Textiles and the Triplett Sisters

We have a new adventure planned for those who like to explore a different avenue to learn or be inspired. We are creating video content for the C&T Publishing online vehicle: Creative Spark. These classes and lectures can be accessed in your own time and from wherever you prefer. Up first is the West African Indigo Resist Dye Class, which is a great intro to the techniques and history. This class is perfect for: 1) those who want to try the techniques with guidance. Both video and written instructions are provided, simply order the dyeing kit to get started, 2) those who want a refresher to remind them of the info, and 3) for those who don’t really want to get into the mess of dyeing, but still want to learn everything, can simply watch and...

The fourth bi-ennual Kansas City Regional Quilt Festival took place June 17-19, 2021. It was a momentous event for multiple reasons, primarily because it is the first major quilt show that took place in person in over a year, instead of virtually. It is also remarkable because it is organized and run by 13-16 quilt guilds working together (depending on the year.) Quilters seemed ecstatic to be re-connecting with each other in person, talking to friends, walking the vendor mall, and of course looking at lots of quilts. In the judged portion of the show, the perennial favorite Janet Stone won best of show, 1st place in applique with her quilt “Crazy for Ewe.” Janet Stone is a super talented quilter who has won just about every show in the nation, so it is appropriate for...

Somerset is a county in the South West of England by Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, Dorset and Devon. . Parts of the area were settled very early, with bones dating to 12,000 BCE. It comes from an Old English name “Sumorsaete meaning the people living dependent on Somerton.” The first known use of the name is in the law code of King Ine, a Saxon King from 688 to 726, which makes Somerset one of the oldest existing units of local government. The Quakers established a “Meeting” in Somerset in 1656, eventually establishing a meeting house and during the 1700s the town became predominantly Quaker. In 2015 a suitcase was discovered in the attic of this Quaker town, which had more than 70 fabrics from the mid-1800s. According to Anne Varley, the owner of the antique fabric stash...

I’ve always loved the idea of making quilted postcards to send to fellow quilters, but I always had excuses. It takes too long and I’m behind on my sample quilts…the post office will just tear it up…I already see these ladies regularly so why take the time to make a postcard. Then almost a year into the pandemic, I don’t see my quilting bee regularly because the facility we meet at is closed to strangers. Our guild is meeting via Zoom, the list goes on. I realized; it is the perfect time to send a quilted postcard to bring a little joy to someone’s world. Of course, you could choose to piece, or applique a 4 x 6 block. However, I thought I’d look through some of my pre-printed textiles, that way I could make more...

Okay, so I may be rushing the announcement of the new year, but really, I think 2020 has been a year most of us would like to forget or at least move forward. However, I don’t want to ignore the holiday season. Happy Hanukkah or Kwanza depending on what you celebrate. Merry Christmas to all, which is what we celebrate. Because Christmas is close to my heart, naturally my thoughts went to red and green quilts, which I’ve featured in the blog! In about a week, we will celebrate the new year with a new Triplett Sisters Block of the Month: Bird in a Lace Cage. If you haven’t already purchased the pattern to join us, please do! We’d love to have you working together with Kay Triplett and Cynthia Collier as our leaders. Here is...