My improv quilts at Chattanooga Theatre Center exhibit

"Marketplace" (detail)
by Veronica Hofman-Ortega

quilting… check
trimming… check
facing… check
labels… check
sleeve… check.

"Marketplace," my latest improv quilt, has been delivered and will be in the exhibit at the Chattanooga Theatre Center in conjunction with live performances of "Gee's Bend; A Story of the Alabama Quilters" by Elyzabeth Gregory Wilder, September 10 - 21, 2014.

"A Tribute to Steve," from a guild Challenge, will also be in the exhibit along with a few other Gee's Bend-inspried quilts made by Chattanooga quilters.

Some of my fellow guild members have also made quilts that will be used as props in the performance. Get your tickets now before they are sold out.

Enjoy the quilts and QuiltWeek Chattanooga!

"Marketplace" by Veronica Hofman-Ortega
34" x 32"

"A Tribute to Steve" by Veronica Hofman-Ortega
17" x 18.5"

"Needle and Thread" exhibit reception kicks off QuiltWeek Chattanooga

"Dresden Plate meets
the 21st Century"
by Vista Mahan

Want to get a jump on QuiltWeek Chattanooga with an amuse-bouche of savory quilty goodness?

To celebrate quilters and the art of quiltmaking, the Association for the Visual Arts (AVA) is hosting an exhibit entitled "Needle and Thread," at the AVA Gallery [30 Frazier Ave., Chattanooga, TN] with an opening reception on Saturday, September 6 from 2-8 pm.

This exhibit features artists working with materials and processes often present in quilt making or fabric assemblage. Artists working across a variety of media will be represented, including Hollie Berry, Melissa Hoesman, Vista Mahan, Ongeleigh Underwood and Linda White. The opening reception will coincide with AVA's 8th annual Gallery Hop.

My quiltmaker buddy, Vista, has pieces in this exhibit. We both belong to the Choo Choo Quilters and Chattanooga Modern guilds and have worked on several exhibits, guild programs, Guild Challenges and quilting projects together over the years. It's exciting to see her work accepted for this special exhibit.

Here is another quilted wall piece that will be included in the AVA "Needle and Thread" exhibit.

"Five Red Pyramids" by Vista Mahan

This is just one of the many exhibits and activities happening around town in conjunction with AQS QuiltWeek Chattanooga. Hope to see you at several of them!

ATCs: ___-ing up a storm

"Sewing up a Storm" by Cathy Dillon

As AQS QuiltWeek Chattanooga is a mere week away, area quilters, quilt shops and quilt guilds are frantically stitching labels and sleeves on the backs of quilts... cutting, folding and kitting quilting lovelies to showcase in their booths at the vendor mall... and double-checking rosters and disseminating information to volunteers who will be assisting at this upcoming city-wide quilting extravaganza.

I am among this vast group of [ahem… slightly crazy and frazzled] people.

The Artist Trading Card (ATC) artists in the FiberAntics ATC swap are also voraciously consuming their time with sewing, quilting, cooking and various indoor and outdoor activities as the summer begins to wane. These ATCs depict this month's theme, "___-ing up a Storm." 

Preparing for AQS QuiltWeek Chattanooga
"Stitching up a Storm" by Veronica Hofman-Ortega

"Stitching up a flower garden [during] a [summer] storm."
by Linda Smith

"Gardening up a Storm!"
by Marilyn League

"Mowing... up a storm!"
by Karen Downer

"Creating Up A Storm"
by Lisa Howard

With no required Book Club books to plow through, this ATC artist says she's free to read the pile of books she really wants to read.

"(summer) Reading… up a storm"
by Bonnie Stevens

"I'm Cooking up a Storm"
by Liz Armstrong

This ATC artist says you'll find her wearing an apron canning and baking. I thinks she's got a great idea to accompany this task with a tasty libation.

"Wearing and apron canning and baking up a storm."
by Sharon Griffith

"Dancing up a Storm"
by Carlene Jacobsen

My personal invitation to you:
Come visit Chattanooga next week for QuiltWeek, September 10-13! Dance, run and skip on over to see us and be in awe of what all the talented quilters and fabric artists will have on display all over the city as well as at the American Quilters Society (AQS) Show at the Chattanooga Convention Center [1150 Carter St., Chattanooga]. There are activities happening early in the week before the AQS quilt show officially opens, as well as exhibits and performances the following weeks and months through the end of the year.

The River Journey exhibit and "Dewdle" quilt blocks during QuiltWeek Chattanooga

Since January of this year, I've been involved with the Chattanooga Modern Quilt Guild (CMQG) committee that is working with the Tennessee Aquarium and IMAX Theatre on quilt exhibits for AQS QuiltWeek Chattanooga, September 10-13, 2014. About 15 quilts will hang throughout the River Journey exhibit at the Aquarium. Here is a snippet of one of them, made by my friend, Vista.

"Glimpses of Fish" by Vista A. Mahan

There has been so much interest in the TN River Collaborative project that I wrote about here and here… that I thought I'd share a few more detail shots.

Detail: "TN River Project: a Collaborative"

Detail: "TN River Project: a Collaborative"

Detail: "TN River Project: a Collaborative"

Many members from various Chattanooga area quilt guilds are working with local businesses and attractions on exhibits and activities that would appeal to visitors—quilters and non-quilters alike—during QuiltWeek Chattanooga. I blogged about some of them. Here is a partial list:

QuiltWeek activities in Chattanooga.

Zuri Quilters exhibit and presentation at the Bessie Smith Cultural Center
Gee's Bend play at the Chattanooga Theatre Center
Quilts by children at the Creative Discovery Museum
TN River Collaborative project and quilt exhibit at the Tennessee Aquarium
"Quilts of Chattanooga" trunk show at Chattanooga WorkSpace
"Needle and Thread" art exhibit at Association for the Visual Arts Gallery
Quilt exhibit at Hamilton Place Mall

Pick up one of these brochures for a road map of activities and exhibits you won't want to miss during QuiltWeek Chattanooga. After you've spent the day admiring the AQS juried show and special exhibits, and supporting the vendors by shopping the vendor mall at the Trade and Convention Center, spend your evening at one of the downtown quilting exhibits.

If you are an early riser, experience artist Hollie Berry's "Dewdle" quilt blocks before the show opens (see video here).

Dewdle quilt block at Coolidge Park, Chattanooga, TN.

Hollie creates quilt block-inspired doodles using the morning dew as her medium.