• And Then There Is Taupe

    Last week I gave a presented a lecture to my own guild, Northwest Quilters, about Taupe Quilts. Taupe is a color but it is also a genre of fabrics popular in Japan and many Japanese quilters love creating quilts with Taupe fabrics. The presentation included a trunk show on my work along with quilts borrowed from friends. I even gave a slide presentation of a few quilts made by Japanese quilter and ‘Queen of Taupe’- Yoko Saito whose company ‘Quilt Party’ graciously gave me permission to use. My own quilting style is markedly different than the exquisite work by Japanese quilters and I don’t make many traditional looking quilts so being able to include these images along with the borrowed quilts rounded the presentation out more than if it had been solely my work shown.

    Helene Discusses her Taupe Quilting Techniques
    Helene Discusses her Taupe Quilting Techniques
    Two Sleeping Cats quilts in Taupe fabrics
    One of my commercially published Applique patterns

  • Home Again….

    Back on my way to Portland. It’s been a lovely trip but it’s always nice to come home. Not that I get to rest; next Monday, March 10, I am presenting a program at the Northwest Quilter’s meeting on quilts made from Taupe fabrics – plenty of eye candy.

    The following Saturday, I am giving a workshop on Animal Totems – creating a totem quilt with Seminole Piecing and reverse applique. The workshop is full (with a waiting list) but take heart, I will be offering this class at local quilt shops.

    There will be a variety of totems – a salmon, a jaguar, wolf, lizard, bear, rabbit, crow… and others as well. See some pictures of finished samples below.

    Salmon Totem #2
    Jaguar Totem
    Salmon Totem # 1

  • What a week!

    I’ve heard it said “Time flies whether you are having fun or not – so you may as well be having fun.” We sure had fun and the week flew by. Before we realized it, the week was over. My students all graduated with A+ and don’t they look wonderful posed next to their quilts in progress?

    My assistant Susie with the two(!) quilts she made in the class

    Susie with the TWO quilts she made

    Barbara with her ‘Haiku’ stork quilt

    Barbara with her ‘Haiku’ stork quilt

    Alli with her Santa Cruz coast quilt

    Alli with her Santa Cruz coast quilt

    Kelly and Sharon and their lakeside quilts

    Kelly and Sharon and their lakeside quilts

    Happy friends have to say “goodbye” for now

    Happy friends have to say “goodbye” for now