformation in their life cycles, and are thus symbolic of both physical and spiritual transformation, renewal and cleansing of the soul. A toad on your doorstep can also symbolize the wisdom that comes with age and maturity, as well as the mystery of pleasant surprises and unexpected good fortune.
December 2022 – It’s been three months with my main machine in the shop! Quilt work has ground to a halt while I wait for my beloved Brother mid-arm to come home.
October 2022 – Very pleased and proud to have received an Honorable Mention for ‘Skyward’ in this year’s Asheville Quilt Show – it was a very competitive show!
March 2022 – Just finished another t-shirt quilt for my favorite radio station, WNCW – FM, 88.7.
November 2021 – Still making quilts, of course, but just finished the framework for my new geodesic dome greenhouse!
June 2021 – Delighted to say that ‘Fibonacci Study in Blue and Orange’ has been selected for exhibition in Black Mountain Center for the Arts ‘Art in Bloom’ show this summer. Looks like it’s going to be another great show!
October 2020 – Very pleased to announce my latest quilt, Tunnels Near Point Lookout, won People’s Choice in the most recent show at Arrowhead Gallery and Studios. Thank you!
Summer 2020 – You would think the pandemic would find me busy in my studio, but, with quilt shows canceled and gallery visitors few and far between, I’ve slowed down considerably. I’m busy reworking one old quilt (Banjofish – new border, additional quilting, and added trapunto), and working on a highly detailed, hand embroidered, ‘map’ quilt of our property in Old Fort. Mostly I’m really busy working at my part-time job at Kitsbow Manufacturing, which I love.
January 2020 – I’m working out some technique stuff (painting backgrounds, finding ways to make tree forms more time-efficient, etc.), and, while I’m at it, I’m making a series of little quilts for sale at the Arrowhead Gallery and Studios in Old Fort. Here’s the latest. Each of these is 13″ x 16″. I’ll be selling them for $55, or a pair for an even $100.
September 2019 – I am very pleased and honored to say that ‘The Spirit of Spruce Chase’ won an award at the Asheville Quilt Show this year, from the Quilt Alliance, an organization devoted to preserving and promoting ‘story’ quilts. They did a short video of me which is now out on YouTube.
September 2019 – Just finished my second banner for the John C. Campbell Folk School’s annual Fall Festival, in collaboration with artist Juli Sibley. This one had its challenges, but I’m pretty pleased with the results. You’ll soon be able to see it in person, hanging in the Keith House Community Room at JCCFS.
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August 2019 – The garden is a huge distraction this time of year, though right now we’re pretty tired of picking and putting up tomatoes, beans, and peppers. There’s honey harvesting yet to come.
This summer I’ve been honing my basic quilting skills on placemats and such; should have a pile of them available at the annual Asheville Quilt Guild show at the end of September, plus there’s quite a few available at the Arrowhead Gallery and Studios, where much of my work is currently exhibited. After I finish the John C. Campbell Folk School Fall Festival quilt (see below), I’m diving into smaller local scenes, starting with the Catawba River. So many quilts to make, so little time!
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June 2019 – Second year in a row, artist and free spirit Juli Sibley has asked me to collaborate on the 2019 John C. Campbell Folkschool Fall Festival banner. The theme this year is ‘community’. I’ll put it up when it’s done in September.
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June 2019 – Just finished ‘Spirit of Spruce Chase’…. check it out on my ‘Unique Quilts’ page, and on my wildsfabrications Facebook page. Big project, came out well, glad to be moving on to other projects!
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Fall, 2018 – I’ve been commissioned by Bob and Donna Kelly to create a quilt for their historic property in Bee Tree, Swannanoa, called Spruce Chase, in the manner of the Gatherings quilt. It’ll take a few months, but, it’s going to be big, and fun!
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January, 2018 – Happy New Year! My year is starting off right, by being asked by artist Juli Sibley to help her out with this year’s John C. Campbell Folkschool Fall Festival banner. One of my favorite people, one of my favorite places, and a terrific project.
And here’s the finished banner, all done and delivered, ready for this year’s festival!
Speaking of, I’ll be teaching the ‘Fabrications’ class again this October at John C. Campbell Folk School. Please contact me via email if you have questions or are interested in taking the class.
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Meantime, I’ve been asked to exhibit two quilts (Swannanoa String Band 1895, and Water Wheel, Berry College) at Brigham City (Utah) Museum of Art and History’s 2018 International Art Quilt Invitational Exhibition this summer. Don’t know much about the show, but I’m thrilled for the honor. Photos from the show:
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September, 2017 – The Chalk Cliffs quilt was delivered to the Hitchcock Woods Foundation to be raffled off in support of this wonderful nonprofit at their annual Festival of the Woods. Wonderful experience, to see one of my quilts on a stage!
October, 2017 – My class on ‘Fabrications’ at John C. Campbell Folk School was wonderful! I’ll be teaching it again in late October of 2018. See more info below.
New Years, 2017 – I’m looking forward to teaching my first class at John C. Campbell Folk School *, where I’ve been a regular student (and assistant teacher) for the past decade. One of my mentors, Marilyn Wall, asked me to teach her ‘Fabrications’ class for her in 2017. This is a ‘fusibles’ class, a technique which I don’t normally use in landscape quilts, but one that I find absolutely fascinating. I’m getting ready for the class by working on a series of fruits and vegetables (had a big garden last year . . . thinking a lot about produce these days). Here’s what my design wall looks like now . . . lots of experiments in process!
* For those of you who’ve gotten here because you’re looking for more information about the class, each of the images you see here are layers of four or five fabrics, fused together. We’ll be working on a more simple system in the class, but the technique is the same. You can see more of my ‘fabrications’ on my ‘Fabrications’ page.
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2016 update: Studio is up and running and is fantastic! Tom’s woodshop is finished, too, and he’s busy settling in. New dog Ben has learned the route between both workplaces and the house, so he’s making the rounds. I’ve completed two commissioned landscape quilts this year . . . Check them out on the Landscapes page.
House – studio (mostly hidden) – Tom’s new shop, November 2016
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I’ve haven’t been very productive in 2015 . . . we moved to Old Fort NC this year, a
nd remodeled a glorified shack as my new (and totally wonderful!) studio space. Recently I’ve been honing my machine quilting skills. Hopefully I’ll have something to show for all of this early in 2016.
Love love love the new studio, overlooking the garden and ‘the bog’. Life out in the country is great! Soon Husband Tom will have his own workshop, too!
November 3, 2014 — Just finished hanging a joint exhibit with fabric artist, good friend, and awesome musician Julia Weatherford at the Morganton Town Hall ‘Art in the Hall’ exhibit space. It will be up and available for viewing weekdays through the first of the year. Here are a few shots of the show; the Town of Morganton has a whole bunch of really nice photos here.
