Detail from "Rain Dance," an original quilt by Sherrie Spangler

Saturday, May 9, 2020

Unpacking memories


Today I unpacked more boxes and ended up taking a trip down memory lane, starting with my quilting binders and quilt show bags. I made the collage self portrait for a show that I was in with PAQA -- the Professional Art Quilters Association -- when I lived in Illinois. That's really how I looked and dressed 20 years ago ...


My Illinois years were when I also belonged to a small art quilt group called FAABS that exhibited a lot in Northern Illinois. I had forgotten about the big FAABS binder I kept, but today I enjoyed paging through it and remembering all of our exhibits. It was my job to make the announcements and signage, like these:




Here we are at that 2003 "Celebrate Spring!" show at the Klehm Arboretum in Rockford. We always put out a big spread of colorful appetizers and desserts, and we dressed colorfully, too.


Then there was the box of quilt show bags going back to 1994. What do you do with all of those bags? Does anyone else keep them, along with the pins and ribbons? I just can't bear to throw them out, so my kids will have to deal with them when I go.


I went to the AQS show in 1994 because I had an outfit accepted into the fashion show and you had to model your own garment. I made a black and gold number called "Solstice Celebration," with the jacket based on Judy Murrah's "Jacket Jazz" book that was so popular back then. I also made a top to go under it and a crinkly, swirly skirt. It was mortifying to have to walk across the stage, and I don't remember a thing the announcer said about me.


Then I moved to El Paso, TX, and started going to the International Quilt Festival in Houston in 1995. It was at once overwhelming and immensely inspirational!


I had some quilts juried into that show, and those were the days when you had to submit slides of your work. I unpacked this thick binder of slides, which I took outside in natural light with a Nikon camera that had a great lens. Now you just take photos with a digital camera and submit them online, which is easier but the quality doesn't compare to that really good German lens that I had.


Along with the bags, I saved the show booklets. This one, from 2001, shows the floor plan of the Houston festival. It is enormous! All of the pink spaces are exhibits and the little numbered spaces are vendors. This is why they say to allow at least three days to see the show and to wear good walking shoes. In addition, there are hundreds of classes and lectures that go on upstairs at the convention center.


Then I moved to Rockford, IL, and was pleasantly surprised when IQF started a Chicago show just down the road. So I collected more bags!


Then I moved to Gig Harbor, WA, and went to the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show in Oregon, which commissions an artist to do a special picture for each show. You can see here how gorgeous they are.


Now I'm in Arizona and will be on the lookout for more shows with bags!

I also unpacked a few books that brought memories flooding back. "Silver Pennies" is a collection of children's stories that I used to have read to me at bedtime. It is copyrighted 1925. I honestly don't remember the stories, but I do remember my dad reading "Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox" to me.


A little later, when I was a teen, I bought these two books by Richard Hittleman and used them to teach myself yoga and meditation. I wanted to reach nirvana. That didn't happen, but it did start me on my nearly 50-year yoga practice.


And then there is "The Desert Southwest," copyright 1987, which I bought when I lived in Illinois but dreamed of living in the Southwest. And now here I am! There, now I'm all caught up.


 Have a colorful day








4 comments:

Judy Sall Fiber Art said...

Wow, what a trip down memory lane! And my first thought was "wonder how long it will take before she has found or founded new fabric art groups and walking buddies?", 'cause I think you have established a pattern here! Now if this stinkin' virus would just pack up and go, so you can get on with it!
Sounds like you are enjoying settling in, and I'm glad you have so much to unpack so you can stay cool down there. We're due for some T-storm activity sometime today, but the temps are leveling off so I hope it is so for you too.
Enjoy!

Lynda said...

Wow! What memories! Can't believe you kept all of that stuff, but then again I can. Love that black jacket! What an amazing life you have been living, and now your new life in Arizona!! Can't wait to see your new creations and inspirations.

And enjoy that heat. We had a frost Friday night! Can't believe how cool it is here!

Donna said...

I had no idea that you had moved so many times. I'm still in my first owned house! I enjoyed seeing all your treasures and accomplishments. It may take a bit more time to find people who you can "hang" with but I'm sure you will find them once we don't have to stay isolated from others to protect our lives. I live in Massachusetts and we are in the midst of Covid. On Cape Cod we have surpassed 50 deaths and over 1000 people test positive for the virus. I stay in touch with friends and quilting through online connections, thank goodness. Take your time unpacking and reminiscing. It's sunny but windy and cold today. Happy Mother's Day!

Robbie said...

This is so interesting!!!! My first big quilt show was in Houston in 2001!!!! I was like a little kid in a candy store!!!! We probably crossed paths in one of those crowded aisles! HA

I too have tons of show bags but started handing them out when I take items to the library for donating or any time I purge my art/sewing supplies and give away! HA I do have a small box with pins from the different guilds and shows!!! I kept all my horse show ribbons for years and finally gave them to a boy scout group several years ago. They would repurpose for giving out to the clubs.

Enjoy your warm weather...we had snow yesterday...freeze warning for tomorrow night!!!