"First Green" headed to AAQI

“First Green” by Susan Brubaker Knapp

Last night, I finished “First Green,” a quilt I made to raise money for Alzheimer’s research through Ami Simms’  Alzheimer Art Quilt Initiative. The AAQI has raised more than $773,000 since January 2006. I have purchased AAQI quilts, but this one is the first that I have made to donate. It measures 23.5" x 41". I made this piece to honor the many people I know who are suffering from the ravages of dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease.

The name is based on Robert Frost’s poem “Nothing Gold Can Stay,” which speaks eloquently to the impermanence of youth, and the eventual decline of life:

Nature’s first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf's a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf,
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day
Nothing gold can stay. 

The piece is made of batik and hand-dyed fabric. I pieced the leaves, then hand appliqued them to the blue base fabric before heavily quilting it. I hope it raises lots of money. I’ll let you know when it goes up for auction.

There will be more than 2,100 Priority: Alzheimer’s Quilts for sale at International Quilt Festival in Houston, TX Oct. 31-Nov. 4. These small-format art quilts (9"x12") have been donated by thousands of quilters, and all profits fund research. You can see the quilts here. Or if you are coming to IQF, march over to the front of Row S to see them yourself! 

Have some time to spare while you are there? Sign up to volunteer for a 2-3 hour time slot (and get free admission on the days you volunteer) or join the AAQI Text Brigade and help “as needed.” Learn more and sign up here. Come see me in the AAQI booth; I’ll be there Thursday, Nov. 1 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

 Win this quilt!

The AAQI is launching a newsletter to keep supporters informed.
One lucky newsletter subscriber will win this beautiful little quilt
made by Martha Wolfersberger.
Sign up here for a chance to win
and keep tabs of what the AAQI is up to.
The newsletter is free.
 

Join me at North Carolina Quilt Symposium 2013

The folks at the Tarheel Quilters Guild in charge of the 2013 North Carolina Quilt Symposium have announced their list of teachers, and I’m on it! So mark your calendars for May 23-26, 2013 and plan to join us at Methodist University in Fayetteville, NC. The event includes a quilt show, a special exhibit, vendors, lectures, and 3-1/2 days of fabulous classes by nationally known quilting teachers. There really is something for everyone.

You can stay at a hotel in the area, but I can tell you from experience that it is more fun to stay on campus, where you are close to the action. If you chose to stay in a dorm (handicapped-accessible and air-conditioned), your food is included in the tuition. And in the evenings, it’s like a giant quilters’ pajama party. Since it is Memorial Day weekend, there will also be lots of great events in Fayetteville, which is a military town.

Registration for the Symposium will begin in January 2013. To have a registration packet mailed to you, simply send $5 with your name and address to:

NCQS13 Tarheel Quilters Guild
P.O. Box 36253
Fayetteville, NC 28303

Or you can download the entire packet in January 2013 by going to: www.tarheelquilters.org/Pages/2013NCQuiltSymposium.aspx

There are lots of teachers on this list that I would love to take a class from (but rats! I’ll be busy teaching, too! Class topics will be announced by January.

Valerie Bothell http://www.valeriebothell.com/ Hollis Chatelain http://www.hollisart.com  Augusta Cole http://www.augustacolequilting.com/ Aby Dolinger http://abyquilts.wordpress.com/ Susan Edmonson http://susanedmonsondesigns.com   Nancy Eha http://www.beadcreative.com/ Kaye England  http://www.kayeengland.com/ Sandy Fitzpatrick http://www.hissyfitzdesigns.com/ Harriet Hargrave http://www.harriethargrave.com/index.html Susan Brubaker Knapp http://www.bluemoonriver.com/ Mary Lou McDonald http://www.baltimorequiltlady.com/ Judith Baker Montano http://www.judithbakermontano.com/ Sue Nickels http://www.sue-nickels.com/ Annette Ornelas   http://southwindquilts.com/     Linda Pool http://www.lindaslace.com/ Sharon Schamber http://www.sharonschamber.com/ Anita Grossman Solomon http://makeitsimpler.blogspot.com/ Jane Townswick  http://www.martingale-pub.com/store Jane does not have a website, but this link brings you to her book publisher. Janice Vaine http://www.grahamcrackercollection.com/ Leni Levenson Wiener  http://www.leniwiener.com/ Amy Stewart Winsor http://winsorartquilts.com/

Such fun!

Here are all of the wonderful women who attended my Once in a Blue Moon Fiber Art Retreat this weekend. It was such a great group! We had crisp fall weather at the Blue Ridge Assembly YMCA in Black Mountain, NC. 

We worked hard, but there was plenty of time for great meals, laughs, and fellowship. Participants chose between my passionflower and pumpkin designs, completing the fusible applique the first day (and part of the first night!) and getting a fair amount of thread sketching done on the second day.

 

The pumpkin people:

 

The passionflower people:

This was my first retreat, and my first time teaching these new projects. Overall, things went well, thanks to Joyce (who coordinated registrations, cooked wonderful meals, and kept things running smoothly) and Donna (who assisted Joyce and generally helped out wherever  and whenever needed). We got some good ideas for things we can do differently – and better – at next year’s retreat (look for details coming soon!)  

One spot has come open at my retreat!

Need to recharge your batteries and learn something new? My Once in a Blue Moon Fiber Art Retreat is this weekend, Oct. 4-7 in Black Mountain, NC (near Asheville), and one student had to drop out because of an emergency in her family. If you are interested in taking her spot, please write me at susan@bluemoonriver.com before Thursday. 

I’m going to be teaching my fusible applique method the first day, and thread sketching the second day. You can choose from one of these two projects:

“Heirloom Pumpkins” by Susan Brubaker Knapp

“Passionflower” by Susan Brubaker Knapp

We can help you with gathering things for the supply list. (I have fabrics for purchase.)

We are going to have a blast! 

NOTE: We have filled the one remaining spot. Sorry! But if you are interested in next year's retreat, to be held Nov. 13-16 in Blowing Rock, NC, please sign up for my mailing list, and you’ll be the first to know that registration is open. 

Apron in progress

My embroidered apron is coming along! This is a project I took up to relieve stress; I find that if I keep my hands busy, my head can’t think and worry too much. I’m loving the handwork, and the chicken scratch stitches really do look magical up close, like little bits of confetti tossed up and suspended in mid air. 

I’m working on the sides now, adding two more pairs of scissors (truly, you can never have too many pairs, right?) and a tape measure along the bottom.

Stress, stress, go away. Come again another day (not!)