Presenters and Workshops
2022-2023
Starting with our March 14, 2022, meeting, the Old Capitol Quilters Guild returned to in-person meetings.
September 12, 2022 7PM
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Jane Sassaman
"Jane's Textile Treasure Garden"
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Originally an Iowa girl, Jane Sassaman began to quilt in 1980 after a varied career in the design world. She found that these "soft paintings" satisfied the draftsman, the craftsman, and the artist in her. Her art quilts have been shown in many national and international exhibits, including Quilt National 1989 through 2005, and Contemporary American Quilts, the first major exhibit of American art quilts in England. Her quilt “Willow” was named as one of the One Hundred Best American Quilts of the Century.
Her lecture is “Jane’s Textile Treasure Garden.” This is a glimpse into the inspirations and process of designing fabric - from dreaming to drawing, coloring, and cutting. This is a colorful journey through the creative process. She will also bring many quilts and accessories made with her FreeSpirit fabrics. Everyone will enjoy seeing how to use these contemporary prints to make dramatic quilts.
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November 14, 2022 7PM
Helios
"Kevin & Leland's Pop-Up"
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There's a quilt shop in Mount Vernon? YES!! And not just any quilt shop. Owners Kevin Carpenter and Leland Turner have stocked the most luxurious, bright, sunny, modern prints--ever since Helios Stitches N Stuff opened in 2012. Helios exclusively sells American-made quilt backs that are 108" by 120" which are perfect for mid-sized to King-sized quilts. They also have a large selection of 5 yard pack deals that coordinate with their equally large selection of A-OK 5 yard quilt patterns. You will also find that Helios stocks 200+ bolts of high quality SALE fabric every day in the hallway outside their door. And don't forget their blender wall--bring your fabrics with you to our meeting to match up with their incredible selection of blenders!
They are bringing all of this and more to us for the evening! Don't miss the opportunity to hear them talk about their shop and offer us a great shopping experience at the same time!
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February 13, 2023
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OCQG Service Day
The Guild’s annual Service Day provides a way for members to work together on projects to contribute to our community service agency partners including: UI Hospitals and Clinics, Veterans Administration Hospital, 4Cs Child Care Center, Domestic Violence Intervention Program, Visiting Nurses Association, Shelter House, and Houses into Homes.
Members enjoy meeting other members, sharing projects, and exchanging information throughout the day.
September 13 and 14, 2022 10AM to 4PM
2 identical workshops
Jane Sassaman "Moths and Moons"
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Bring your favorite fabrics or purchase a kit from Jane’s stash of Free Spirit designs to create one to three giant moths (approximately 27”W x 21”H each). They will be assembled using Jane’s accessible appliqué method. After class you will be able to stitch your background and apply your gorgeous critters.
Sewing machine with at least a few decorative stitches is required.
October 10, 2022 7PM
Mike Ellingsen
"Quilts from the Driftless"
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Mike is a retired music and drama teacher who has been quilting since the late 1980s. He is known for his love of color and his excellent quilting on his domestic machine - although five years ago he did upgrade to a Bernina Q-20. He teaches and presents trunk shows for guilds in Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin, as well as presentations at the State Show of the Minnesota Quilters and in Alexandria, Virginia. He has his own series of published quilt patterns which are sold via his Etsy shop, and has been the pattern writer for the Calico Hutch Block-of-the-Month in Hayward, Minnesota, since 2012. Mike was selected as Minnesota Quilter of the Year for both 2020 and 2021--the first male to hold that distinction.
December 12, 2022 7PM
Holiday Show & Tell
View quilts made by members. See holiday-related and
other pieces. Get ideas and enjoy the artistry.
March 13, 2023 7PM
Mary Kerr
"Twisted:
Modern Quilts with
a Vintage Twist"
Mary Kerr will welcome us to a LIVE presentation with her talk which features her newest book, Twisted: Modern Quilts with a Vintage Twist. This fabulous collection features modern quilts that were created using vintage textiles. Mary shares her unique approach which gives us permission to play with vintage textiles in new and exciting ways.
Mary Kerr is an American Quilt Society certified appraiser, author, and an award winning quilter. She is a quilt historian whose lectures and work-shops focus on quilt history and the preservation of antique textiles. Her current work marries her love of all things vintage with the freedom of expression that is encouraged in our Art Quilt community.
www.MaryWKerr.com.
January 9, 2023 7PM
via Zoom
Carole Lyles Shaw
"What Makes a
Modern Quilt?"
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Carole Lyles Shaw is a modern quilt designer, author and workshop teacher. Her lecture and trunk show introduces quilters of all backgrounds to the modern quilt movement. Carole dispels some of the myths and misunderstandings so you can understand and appreciate this new style of creative quilt expression. Her students say that Carole inspires them to be more creative and successful quilters.
Carole started quilting over 20 years ago when she decided to make quilts for her nieces and nephews. She was mentored by the heirloom quilters of the African American Quilters of Baltimore.
Carole was recently featured as one of five designers in the Makers Issue of American Patchwork & Quilting magazine (August 2021 issue). Recently, she appeared in Today's Quilter; Love Patchwork & Quilting; Make Modern Magazine; American Patchwork & Quilting; Journal of The Modern Quilt Guild; and Patchwork Magazine [Germany]. She co-founded the Sarasota Modern Quilt Guild and served on the Board of Directors of The Modern Quilt Guild from 2015-2017. Carole is the author of Madly Modern Quilts and Patriotic Modern Quilts and modern quilt patterns.
March 14, 2023
9:00AM to 4:00PM
Mary Kerr Workshop
"Log Cabin Improv with a Vintage Twist"
Come play with Vintage pieces as we recreate the timeless Log Cabin block with a modern slant. Embrace the magic as you are given permission to combine the love of vintage with a fast, fun modern twist. Students will work with vintage textiles and a jelly roll to create Improv Log Cabin blocks. These can then be set in a variety of ways to create your own version of a Modern Log Cabin. The workshop is packed full of tips for working with vintage textiles and ways to showcase these treasured pieces.
April 10, 2023 7PM
Laura Strickland
"Collage/Portrait Quilts"
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Laura Strickland is an art quilter and pattern designer, living on the banks of the Mississippi River in East Moline, Illinois. Her quilt patterns have a Mid-century Modern / Pop Culture aesthetic. She has come to quilting from a formal art background. Her fiber arts instructor at Virginia’s Governor’s School for the Arts, Lynn Sword, inspired her to pursue a love of where needle and thread meet color and design.
Drawing on her education in art history, design principles, and color theory she has chosen cloth as her main medium for expression. She is a teacher by nature. Sewing and fiber arts have been her passion since she was a little girl. She makes portrait art quilts, unique “quilty” objects, and has developed a signature trademarked technique, “Effervescent Applique”. She has been featured in multiple nation-al publications/periodicals over the last three years and she’s been juried into the Cherrywood Challenge for the last 4 challenges.
Her quilting journey began almost 30 years ago, and she is enjoying the adventure still. She serves on the board of her two local quilt guilds and is an independent member of the Modern Quilt Guild. She vends at national shows throughout the US. She is currently an Accuquilt GO! Getter, An Honest Fabric Designer for Karlee Porter, and a Bernartex Brand Ambassa-dor. She has formerly served as an AdornIt! It Girl, and one of Mister Domestic’s Master Makers. Her motto is preserve the past and push the boundaries.
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June 12, 2023 7PM
Whole Country Caboodle
& Elections
Leanne and Kaytlyn will share their journey in the industry over the past 30 years, from Kaytlyn playing with her Little Tike Kitchenette in the front window of the shop until now working side by side as a mother daughter design team. A lot has changed and evolved in the past 30 years. They will walk you through how Leanne started designing patterns and fabric, their design process, and the inspiration behind their designs. They will bring a trunk show with old and new so you can see their work and experience a fun show and tell!!
May 8, 2023 7PM
Joyce Franklin
"Painting on Fabric"
I have been sewing since I was about 6 years old and didn’t make my first quilt until 1972. It was a nine-patch for our first born.
We spent 10 years with the Navy in San Diego and Guam before moving back home to Creston, Iowa, in 1979.
I started teaching Adult Education for the local Community College and opened my Fabric Shop Knits & other Notions in 1982. The name later changed to Quilts & other Notions. We had over 11,000 bolts of quilting fabric.
In April 2016, I sold my store to retire!
On February 1, 2016, I opened the Piece Works Quilt Shop in Winterset, Iowa. It’s just a few doors down from the Iowa Quilt Museum, in the former Fons & Porter building. We did a full gut remodel in two weeks before we opened. We have now re-modeled the upstairs into our private studios and gallery space.
This being my 41st year of owning a Fabric Shop, I’ve pretty much seen it all….twice, maybe three times!
My personal style has evolved from traditional to modern to art quilts and sometimes I revert to whatever makes me happy in the moment. I still make garments and love dying and painting fabrics. It’s what I love most about quilting, everyone can find their own bliss.
