Power Ties In Bloom: The Unveiling of My ArtPrize Quilts

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 the quilts are done. (Scroll down for more quilt photos.)

I finished the quilts Saturday and then immediately loaded them into my car to deliver them to the venue, so seeing them up on the wall at the David D. Hunting YMCA was a kind of like viewing them for the first time. And I’m pleasantly surprised that I actually like them. I was worried because several of them gave me fits.

As many of you know, the quilts are made of neckties donated by West Michigan community leaders using an English paper piecing technique. The goal is to sell them off during the show. The proceeds of the sale will go to Safe Haven Ministries, a local agency that assists survivors of domestic violence. It’s important work that they do and they need funding to keep it all going.

Here’s a quick look at “Power Ties In Bloom,” quilts 1-5.

I’ll be at the opening reception at the David D. Hunting YMCA, 475 Lake Michigan Drive NW Grand Rapids, Mich., from 6-8 pm. tomorrow and will be passing out free English paper piecing sample packs supplied by PaperPieces.com, (THANK YOU!) the company that I purchase all my hexagon templates from. So stop on by if you want to know how to paper piece. I LOVE to encourage hand-piecing addictions.

If you still want to know more, you can read the column I wrote about this experience that was published in today’s edition of The Grand Rapids Press. (My apologies to those of you who looked for this article yesterday. I looked for it, too.)

Thanks for all your support, dear readers. Your e-mail messages and and comments helped me complete this artistic mission. Thank you so much!!!