I was certified by the American Quilter’s Society in 1991. Since that time, I have appraised more than 150 quilts per year. This number includes quilts not only from Georgia, but throughout the southeast and internationally. I have been very active in the quilting/textile world, including exhibiting my work locally, regionally, and internationally, teaching quilt classes, lecturing, curating exhibits, judging, and taking classes for continuing education.
I also serve as the Vice Chair of the Georgia Quilt Project. From 1990-1993, we documented and photographed over 8,000 quilts owned by individuals throughout the state of Georgia. The results of that project are published in Georgia Quilts: Piecing Together a History, published by University of Georgia Press. I have also co-curated several exhibits at the Atlanta History Center, of both historic and contemporary quilts, each containing more than 80 quilts.
I co-organized the collection of the quilts presented as the welcome gift to each country represented in the 1996 Olympic Games. This was a collection of over 400 quilts, made by Georgia quilt makers. This resulted in an exhibit at the Atlanta History Center prior to the 1996 games, as well as publication of the book The Olympic Games Quilts: America’s Welcome to the World featuring pictures of the quilts presented. An additional 200 quilts for the Paralympics were also made and distributed that same year. In 1998, I was invited to represent the Georgia quilters in Nagano, Japan. The quilters of Japan also welcomed participants, with quilts in the shape of a kimono, to the Winter Olympic Games. Small gift quilts were presented to the quilt makers of Nagano as a symbolic passing of the quilted torch from the Georgia quilters. My most recent nod to the Olympics has been to co-author the book, Trip Around the World: A Country Quilt Block Travelogue, with Anita Weinraub, published by Schiffer Publications, 2012. The book features 207 original quilt blocks created by over 150 artists, each designed for a different country.
From 1996 – 2000, I was chair of the quilts for the Birdhouse Artfest, which benefited Habitat for Humanity – Atlanta. During that time, we were able to raise over $40,000 just from the sale of quilts and quilted wall hangings. That’s enough to build a house!
2002 found me consulting with Tinwood Media as to the fabric content and pattern names of over 400 of the quilts in their collection of quilts from Gees Bend, Alabama. This work was done to prepare the quilts and their descriptions for multiple exhibitions in museums across the United States and for a comprehensive publication.
I served as the president of the Bulloch Hall Quilter’s Guild of Roswell, Georgia from 2007-2008. The guild continues its tradition of an annual quilt show, showcasing over 200 quilts in the historic 1840’s home of Mittie Bulloch. The guild is also very active in the community, donating over 100 quilts a year to a variety of charitable organizations on both the local and national level. In 2008, I was elected president of the Professional Association of Appraisers – Quilted Textiles (PAAQT), an international group, dedicated to providing professional development and deeper understanding of both antique and contemporary quilts and related topics through education. All members of PAAQT have been rigorously tested and certified by the American Quilter’s Society, ISA, ASA, or AAA and are held to the highest ethical standards. Many of the members are also involved in other areas of quilting and/or textile expertise such as judging shows, teaching classes, or textile conservation.
I continue to be asked to judge quilt shows, locally, regionally, and nationally, and have judged the Georgia National Fair numerous times.
Quilts that I have made have been shown locally, regionally, and internationally. Many have been published. Some have earned international honors and recognition. In 2009, I was challenged by my friend and fellow quilt teacher and designer in Kyoto, Japan, to make one of her designs. I was given only a line drawing and told that it represented the life cycle of a sunflower. I was to put my spirit and inspiration to the interpretation of color. Since my cousin has a field of sunflowers just down the road from us, I witnessed its infusion of blue sky and gold and green life. My quilt is entitled “When Heaven and Nature Sing!” I was honored to be invited to exhibit this quilt in 2010 at the Kyoto Museum, in Kyoto, Japan. It has since been exhibited in Seoul, S. Korea and featured in magazines both in Japan and Korea.
Besides my life in quilting, I have had the privilege of being married to Ken. We enjoy spending time with our family, Kyle, Allie, Kaden (precious #1 grandson) and his younger brother Quinn (precious #2 grandson), and our younger son Keith. We all love long walks on the beach, digging in the sand, soaking up the sun, reading, and travel. And of course, University of Georgia football – Go Dawgs!
Appraisals:
1991 – Certified by the American Quilter’s Society
Curatorial:
1994 – Atlanta History Center, Atlanta, GA., Guest Curator, “Olympic Quilts: Georgia’s Gift to the World”
1996 – BellSouth, Atlanta, GA., Curator, “Paralympic Gift of Quilts”
1998 – Atlanta History Center, Atlanta, GA., Curator, “Georgia Quilts: Piecing Together History (1800-1920)”
2000 – BellSouth, Atlanta, GA., Curator, “Not Just Grandma’s Flower Garden”
2004-2007 Atlanta History Center, Atlanta, GA, Co-curator “Designs of the Times: 20th Century Quilts of Georgia”
Judging:
1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011 – Georgia National Fair, Perry Georgia
2005 – East Cobb Quilt Guild, Marietta, GA
2005 – Lake City Quilt Show , Stephen Foster State Park, Lake City, FL.
2009 – Birmingham Quilter’s Guild, Birmingham, AL.
Teaching:
1988 – Calico Quilter, Roswell, Georgia. Beginning and hand quilting classes.
1993 – 2003 – Forsyth County Park and Recreation, Cumming, GA. Teacher
1993 – 2003 – Senior’s Enriched Living, Roswell, GA., Teacher
2002 – Professional Appraiser’s Association – Quilted Textiles, Paducah, KY., “Contemporary Quilts and Surface Embellishments”
2006 – Professional Appraiser’s Association – Quilted Textiles, Paducah, KY. “Long Arm Machine Quilting: Descriptions and Costs”.
2010 – Thread Bear Fabrics, Cumming, Georgia. Teacher
Exhibits:
1992 – Present – Bulloch Hall, Roswell, GA., “Great American Cover-up” annual exhibit
1995 – Atlanta History Center, Atlanta, GA., “Olympic Quilts: GA’s Gift to the World”
1996 – BellSouth, Atlanta, GA. “Paralympic Gift of Quilts”
1996-2000 – Birdhouse Artfest, Habitat for Humanity, Atlanta, GA.
2005 – Nagoya Dome International Quilt Show, Nagoya, Japan.
2006 – Atlanta History Center, Atlanta, GA. “Designs of the Times: 20th Century Quilts”
2010 – Kyoto Museum, Invitational Exhibition, Kyoto-fu, Japan
2011 – Seoul, South Korea. Invitational Exhibition with Reiko Nakazawa
Other:
1991-1992 – Piecemaker’s Quilt Guild, Cumming, GA., President
1992 – Present – Georgia Quilt Project, Norcross, GA. , Vice Chair
1996-2000 – Birdhouse Artfest (Benefitting Habitat for Humanity, Atlanta) Quilt Artist Coordinator
2002-2004 – Tinwood Alliance, Atlanta, GA., Consultant for “Quilts of Gees Bend”
2007-2008 – Bulloch Hall Quilt Guild, Roswell, GA, President
2008 – 2010 – Professional Association of Appraisers – Quilted Textiles, President
2012 A Trip Around the World: A Country Quilt Block Travelogue, co-author with Anita Weinraub
Professional associations:
American Quilter’s Society
American Quilt Study Group
Bulloch Hall Quilt Guild
Georgia Quilt Council
Georgia Quilt Project
Professional Association of Appraisers – Quilted Textiles (PAAQT)
