Ark Angels, LLC
Quilting and Fiber Arts
Quilts that were made by her great grandmother stirred Jeanne to learn more about quilting. Shortly before Jeanne retired, she signed up for a beginner quilting class, thinking that might be the one and only quilting class she would take, but she never stopped quilting. What a fun way to express your artistic side and to take your mind off everyday worries!
No time to make a full quilt? You can always express yourself with smaller fiber arts projects.
Jeanne encourages savoring the important things in life: our heritage and our loved ones, our gardens and the decorations that make them fun, our photographs, and our quilts along with other fiber arts. How many of us have special and treasured items stored away in a cedar chest, or in the attic, or in a plastic bin? Jeanne encourages individuals to use and display these items while giving proper concern to their preservation. If this historical emphasis is too dry for your taste, Jeanne steps outside of this "historical corridor" to use computer technology and to create imaginative and cutting edge art as well.
What future heritage items will represent our period of time? That is up to each of us and what we create. Tell your story. If not for others, just tell it to yourself and remember each of those special, unique pieces of time that are given to us.
Jeanne tries to make time available to do minor repairs on quilts that have been loved a bit too much. Check with her if you have a quilt that needs some areas stabilized. The repair will be made with special care and concern and to maintain the original character of the quilt. Jeanne also undertakes to create one-of-a-kind custom quilts made to order as time permits.
Lectures that are available:
From Grandmother's Trunk - Using Vintage Fabrics in New Ways
In addition to those quilts made by her great grandmother, Jeanne has embroidered items made by her grandmother and crocheted items made by each of them, tatted items made by her aunt, antique buttons, vintage costume jewelry, old lace, old greeting cards, notebooks recording everyday life, newspaper clippings, work related sketches made by one of the grandfathers of Jeanne... the list goes on and on. All of these items, are special, but her decorating style does not emphasize "antiques." Jeanne will discuss ways to use these items in your quilting and other fabric arts and will show examples. Do not worry if you did not inherit such things, just go to a consignment shop, flea market, garage sale or antique store and buy exactly what you would like to use or create something that looks old, but is actually new.
History and Politics Reflected in Quilting
Quilting has a rich heritage and it is fascinating to see the ways in which women followed the candidates and political events around them through their quilts. Can you imagine the discussions that took place around the quilting frame? Jeanne will trace some of these developments with you and share blocks that relate to specific events. She will give you some ideas of how to interpret history and political events in your own quilting.
Workshops being offered:
Hot Fudge Sundae with a Cherry on Top: This workshop is an adaptation of the pattern Chocolate Ripple by Janet Jones Worley found in her book Quilts for Ice Cream Lovers. Anyone taking the class will be required to purchase this book. The results produce a fun quilt and who doesn't love ice cream - even if we are talking about fabric?
Venetian Tiles: This workshop guides the quilter through the pattern Venetian Tiles by Patricia Pepe. Students must purchase a copy of the pattern and a special X-Block Ruler, also develped by Patricia Pepe. If students prefer to simply get an introduction to various ways to use the X-Block Ruler, an overview of the types of patterns that can be created and a guide on how to use the ruler can be the basis for the class rather than a specific pattern.
Jeanne will be adding some additional workshops soon so come back to view the new additions!
Lectures are normally priced beginning at $150. Pricing for a workshop consisting of 3 hours begins at $175 for 10 (or fewer) students or $200 for up to 20 students. Creating a 6 hour workshop (one hour of which is for lunch) is just a little more. Unless you are in the immediate area, the guild or organization will be responsible for accommodations and reimbursement for mileage. Mileage and overnight arrangements will be discussed with you prior to booking.
(The photo at the top of the page is of a quilt that was lovingly used, made by Jeanne's great grandmother, Hermina. The fan design is so beautiful in quilting. The quilt shown at the bottom was hand embroidered by her grandmother, Eva, and quilted by Eva's mother, Hermina. It was never used and looks absolutely perfect. Both of these quilts were probably made some time around 1940. Remember to label your quilts or to identify them in a journal. There is no identifying information on these quilt, as is true for all the quilts that Jeanne's great grandmother made.)
Thanks to a very kind quilter who I only know online, I found out the identity of the embroidered quilt pattern. It is Ruby McKim's Flower Garden quilt first published in the newspaper in 1929-1930!