Tidbit #1 - Another quilt-history-mystery story.
Last month’s mystery about a batting was solved with a burn test (see link to the video in the Announcements below). Another burn test I’ve done was to identify a mystery fabric on a Victorian crazy quilt. I wrote it up in a blog post. The quilt is one of a pair, happily still being handed down in the family. Here are the two quilts.
Tidbit #2 - British quilt historians.
The Arizona Quilt Study Group produces a great series of lectures. I enjoy these every single time. The spring lectures are coming up at the end of May, this time, introducing two British historians.
One of the speakers, Carolyn Gibbs, has a lecture series of her own, called the Heritage Quilt Club, which I always enjoy, too. She has a great collection of antique British quilts. For each lecture she picks one to show and discuss in great detail. It’s a great opportunity to learn about British quilt history, and also about the evolution of fabric printing and dyeing technology. Carolyn’s knowledge of these topics is immense. Links below.
Tidbit - #3 - Gee’s Bend quilters.
I often listen to podcasts while hand stitching. One that I like a lot is Haptic and Hue by Jo Andrews. She presents an incredibly wide range of fiber arts topics such as “The Dog Hair Blankets of the Coast Salish People”, “Althea McNish - Queen of Color”, “Plain Sailing: The Cloth that Turned the Tide of History”. Recently, the topic was “The Glorious Quilts of Gees Bend.” The link to this episode is below in the Announcements, and includes two links from the episode notes to current exhibits about the Gees Bend quilters, in case you are traveling this summer.
Tidbit - #4 - Creativity.
What I’ve been sewing: coming close to completing two art quilts, one about a huge emotional story in my family history, and the other a whimsical wedding quilt for one of my daughter’s close friends.
Tidbit - #5 - Spring rainbow!
Our house is perfectly placed for seeing rainbows.
————— Announcements —————
• Video: Burn Test Demonstration
Identifying a mystery batting in two Victorian crazy quilts.
• Arizona Quilt Study Group’s spring lectures:
The True Story of the Rajah Quilt by Sarah Ashford
Antique British Frame Quilts by Carolyn Gibbs
May 30 - 10 a.m. Phoenix, AZ Time (be sure to check a time zone converter)
• Carolyn Gibbs
Carolyn’s website
Heritage Quilt Club
• Podcast: Haptic and Hue, by Jo Andrews
episode on Gee’s Bend quilts
And links to current Gee’s Bend exhibits:
Kith & Kin: the Quilts of Gee's Bend Exhibition
American Museum in Bath - now through Sunday 21 June 2026
Between History and Memory: Dinah Miller’s Legacy in Gees Bend
River Gallery in Gees Bend, Alabama - curated by Loretta Pettway Bennett - now through September 2027
• Preserving Our Quilt Legacy Virtual Workshop
• Something From Nothing - A series of small quilts made from decorator fabric samples
• Quiltations - monthly fun from my friend and quilt appraiser Charleen Richtsmeier - A potpourri of quilt news and events, recipes, jokes, quilt and fabric history, words to the wise, etc., etc.
Write Charleen to subscribe
————— The Fine Print —————
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Send them this link: https://www.annquilts.com/newsletter/newslettersignup.html
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• Create Whimsy - an interview with me