Sue Graham for the Road 2016 Special Exhibit Woolies Four Pound Challenge.
The Woolie Nuts Friendship Group, located in Virginia, was formed by a group of six crafter-artist-quilters who wanted to get together and work on wool projects. Today, the group has grown to over 15 members, including former Road faculty Pat Sloan and Kimberly Einmo
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Kimberly Einmo. Photo by Brian Roberts Photography[/caption]
and Road’s special staff assistant, Stevii Graves.
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Stevii Graves. Photo by Brian Roberts Photography[/caption]
It was Pat Sloane who received an 85 pound box of fabric scraps from two of her fabric lines that she designed for Moda Fabrics. Sue Graham picked up the box from Pat’s home and spent 2 hours separating the strips by color. Then, with the help of 5 other gals, Sue and her friends dropped and mixed the different width strips into 20 piles, each weighing four pounds.
The Group decided on the rules for the challenge. Each participant had to use one of the random 4 pound bags of Pat’s scraps to create an original quilt that was no longer than 85” on one side. It was OK to add fabrics to their design, so long as it was another Moda fabric. They had until September 1, 2016 to complete their quilts.
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Kelley Totaro. Photo by Brian Roberts Photography[/caption]
Sue took the 21 quilts and organized them into a Special Exhibit that was first displayed at Road to California 2016.
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Sherry Cowley. Photo by Brian Roberts Photography[/caption]
Many of the quilt creators came to the show to see their work in the exhibit.
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Sisters Joanne Rowicki and Ann Weber, “The Gingham Girls” Photo by Brian Rpberts Photography[/caption]
Most of the Woolie Nuts had reservations to return home to Virginia the Saturday of Road. However a blizzard of historic proportions hit the east coast and all flights were cancelled. What do quilters do when they are stranded 3,000 miles from home without transportation? They work on quilt projects they brought in their suitcases, of course. And take advantage of the California sunshine!! Flights to Virginia resumed the following Tuesday, so the Woolie Nuts were on their way. What a maiden trip for the Woolies Four Pound Challenge!!
Where does the special exhibit go next? First stop will be Home Machine Quilting & Sewing, May 5-7, 2016 in Salt Lake City, Utah. After, the exhibit can be viewed at SewOriginal Quilt & Expo in Reno, Nevada, June 23-25, 2016.]]>
Posts Tagged ‘Pat Sloan’
After the Challenge: Creating The 2016 Special Exhibit, Woolies Four Pound Challenge
Tuesday, March 29th, 2016Road 2016 Special Exhibit: Woolies Four Pound Challenge
Thursday, July 9th, 2015Work begins on specialty exhibits long before they go on view at Road to California.
What would you do if you got 85 pounds of fabric scraps in the mail? Well, if you were Pat Sloan, you’d take them to your friendship group and issue a challenge!!
And that’s exactly what Pat did. The scraps were sent from Moda Fabrics and were strips from two of Pat’s fabric lines that she had designed for them: One for You, One for Me and The Sweet Life. Pat wanted the scraps out of her house, so she enlisted the help of her Woolie Nuts Friendship Group.
Woolie Nuts started as a group of six crafter-artist-quilters who wanted to get together and work on wool projects. Today, the group has grown to over 15 members. The Woolie Nuts meet monthly from 7:00 – 9:30 p.m. in a grocery store in Sterling, Virginia under a sign that says, “Do Not Schedule Meetings In This Area.” Like any other friendship group, they order food, pull up some tables, socialize while they work on their projects, and are supportive of each other in all aspects of their lives.
One of the Woolie Nuts, Sue Graham, went over to Pat’s house and got the 85 pound box of fabric scraps. It took her two hours to sort the strips by color.
Then with the help of 5 other gals, Sue and her friends dropped and mixed the different width strips into 20 piles, each weighing four pounds.
The group decided together on the rules for their Woolies Four Pound Challenge. Each participant has to use one of the random 4 pound bags of Pat’s scraps to create an original quilt that is no longer than 85” on one side. It is OK to add fabrics to their design, so long as it is another Moda fabric. They have until September 1, 2016 to complete their quilts.
There will be 20 quilts in the Woolies Four Pound Challenge Special Exhibit. Fifteen will be made by Woolie’s members and an additional five quilts will be made from quilters not in the Woolie Nuts group.
Are you as curious as we are to see what these talented quilters come up with? We will just have to wait until Road 2016 to find out!!
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