Ellen Rushman & Modern Quilts

Marny here...Lovely adventures just keep coming our way.  We are so fortunate.  This is a story in which two special people will be introduced.  And if you read all the way to the end, we want to share about a special tutorial coming this way!

We met Ellen Rushman at the Fall Quilt Market in Houston.  Ellen is a graduate student at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln.  On Friday, March 2nd she presented Modern Quilting: DIY Discourse to the Lincoln Quilters  Guild.  Ellen has done extensive research on the Modern Quilt Guild, conducting interviews of the founders and members throughout the United States.  Her entertaining blog, Fabric Field, allows you a peek into her world. She and Madeleine Roberg have an exciting new endeavor, The Printed Bolt.

Ellen Rushman

Anyway, several weeks back we received an email from Sheila Green.  (More on wonderful Sheila further along in the post.)  Ellen planned to give the above lecture, could we provide some quilts for the event? Thank you again, Ellen, for bringing us to Sheila's attention.  So that is why you see Ellen standing in front of Cheddar No Crackers, and a Supper Club close by.  (I would like to point out that we last saw Ellen and Madeleine on Halloween in Houston creatively costumed as an unfinished projects.  Quilt Market is nothing if not full of surprises.)

Our quilts providing a backdrop in this expansive room.

But our quilts are not just a back drop to the talk, oh no, they are in a trunk show Sheila helped get rolling at the Bernina Sewing Studio in Lincoln.

Announcement our quilts will be at the Bernina Sewing Studio.

Here is another newspaper clipping detailing Ellen's presentation.

Our quilts hanging in the Bernina Sewing Studio, Lincoln NE.

More...

And even more.

That brings us to a bit about Sheila.  (All of these photos are courtesy Sheila btw.)  

Wow!  We have got to say, WOW!  Upon receiving more information about her activities, we just have to say it must be true, "if you need something done, ask a busy person."  Her role quickly grew from sending us an email on Ellen's behalf and that of the Lincoln Quilters Guild to orchestrating a Trunk Show at the Bernina Sewing Studio to picking up all the quilts in Des Moines to GETTING OUR QUILTS HUNG IN THE FOYER OF THE INTERNATIONAL QUILT STUDY CENTER & MUSEUM DURING THE SECOND HALF OF MARCH!!  Please excuse my "shouting" but we are so dang excited to have them there and see them hanging.  

Back to Sheila for a moment.  If it involves quilting in Nebraska she seems to participate! I have tried to think of a way to adequately let you know her activities, but I think I'll just publish a bit of what she sent us. 

"Basically, I'm a volunteer, love to travel with family (especially grandchildren) and friends.  I am a quilter involved in lots of quilting related volunteer work for the Lincoln Quilters Guild, Nebraska State Quilt Guild and IQSCM including being a docent at the IQSCM Also, at the museum, I teach "My Doll and I Classes" at the museum for elementary aged girls, classes for adults, on the FRIENDS of the IQSCM Board,.  Through the Lincoln guild, I do all scheduling for schools and volunteers for Discover Nebraska presentations (www.DiscoverNebraska.org is my website).  It's a supplement to the fourth grade Social Studies curriculum that combines Nebraska history and quilting.  I schedule and recruit volunteers for monthly Quilts for Community (LQG outreach project worked on at the IQSCM on Saturdays), chair National Quilting Day, etc. Nebraska State Quilt Guild Education Chair, Quilt History Day Chair.   I have taught classes at Bernina Sewing Studio and the Nebraska History Museum in recent years."

Sheila Chairs the National Quilting Day event at the IQSCM and that is why our quilts were presented to the appropriate people to approve or disapprove for the foyer and they passed!  So they will be going up the 16th in time for a special day at the museum and will remain up till April 1st.

Here is some information on the special class Sheila will be teaching.  It sounds like a joyful three hours learning/playing monoprinting.  Her students will get to dye a silk scarf.  Look into it everybody!  And you get to experience all the Museum has to offer.  If interested please call the number given, this photo of the form is just that, and is not meant for registration purposes.

So our many thanks to Sheila Green and Ellen Rushman and all the kind people at the Bernina Sewing Studio and the International Quilt Study Center & Museum.  

Now, as promised, more about that tutorial.  Next week, if all goes as planned, Jill will present a special tutorial on a well designed but simple to execute quilt back.  It is so cute it would make a simple quilt top too.  Think a baby quilt in no time flat.  Come back and check it out!

Till Tuesday...