The Soul of Black Folks Quilt Reception

The Soul of Black Folks: 250 Years of Creativity, Leadership and Innovation

presented by

Women of Color Quilters Network, Fitton Center for Creative Arts

The Soul of Black Folks, featuring 50 artists of the Women of Color Quilters Network, celebrates the resilience and creativity of African American culture, utilizing quilts as a vehicle for healing, remembering and reclaiming narratives.

The quilts’ tactile and colorful qualities engage people emotionally through artist receptions, guided gallery tours and story quilt workshops.

The exhibition is organized by Carolyn Mazloomi, a nationally-acclaimed quilt artist, lecturer and founder of WCQN.

Medium: 

Fiber, Mixed Media

 https://www.handwork2026.org/event/the-soul-of-black-folks-250-years-of-creativity-leadership-and-innovation/

QKS 2026

I will demo

3D Folded Flowers

OPEN STUDIO

 

Heritage Bed-Turning of Quilts

 Oklahoma Home Community & Education presented a fulll fledged exhibit this week.  So glad I attended

Two Friends Together Quiltin

In my Whitney-Nancy-Stevie-Lordy-Lordy-Luther Vandross voice…….   That’s What Friends Are For….

Her brainchild 

Her smile. Her Joy

Keep smiling.  Keep shining.  Knowing you can always count on me — for sure🌺🌺🌺. Cause that’s what QUILTERS are for!!!!!

Her artwork is about 20” x 38”.  Facial features were zigzag stitched and embodiment of her hair was fused and long-arm quilted in circular loops and swirls 

I’m so proud of my friend of 15++years.   I often note that I don’t have the roots of school-first thru high school—FEAL FRIENDS.   I count and compare to other—as my loss.  Yep

But I can now feel, know and blog/boast at God’s way of giving me cherished and longtime friends—like my girl!!! At the Baby-Lock longarm today!

No Stress Quiltin’

Quilting is a Stress-Reliever

The soothing rhythm of stitching and the tactile experience of fabric can help to alleviate the pressures of daily life. The repetitive cutting of fabrics and putting each piece together divert our attention to the present moment, create a mindful focus towards our actions, and promote relaxation.

“Quilting is my therapy, my stress relief, my happy place.” – Unknown

https://www.quiltafricafabrics.com/blogs/news/why-quilting-is-not-for-you

Miriam is to be given credit for this post

Refreshing Thread Weight when Poly vs Cotton

 

Embroidery Polyester 40WT Thread...... vs ..... Cotton 50WT Thread

Hello Quilt Friends.....   A bit of re-learning for me today.

I rummaged --- or Estate Sale shopped at a quilter's closeout of all her stuff this AM.

Isacord Embroidery Thread, 5000M, 40W Polyester Thread.  abt $9.00

my cost.... $2.00

A smaller weight number indicates a heavier thread

ISACORD is a polyester continuous thread that has a comparable shine to a rayon embroidery thread. 

Polyester thread is nearly twice the strength of rayon thread

Can I use Isacord 40 for quilting?

Polyester embroidery thread

 This 40 wt. thread is very thin, making it an excellent choice for free motion quilting designs that require a lot of travel stitching. Isacord is also very strong and able to take the high speed and intensity of machine quilting and embroidery.

What weight thread is best for quilting?

50-weight

Quilt piecing

The gold standard for piecing quilt tops is a 50-weight cotton thread. A few excellent choices for piecing are Aurifil Mako 50 weight cotton thread and our exclusive Bluprint Pima Thread . Both threads are smooth and fine, while at the same time being strong and durable

The Nitty Gritty: a Blanket or a Quilt?

HI there... m'lady friends & guys!!!

How exactly . . . is a quilt different from a blanket?

Well, I'd say that its like two blankets sewn together with padding in between (sandwich).  The stitching that keeps the padding in place creates a pattern that makes for an added dimension of " catch-you-breath eye candy"

The bquiltin shows thru the top and bottom of the sandwich quilt -- and when I longarm stitch, it is an inviting pattern matched by color, swirls, symbols and even a narrative stitched into the quilt!!!

PSsssss sorry -- missed cropping the pic below!

Feelin' Quilty !

Quilting All Along

>/Bquiltin>

What's on My Mind... ? ? ? ? LOL

Tea, friends, cookies, and quiltin !!

A cup of Tea 

@ the afternoon workplace

along with a gift bag of sugar cookies....AHHHHH

I've been with my friends at the noon quilt guild, today....

 "Having a place to go - is a home.

Having someone love you - is a family.

Having both is a blessing." 

~ Donna Hedges

Sharing a show and tell quilt!   Think we'll learn to expertly do needleturn applique!

By the Way.... The Tree Lined little vineyard

on the photo represents the 168 victims slain in the Murrah Federal building bombing of 9:02am on April 19 = = 2005 (or was it a different year????).    The names are also engraved on bricks in a circular walkway with small benches to ponder and pray for the family.   Donald Burns..... I ran into Barb a few days ago.   Larry Turner, the two little boys... so many.  Quite a memorial...

Now, for a little beauty on my quilt journey !  Some Pink & Green

I started this in about August-September... Finished here in October 2009!

Luvin' My life...... Oct 16-2009!

Color me happy.....

I struggle to master myself....

Lots of time lost, missing deadline... but I have worked thru on the Transcendence Obama quilt to be mailed -- jpg and tif files to Dr. Mazloomi... Pls Lord... hep a sister out...

Geeeesssshhhh, Back Under the Gun....

With high quality photo's that are needed to be included in Carol Mazloomis' upcoming book.

pllllllls, ahhhhhhhahaaaaaahhhhaaaaahhhh Going to do it! Lord help!

I used this SHO-nuf pictue on facebook a few weeks ago.... seems to explain the depth of distress....(lol)

Quotable quotes.....

I'm a quilter & my house is in pieces. When I learned how to quilt...I forgot how to cook.

*******

I machine pieced and quilted this early 2005!

An Underground Railroad quilt project by Eleanor Burns.

Remember these little blocks

Hand-pieced by OKC Community Quilt member, Marian a month ago. I'm thrilled to add the binding and have them quilted. A tad large (46"x46" square" and the last green was almost too heavy.

I would hope she would keep her handiwork as a keepsake.... but

She's committed to the Stork's Nest, and sorrority group that provides layettes to young mothers.

New project idea Happy 4th

Quilting while in . . Self Doubt (..it can be my Best Friend.....)

This is because it serves as an indicator of aspiration. It reflects love, love of something we dream of doing, and desire, desire to do it.

If you find yourself asking yourself (and your friends), "Am I really a writer? Am I really an artist?" chances are you are.

The counterfeit innovator is wildly self-confident.

The real artist... is scared to death.

-- Steven Pressfield, from "The War of Art." (quoted this years ago in my blog)

This little Dutch Girl Quilt was given to me (June-2009) by Madene James, here daughter Janice West is sick with cancer. My dearest adopted church mother..... sent a sack of maybe 5 quilts... hand-pieced by her mother. So aged was the fabric, stitches about to melt apart... a little dingy in aging of fabric. Fragile washing. Oversized, any which a way reverse and placement.

I'll have to take the time to resize, redo and make into a completed quilt.

Paper pieced Tulips & Jewel Scrap Quilt