Nancy Crow workshop in Ohio

A friend and I went to the first week of Nancy Crow's workshop series in Ohio. This one was all about strip piecing to make your base fabric, then using that base fabric to compose a quilt.  I had to purchase over 50 yards of fabric for this class and ship it ahead of time.  I also had to bring just about everything else I owned, and rent some more stuff on the other end.  This was not a class for lightweights!  Serious quilters only!  Well, you all know by now that I am a serious quilter.

Nancy Crow has been a nationally known and recognized leader and early innovator of the contemporary quilt movement, with several books, awards, shows and devoted followers.  She was one of the founders of Quilt National held at the Dairy Barn in Athens, Ohio back in 1979.  It was a real treat to be able to study under her tutelage at her fabulous barn in central Ohio.  As she said to all of us, "You're not getting any younger and neither am I".  So it was high time to take a class.

I signed up for only one week, but many people signed up for 2 weeks this time, and have signed up for other classes in the spring and fall of 2017.  Many people have studied with Nancy for three or more years.  And they are all excellent contemporary quilters.  So she knows her stuff.

I learned a lot, sewed from sun up to sun down and then a few more hours past that, ate some fabulous meals, and made a couple of pieces that may or may not get finished.  It was all about learning the process, not trying to make an heirloom quilt.

Here is my black and white piece.  My color piece needs some more work.

Black and White Study by Joanne Adams Roth

The Dairy Barn, Athens, Ohio

My friend and I went to The Dairy Barn in Athens, Ohio to see a contemporary quilt show entitled, "Mastery - Sustaining Momentum".  It was a trip that I had wanted to take for a long time, but never quite got to Ohio.  Since we were already there to take a class from Nancy Crow, we made the drive down.

The Dairy Barn is an old converted Barn near the college campus in Athens.  It has been the location for Quilt National since 1979.   It is the premier location for contemporary quilt exhibits.

This show was curated by Nancy Crow and includes 3 large works by each artist.  One of our local friends was invited to participate in the show, so we had an extra special reason to catch the exhibit while we were there.  No pictures are allowed in the exhibit, so I can't post any to show you, but there are YouTube videos of all of the quilters explaining their process and showing their quilts.  Get over there and have a look.  Just search on "Mastery Sustaining Momentum The Dairy Barn" or try this link Mastery Sustaining Momentum and they should all come up.

So here is a picture of The Dairy Barn from outside.   Lovely, don't you think?

The Dairy Barn