Local Fabric

Last week, The Piecemakers voted on a theme for our community quilt. The topic chosen? Local Fabric. This week, using inspiration associated with this theme we will begin composing our quilt squares. We've chosen a square size of 10x10 inches as our canvas.

Because ArtPlay is associated with Birmingham's Alys Stephens Center (ASC), the Piecemakers' community quilt will dovetail with the 2011-12 Common Threads program (an annual living arts event hosted by the ASC).  Local Fabric is an interesting topic, given the nature of this year's Common Threads theme, "Quilters of West Alabama meet Mud Cloth Makers of West Africa". From November 7-11, the Quilters of Gee's Bend, Alabama and Groupe Bogolon Kasobane, mud cloth masters of Bamako, Mali will work simultaneously on their art pieces during the course of a week-long residency in the Alys Stephens Center lobby.

The Piecemakers will display our community quilt during the week-long Common Threads residency. Our group has a lot of work ahead of us, but we're ready for the challenge. Already, in two sessions, the fabric of our group is well-woven.

All events during the Common Threads program are free and open to the public. For more information and a listing of the events, visit Alys Stephens Center's website.

Week 2: September 22nd

The Piecemakers begin working on their appliqué samples

Melody and Ann busy composing

Anna and Knox get ideas from a book of appliqué as folk art

 

 

Dana P works on her caterpillar

Brodie composes her waterlily

Emily cuts out a sun for her composition

Ann starts sewing down the stems of her flowers

The Piecemakers busily working amid a pile of colorful scraps

 Compositions evolve

Scraps of fabric can inspire any number of creations

Completed stitch samples from week one

Dana H sews down a leaf

Anna sews down a bird of paradise cut from Hawaiian fabric

Knox's colorful composition

Melody's sun and radiating paths

Ann's flower pot

Emily's cliffs, water, sun and bird

Brodie's waterlily and many pins

Dana's caterpillar has feet and a soul patch

Week 1: September 15th

From left to right: Dana H, Anna, Lillis, Knox and Brodie. Stitch samples made with colorful felt and embroidery floss.

The sample handout is a rough guide. Thread color and individual styles will make each sample unique.

Dana H and Anna

Melody beginning to attach two pieces of felt

Brodie and Emily

Dana P and Ann

Already grinning, and the stitches are just beginning...

We are the Piecemakers

On September 15th, nine intrepid women gathered in the annex at ArtPlay in Birmingham, Alabama and embarked on an eleven week journey into the world of quilting. These women, through a democratic process have named themselves The Piecemakers. All of their trials and tribulations will now be recorded and their stories collected here. Enjoy their discoveries and make some of your own.