With Deepest Gratitude

Good things keep arriving in the mail. Today came a check for $500 from the Northern Lake County Quilters Guild  to help with my Georgian Quilt Group. I gave my lecture "Connecting Cultures:An American Quiltmaker's Pilgrimage" at their May meeting. They were a delight and engaging group and now they have a piece of my heart. Thank you!

Poem by W.S. Merwin

Your absence has gone through me 

Like thread through a needle.

Everything I do is stitched with 

its color.

 M.S. Merwin

My first quilt group in Georgia (country not state). Miss you!

Dream

This quilt (detail) has special meaning for me. Parts of it including the binding were created on a crank sewing machine while I was in Georgia. There are thousands of beads that have all hand sewed so the piece traveled with me. I love watching people stroke the quilt which I do allow because it is such a tactile experience. I'm working on getting my website back up and I've decided to use this quilt on my opening page. This one has so many good memories.

Georgia Today

A wonderful article is in Georgia Today about a quilt exhibit by Ira Lavinenko and Tata Bakradze. I want to thank the reporter, Maria Savostyanova, for her excellent job. I was deeply touched that I was included in the article. Here I share a photo of Tata and one of her quilts. Tata is always happy and laughing even when things are tough in her life. "Art is our life," Tata said. She is currently teaching drawing and painting at the Tbilisi Youth Palace. I am so proud of my friends. Three pieces have sold!

Ira and one of her quilts

This is a photo of my dear friend Ira. Right now she and another friend, Tata, are having an exhibit of their work in Tbilisi, Georgia. I am so sad that I cannot be there to see them and their work. Ira loves to collaborate. The growth in her work is truly amazing. I am also fortunate enough to have been given this quilt which hangs in my bedroom so I go to sleep each night looking at it and wake each morning to this mysterious woman and the love of a dear friend. Who could ask for anything more?

Ira's Second Face

Here is the first face that Ira decided she did not want to use.

Enjoy!
Karen

Detail of Ira's Quilt

Sue, your wish is my command. There are actually two faces in the quilt. When she started the first one she didn't like it but didn't want to discard it. In my last couple of trips to Georgia, I've been teaching surface design techniques. While I continue to ship fabric to the group, the expense is reducing the size and frequency. I wanted them to try to use what they can find. It still amazes me that they do not get better quality cottons being a neighbor of Turkey. The shop owners just don't seem to understand a need. I was able to convince several stationery stores to import rotary cutters. However in more than two years of effort, I have not been able to convince them of the need for mats. Anyway, her face was done with acrylic paint.

My oldest son pointing out to me at the "Quilt Me a Story" opening that he could see my influence in all the quilts. I try hard not to put myself too much in my students work. I do know it is there. Just like the quilts at the museum are made with a lot of my fabrics. So are the ones, like this one, from Georgia. I love seeing my fabric used my others. Georgians did not like the idea of black and white quilts until they kept seeing mine. An influence, yes. However, Ira's quilt does not look like my work at all. Karen

Georgian Quilt Group

This is Ira Kashrashvilli-Lavrinenko from my quilt group in Georgia (former U.S.S.R.). Whenever and wherever I teach, I always stress that the work you create should come from within you. When I asked Ira while the woman looked so sad, she told that she was sad because she did not have a man. She has plans to create a Spanish man with a feather in his hat to accompany this quilt. It took the members of my Georgian group some time to come to realize that they needed to create things that reflected who they were. I am so proud of Ira. Not only is she creating quilts that reflect her but she is becoming more precise! My world is a better place with her in it.
Karen