Ok, folks. Here they are, the much hyped (by me) quilts that I have been obsessively laboring over for weeks and months in order to get them done the international ArtPrize competition that kicks off tomorrow here in Grand Rapids. I have no plans to win this competition, so the pressure is off now that [...]

Finishing this quilt project came down to the wire as expected, but boy am I happy to be done. Crossing the finish line was very unceremonious and that was expected, too. I just left the quilts in a pile on a table at the David D. Hunting YMCA and went home. If I had not [...]

I have five days to finish hand stitching the bindings and hanging sleeves on this stack of ArtPrize quilts. Five days until life returns to normal. Almost there… I’m headed out to shoot a photo for next week’s art & craft column. You can read today’s column about Alban Fischer, editor of trnsfr magazine here. [...]

Doodle, doodle almost done. I love scribbling on fabric with thread. I machine quilted panels four and five of my charity ArtPrize quilts late Wednesday. High five, everyone! Later today I’ll be picking out fabric for the binding and weaving in thread tails. I can’t quite believe I’ve been working on this project every day for [...]

I finally finished quilting the beast that was panel three of my charity ArtPrize quilt project. I had some thread tension issues in the wee hours of the morning that cost me some valuable time and sleep, but I’m back on track and a little more in tune with my machine. If I’ve learned anything [...]

My Artprize deadline is less than two weeks away, so I’m in continuous work mode and really looking forward to taking a serious break in a couple weeks. I worked until 2:30 a.m. this morning free-motion quilting the first quilt panel. I thought I was done when I went to bed only to wake up [...]

OK, so I just have two more big steps before my public swan dive. In 14 days, I have to turn in my finished ArtPrize entry to be installed on the wall at the David D. Hunting YMCA in Grand Rapids. There is still plenty left to do, but I’m going to make my deadline. [...]

This is the ArtPrize quilt I’ve been working on. I’ve been hand stitching every day for the last several days, working late into the night to turn the 127 hexagon flowers made of fabric from donated neckties into something beautiful and agonizing over whether or not this is even possible. I had some help getting [...]

It’s official. I entered ArtPrize 2010, the international art competition based here in Grand Rapids. I’m working on a hexagon quilt called “Power Ties in Bloom” made out of neckties that will be displayed at the David D. Huntington YMCA in Grand Rapids Sept. 22 – Oct. 10.  The ties were collected by Safe Haven [...]

Here’s my latest Posted Stitches art quilt. Read more about it here and here.

"The Myth of the Man Who Didn’t Fart", by Jennifer Ackerman-Haywood, 10×10" art quilt, cotton fabric, hand embroidery, applique and machine quilting Here’s my latest art quilt. Read my artist statement over at “Posted Stitches” if you’re curious about what it’s all about. :  )

Here’s my latest art quilt. You can read more about it over at Posted Stitches.

I’m on a newspaper deadline, so I can’t linger here long. But I wanted to post a photo of this lovely art quilt called, “Lemonade Stand”by Marcy McAllister, of Allendale, Mich. Abby and I gave it a judge’s award on Saturday. Marcy used a photograph for inspiration, and I’m delighted to know the little people [...]

It seems I’m always on some kind of deadline. Today I’m on a column deadline and a self-imposed art quilt deadline. While it seems ridiculous to suggest I have to finish a small quilt this month in the midst of everything else, that’s exactly what I’m doing. I spent the evening working on my quilt [...]

WYOMING, MICH. – The parking lot was packed and quilters were lined up out the door when I arrived. We all came to hear master quilter Sharon Schamber  talk about her amazing quilts during a demonstration lecture hosted by the West Michigan Quilter’s Guild. Sharon’s work is impressive when you see the photos online, but [...]