Category: Storytelling

Auction: Top of Southern Gap quilt

Leave a comment

This quilt is up for auction as part of The Modern Quilt Guild’s Modern for Modern auction, October 1-15.

Top of Southern Gap

My quilt number is 33 and bidding starts at $100.

My brother planned to build a new home in Buchanan County (our home place ) in the “Southern Gap” community. I researched and found the satellite view of the building lot. It is a reclaimed strip mines. I had just finished an Appliqué Piecing workshop with Shelia Frampton Cooper. And that’s how I made this quilt.

My brother didn’t buy the lot and didn’t build a home, mostly because they were going to build a new high school there and the access road was in front of the lot.

The new school is Southern Gap High School.

I hope you’ll want this quilt and support The Modern Quilt Guild.

45” x 35”

Finished 2021

You will need a Charity Auctions Today account to place a bid.

Go to Auction

On the Blue Side of the Mountain

1 Comment

On the Blue Side of the Mountain

Finished in 2024

51” x 64”

This quilt has a history. I have lots of hand-dyed indigo fabric. I learned this technique at Slow Stitching Retreat in Washington, Maine in 2017, hosted by A Gathering of Stitches, and taught by Kim Eichler-Messmer. That fall I hosted guild members at my home, and we dyed fabric. It’s nice to remember those times with those pieces. There are also a few remnants I received from Ana Conceicao, a guild member who works at UFab.

In Summer 2024, I took a hand-quilting class with Heidi Parkes, hosted by the Central Virginia Modern Quilt Guild. I used the middle section of this quilt as my workshop piece. I learned to be more observant about how I use my thimble and my hands. I finished it the week before the election. On Election Day I woke up with the idea to frame it with my indigo-dyed fabric. This was the first time I had used a completed quilt in this way.

I also wanted to manifest a “blue day” for the election. That did not happen, and blue represents sadness but also a community of people who are on the blue side of the mountain with me.

I must give credit to Chris Stapleton and Mike Henderson who wrote “Blue Side of the Mountain “ and to The Steel Drivers who performed it. The lyrics are:

On the blue side of the mountain where the sun don’t ever shine. So deep and dark like a hurtin’ down in my heart. Maybe someday they’ll show me some kind of sign.