Lending A Hand

There are many ways to help people in need. Each of the Sisters in Cloth has her own favorite charity. In the past few years of our existence, we have made gift baskets for 65 Roses (Cystic Fibrosis Charity) auctions, a gorgeous raffle quilt for the Guilford Art Center, participated in political fundraisers, and made many additional pieces individually for these and many more worthy causes.

Our latest group charity quilts are soon to fly to Australia, packed tightly in Diane Wright's carry-on bags. With a generous donation of batting from J.T. Trading Corporation (importers of Matilda's Own Australian Wool Batting) the Sisters have teamed up to make two quilts for the victims of the recent bush fires. We all donated 9 patch squares which were pieced by some energetic members two weeks ago and quilted beautifully by Diane. She and Linda are holding the smaller of the two quilts.

We urge everyone to find a cause and support it with your time and talents.

What's In Your Stash?

We all have them: pounds of pins, boxes of buttons, loads of lace, piles of patterns... just because we might need them one day. Well, that day comes for us all when it is time to clear out the stash and move on. This week, Barbara, Linda Z and Vivika cleaned out the studio of an elderly quilter. It was a lesson to all of us to make sure that our families know how to distribute our "stash" when we move on. We also were awed by the unfinished projects yearning for a home. What would someone say about my studio if they had to empty it tomorrow?

We hope that Sarah's cupboard in Branford enjoys all of the lovely 1970's and 80's fabrics we brought to them. We know our knitting friends will make use of the needles we salvaged. But what shall we do with these buttons? Any suggestions?

What's In A Name?

Several years ago, our group decided to choose a name for ourselves. We'd been known by our local guild as The Guilford Group even though several members were from surrounding towns. We met on Friday mornings, and often called ourselves The Friday Morning Group. Both were uninspiring and did not say a thing about who we are or what we do. In true creative spirit, we had a contest to name ourselves, and Diane Wright came up with Gone to Pieces. That worked for a year or two, but it became obvious to the group that we were too "together" to be called Gone to Pieces. Our current and FINAL name was inspired by a Progressive quilt made by all of us and belonging to Diane. She chose the central batik motif and the fabrics, and we passed the project from member to member until it seemed done. You may recognize the row of women on the bottom as our logo. Sister Sister showcases who we are: supportive, creative and happy quilters with a love of fabric, color, texture, and each other. We are truly Sisters in Cloth.

Traveling Sisters

New England can be gloomy in mid march. Although the calendar says "Spring is Here" the weather doesn't always agree. Sometimes you need a change of venue to chase away the end-of-winter-blues... This Thursday a few Sisters had a road trip to Avon, CT to take a postcard class with Sarah Ann Smith. A good time was had by all!

Knock Knock

Nearly all of the Sisters in Cloth love to make cards for friends and family. This postcard was made by Vivika DeNegre for the Edgar Allen Poe "Raven" postcard challenge hosted earlier this month by Linda Tompson. The image was transfered to muslin using a toner copy and oil paint technique described in Cloth, Paper, Scissors. Embellishments of metal, paper and thread were added onto a piece of watercolor paper which had been inked and collaged with vintage ephemera. Can't you hear the raven knocking at the door?

Guilford Free Library Exhibit

The Fourth Annual Sisters in Cloth exhibit at the Guilford Free Library in Guilford, CT was a roaring success. The new library meeting room walls were covered with two glorious collections of quilts. "Strata" quilts, represented by Diane Wright's "Blue Heron with Crab" pictured left, and "Orange" quilts, such as Ruth Anne Olson's Swirl hung at the library throughout the month of January. This annual event is always marked by a reception which is well attended by the community. To see more of the fabulous pieces of art, watch the gallery slide show in the right column of the blog.

Carol's In the News

Carol Ludington, our West Haven Applique Maven, has had her masterpiece, Here Comes the Sun, featured on the front page of the Connecticut Post's March 5, 2009 issue. Click here http://www.connpost.com/ci_11836363?IADID=Search-www.connpost.com-www.connpost.com for a story about the Southport Congregational Curch show, "Fabrics and Fabrications".

Welcome

Welcome to the Sisters in Cloth blog. We are a group of 12 motivated fiber artists living in Southern Connecticut. We show our work in many venues, including quilt shows and galleries. Although our backgrounds are very different, we have a vibrant group ethic which encourages and motivates our members to stretch their artistic talents and abilities. Join us on this journey and follow our blog as we document the work of Sisters in Cloth!