AAQ CRAZY FOR QUILTS EXHIBIT

The Alliance for American Quilts and Handmade in America hosted a special reception today in conjunction with AAQ's Crazy for Quilts Exhibit. The exhibit honors the spirit of the crazy quilt, a genre of quiltmaking that emerged in the late 1800's, traditionally featuring oddly shaped pieces of fancy cloth like silk and velvet, and often embellished with extravagant embroidery.

Member Merikay Waldvogel, a well known quilt historian, has written an essay on the contest which can be read here.

It was an honor to preview all of the 85 pieces which will be auctioned on eBay to benefit AAQ

Oct. 26-Nov. 15th. You may visit AAQ's website for the auction date of each quilt. This is their main fund raiser of the year so I hope the following photos, which of course don't do justice to the quilts, will get the bidding going! A big thank you goes out to all the artists who have created and then donated these fabulous 16" x 16" quilts.

The quilts are being posted with permission from AAQ. Some are created in the original tradition of crazy quilting.....others have interpreted the contest title in other fun ways...... Enjoy!

Rose Song by Betty Pillsbury - Middleburgh, NY

Still Crazy After All These Years by Ramona Bates - Little Rock, Arkansas

Crazy Cow Polarity by Kathryn Wagar Wright - Highlands Ranch, CO

But I Know Crazy by Luke Haynes - Bend, OR

A Modern Romance by Debra Jo Hardman - Anchorage, Alaska

Detail of A Modern Romance.....this clever feather got a lot of attention....it was created with threads, perhaps on a water soluble.

Crazy for Beads by Amy Munson - Bismarck, ND

Detail - Crazy for Beads - of course I'd be drawn to this piece!!

Crazy for Ewes by Sheila Rauen - Knoxville, TN

Created using wool, felted wool, needle felting, and wonderful machine stitching. Sheila is a Bernina Artisan....her machine skills are very apparent in this charming piece.