COMPREHENSIVE SITES
About.com with Susan Druding: This is the most comprehensive and well organized site developed as an information resource for quilters that can be found. Information about anything and everything is here ranging from "Printing on Fabric" to "Stained Glass Quilting" to "How to Applique".
Planet Patchwork: Articles, as well as product, book and software reviews make this a valuable site.
World Wide Quilting Page: The oldest web site devoted to quilting, it counted its 1,000,000th visitor in 1997.
CONTESTS, ETC.
– A variety of opportunities are available for individuals and quilt guilds to participate in contests and/OR receive recognition.
Kudos for Quilters – sponsored by McCall’s Quilting Magazine to recognize groups that have "good deed" projects. Submit your guild’s information.
Quilt Magazine Cover Contest – ongoing
QuiltChat Block Contest – deadline May 1 each year
Quiltmaker Magazine Design Contest – Judging dates are February 1, May 1, August 1, and November 1 of each year
Quiltmaker Magazine Timesaving Tips Contest – Ongoing.
Your Quilt or Quilt Group featured in QUILT Magazine – QUILT magazine tells how to submit your individual quilt for publishing consideration, or to have your quilt group featured.
FABRIC ONLINE
– Having very limited access to quilt or fabric shops, many of my fabric purchases now occur online. Following are sites that I know from first-hand experience provide exceptional service, high quality fabrics, excellent views of fabric swatches and a wide selection. If you’re nervous about ordering online, you can place your order by phone, fax or mail [ No affiliation ] :
General Fabrics:
eQuilter: Large selection – wide variety
Quilt-A-Way: Large selection – wide variety – discounted.
Big Horn Fabrics: Large selection – wide variety – discounted.
Pinetree Quiltworks: Large selection – wide variety – discounted.
Stitch-N-Frame: Large selection – wide variety – discounted – be sure to check out their "Thursday" specials.
Specialty Fabrics – When "ordinary" won’t do:
ArtFabrik: Hand-dyed fabrics by Melody Johnson and Laura Wasilowski
FabricDesigns: Beautiful hand-dyed silks & muslim
Field’s Fabrics: Discontinued ultrasuede colors @ $29.97/yd – other ultrasuede yardage
FL-Air Airbrushed Fabrics : Different. Beautiful.
JaQue Textile Designs : I dont even know what to say about these fabrics whose designs are created by a digitized printing process. You just have to see them for yourself.
Judy Robertson – Just Imaginations : Judy does not have a website, but creates some of the most stunningly beautiful, richly vibrant hand-dyed fabrics I have ever seen.
P. O. Box 583
Burlington, WA 98233
Telephone: (360) 755-1611
Lunn Fabrics: Large selection – wide variety. They specialize in unusual, non-traditional, hard-to-find cotton fabrics and design or produce many of them by hand – absolutely beautiful!
Marble-T Design – Beautiful hand-dyed marbled fabrics
Marjorie Lee Beavis Marbled Fabrics & Accessories – Exquisite hand-dyed marbled fabrics
Super Silk : For a variety of different types of silks, but especially for metallic silks (plain & crinkled), as well as those hard to find sink organzas & batiste
Ultra Style Designs - Good resource for ultrasuede (yardage & pieces) at reasonable prices
Unusual Quilting Fabrics & Supplies – For the "Daring"
Cowrie Shells : You do not have to pay a fortune for cowrie shells. Here are a couple of venors to try:
The Wandering Bull : Drilled cowrie shells are $8.50/hundred.
Luke’s Juke Joint : $4 / ounce (you’ll have to ask them how many are in an ounce and whether or not they are drilled)
Wakeda Trading Post : $7 / hundred (scroll down the page) – I bought cowrie shells from them for my daughter’s wedding.
Foil Technique & Supplies : This site (Laura Murray Designs) is a source for beautiful foils ($3/yd) as well as printable instructions on how to use them (also available for purchase is an instructional videotape).
Into the Wind : Tyvek is one of the "fabrics" frequently sought for some of the newer techniques. "Into the Wind" is a kite making supply shop that sells the type of tyvek that feels like cloth for only $2.50/yard.
MeinkeToy: This is the only US resource of which I am aware for some of the unique specialty items found at The Thread Studio. They also are very easy to shop with. Also are a resource for some of the difficult to find resource books.
The Thread Studio: Although this is an Australian company, you will be delighted with how easy it is to shop with them. They carry the widest assortment of "unusual" items for the newest techniques used in art quilts found anywhere. And, the US dollar is strong against the Australian dollar (e.g., at the moment, something that costs $10 in Australian (AUD) currency costs only $5.55 in US Dollars). To see how much each item would cost in US dollars, use the Universal Currency Converter:
1. Put the cost of the item in the box on the left (e.g., $10)
2. Scroll down in the 2nd box and click on Australian Dollars to highlight it
3. In the 3rd box, click on American Dollars to highlight it
4. Click on "Perform Currency Conversion"
FREE SOFTWARE
– There are several specialized software programs that are available as freeware or as shareware (the basic version is free but you pay a minimum fee if you want to upgrade to a full-featured version).
Bargello Designer – this program allows you to quickly and easily create beautiful Bargello quilt and needlepoint patterns. The site also provides extensive instructions on how to use the program. This is shareware. You can download and use the free version, then upgrade to the full featured version should you desire to do so.
Graph Paper Printer – Graph Paper Printer is an application designed to print custom graph paper in any size and colors. Numerous options are available through dropdown pick-lists. Wonderful program – completely free.
MAILING LISTS – Quilting focused mailing lists are one avenue for keeping on top of what is happening in the broader quilt world. Lists range from the purely chatty where just about any conversation is welcomed, to the topic specific where general chit chat is strictly discouraged. It is considered good "netiquette" to introduce yourself when you first subscribe. It is usually wise to "lurk" (reading the messages without posting) for a few days until you have a sense of what "the lay of the land" is for that particular group. There are now at least a zillion mailing lists and more pop up every day. Some of the most well established are:
Applique: For all of those interested in applique…hand or machine…sharing ideas, patterns, tips, websites, BOM (block of the month) patterns and swaps.
Art2Wear: This mailing list is for the intermediate to advanced fiber artist with an emphasis on wearable ART. Discussion of technique, resources, designers and the creative process form the backbone of the list.
Bead Talk: This list is meant for the friendly exchange of information and ideas concerning any aspect of beading or related crafts. This list is meant to be fun as well as informative.
Complex Cloth : A list devoted to the creation of art cloth. It includes general discussion and instructions spanning the field of fabric dying and surface design.
Crazy Quilt: The topic of this list is Crazy Quilting, which is a type of needlework that was popular in the Victorian era and has been gaining in popularity since a resurgence of the craft in the 70’s. Crazy Quilting consists of irregularly shaped patches of fabric which are sewn to a backing fabric. The patches are usually embellished with embroidery or trims. Topics for discussion include, but are not limited to: crazy patching, antique quilts, members projects, hand embroidery, machine embroidery, other embellishments (like lace, beads, buttons and ribbons), classes, books, fabrics, ornaments, wallhangings and many others.
Dyers List: A mailing list for the discussion of technical questions, problems and information related to immersion dyeing and to the surface application of synthetic dyes, textile pigments and related chemicals, to fabric and fiber
Freemotions: This mailing list is open to the discussion of any questions or comments relating to free motion embroidery as opposed to designing or using the pre-programmed embroidery stitches of a sewing machine. The freemotion style of embroidery usually focuses on a method where the feed dogs or teeth are disengaged and a darning foot (or something similar) is used to stitch a straight or zigzag stitch to fill in the areas of design as the fabric is guided by hand.
PC Piecers: A list for Foundation Piecing Lovers
QuiltArt: This is the Internet’s largest mailing list for contemporary art quilters. It was established in 1995 as a means for those interested in innovative, contemporay art quilting to share, learn and grow. Not a chat list.
Quilt Heritage: The Quilt Heritage ListServ was created to give quilters a forum to discuss the historical aspects of quilting. All aspects of antique quilts – fabrics, design, color, etc. – as well as the stories behind them are discussed. Experiences with the more practical aspect of antique quilts – finding, washing, researching, restoring and even reproducing are shared. Some buying, selling and swapping is allowed, but the primary focus is on learning from each other by exchanging stories, research, tips and techniques.
Watercolour Quilts: For anyone interested in creating watercolour quilts.
ONLINE LESSONS
– Applique; Block Patterns; Color Confidence; Crazy Quilts; Glossaries of Quilting Terms; Half-Square and Quarter-Square Triangles; Hand Quilting; Paper Piecing; Quilt Guilds (how to start, program ideas); Quilt Patterns; Quilting Designs/Motifs; Tips & Techniques
ORGANIZATIONS – national quilt organizations.
National Quilting Association, Inc.
OTHER
Lost Quilt Come Home: This is a site that is dedicated to providing information about miminizing risk of loss when shipping quilts to exhibits and elsewhere. Information is excellent and includes:
Documenting Your Quilts
Shipping Your Quilts Safely
Displaying Your Quilts Away from Home
Resolving Problems with UPS
Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum: An extensive and well constructed Personal Quilt Documentation Form can be printed from this site. General information about the care and preservation of quilts is posted as well.
Stain Removal Guide – This guide is comprehensive and is provided by a Pharmaceutical Chemist who is the retired CEO of a New Zealand detergent company. Just about any type of stain you are ever likely to encounter is addressed.
QUILT ARTIST/PROFESSIONAL RESOURCES
American Indian Arts and Crafts Association (IACA) – this is a not-for-profit organization established in 1974 to support the effective protection and ethical promotion of authentic Native American art and material culture.
Appraisal – apparaisers who have been certified by the American Quilter’s Society
Art Calendar – the business magazine for professional artists; a resource for exhibitition, competition and other opportunities.
Art Deadlines List – a monthly e-mail resource for exhibit, competition and other opportunities for artists. You can select to receive either the free or the paid version.
Visual Art in Hollywood and Cyberspace – the Ringgold suit
Developing Your Artist Portfolio : Written by Matthew Deleget of the Visual Artist Information Hotline (NY).
How to Write an Artist’s Statement : This 9-page article addresses how to decide on a title for your work, as well as writing an artist’s statement. Examples of statements are included.
Artist’s Statement: Another article with examples that address how to write one.
One Hundred Ways to Survive as an Artist Without Cutting Off Your Ear – A series of reminders aimed …[at] how to overcome the endless series of pitfalls that await every individual who chooses a creative life.
Professional Quilter Magazine – The Professional Quilter is a quarterly business journal for serious quilters — teachers, designers, shop owners, production and art quilters, machine quilters, any one who wants to make a successful living (full- or part-time) at quilting. A variety of how-to business articles and profiles on successful quilting professionals are offered. E-mail for information.
State Fact Sheets : The Visual Artist Information Hotline (NY) has Fact Sheets about grant opportunities in each of the fifty states.
Studio Art Quilt Association – this "…is a non-profit national organization, founded to serve artists working in the quilt medium whose work deserves recognition. SAQA also serves dealers, teachers, curators, and collectors who recognize the importance of the emerging Art Quilt, but need to know more about the field’s depth and range."
The Visual Artist’s Rights Act
National Endwoment for the Arts: A Guide to the Visual Artists Rights Act
Women of Color Quilter’s Network – although originally established as a general networking resource, this organization has evolved to specifically function as a resource for professional artists. Membership is currently closed. For information, e-mail Dr. Mazloomi.
PROFESSIONAL TEXTILE ARTISTS (A Sampling)
Caryl Bryer Fallert: Her work is stunning. What more can be said, except that her site is also a tremendous information resource – Caryl responds to FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) ranging from "How does light affect hand dyed fabrics?" to "How do you manage a large quilt on a regular size sewing machine?". A free pattern for "Flying Geese in a Circle" is available.
David Walker: Undoubtedly this is the most widely accessed web site of any textile artist. Here, David shares the spotlight with other artists as well as some of his innermost thoughts and feelings about being an artist and the artistic process (e.g., "Believe in it unconditionally for it is a mirror of your very self"). He even includes an article that addresses a difficult issue – rejection.
Debra Lunn & Michael Mrowka: Founders of Lunn Fabrics, Debra and Michael also collaborate to create whole cloth and pieced art quilts constructed from the best of their "one of a kind" fabrics"
Hollis Chatelain: This textile artist lived in Africa for 12 years and her work and imagery is strongly influenced by (and reflects) the deep feelings she has for both the people and their environment. Her work is beautiful and very expressive.
Jane Sassaman: Her work is known for bold designs with imagery of flowers and plants.
Joen Wolfrom: Well known for books such as The Visual Dance and The Magical Effects of Color, this site offers an extraordinary range of free block patterns (some with detailed piecing instructions) designed by Joen. They range from ones that are "easier" to those that are complex and challenging – Be sure to use a color printer if you have access to one. An "Ideas and Hints" section is planned.
Michael James: Long acknowledged as one of the premier contemporary artists working in a textile medium, the art of Michael James has undergone a radical shift in focus and direction. On this site you can read his artist statement and view a large selection of his recent work.
Nancy Crow : Developing a style originally based on the design techniques of Anna Williams, Nancy Crow has become well known for her "improvisational" quilts and fabric design.
