Planning for a Different Kind of Perfection
By Camie Roper The expert quilters of Gee’s Bend, Alabama are remarkable. Their sense of dignity is palpable and their unusual quilts are not what many expect. They are quite self-sufficient, raise their own food and enjoy a tight-knit community. Their quilts reflect their spirituality, resourcefulness, pride and grace. Maris Curran’s brief online video about […]
Taming Your Textiles
By Camie Roper “I made the quilt on my bed with paper I got from the craft store! It was a breeze to cut and the pieces went together perfectly,” said no quilter ever. That first wash would be a doozie! Bias edges and even cross-grain edges can stretch out of shape. How do […]
Being Choosy with Color
By Camie Roper For a long time, I used too many colors in my quilts. I just loved color and wanted to use as much as possible. Then I learned about the value of a color scheme. How did I learn this? I viewed thousands of quilts: from friends, lecturers, online, in books, magazines and […]
Deciding on a Design
By Camie Roper If our eyes are the window to our soul, our quilts must be nearly as revealing. Are we traditional souls? Innovative? Playful? Quirky? Artsy/craftsy? Do we wish to put our viewer at ease, or do we aim to challenge? Maybe we even want to shock. Perhaps we want our viewer to begin […]
First Time Entering a Quilt in a GAAQG Show? Jump in!
By Camie Roper Although I’ve been a guild member since 1997, I don’t remember when I entered my first quilt into a show. I was intimidated by the gifted quilters in the guild whose corners all matched and color schemes were impossibly radiant. Why would I hang a creation of mine alongside these works of […]