Textiles and the Triplett Sisters

Okay, so I may be rushing the announcement of the new year, but really, I think 2020 has been a year most of us would like to forget or at least move forward. However, I don’t want to ignore the holiday season. Happy Hanukkah or Kwanza depending on what you celebrate. Merry Christmas to all, which is what we celebrate. Because Christmas is close to my heart, naturally my thoughts went to red and green quilts, which I’ve featured in the blog! In about a week, we will celebrate the new year with a new Triplett Sisters Block of the Month: Bird in a Lace Cage. If you haven’t already purchased the pattern to join us, please do! We’d love to have you working together with Kay Triplett and Cynthia Collier as our leaders. Here is...

There have been many inquiries about how I do historical research. I use multiple methods in my research, so I have always been hesitant to explain. Primarily because it would take too long, or it would be difficult to explain that many times you end up in a rabbit hole. I frequently enjoy the rabbit hole, as it leads to the most unusual and interesting discoveries…not necessarily useful, but fun. A colleague of mine, Barb Eikmeier designed a fabric line called Waddington Road, which immediately sparked recognition. The fabric is named for the road where her Grandmother’s house was located, and she wanted the fabric line to give you a warm feeling like you were “going to Grandma’s house.” Because of other research, I immediately recognized the name as related to a town in England. Barb’s...

The Ephesian philosopher Heraclitus phrase, “only constant in life is change” is used frequently to explain the changes in 2020. For me it is the words of Bob Dylan that fits this year’s cataclysmic events, “you better start swimming or sink like a stone, for the times they are a-changing.” The Triplett Sisters are very fond of water and are doing our best to swim through these changing waters. Without the interaction with you through our programs at the guilds, we continue to morph our business and will retool as needed. Here are some of our recent changes. First, we are offering specially selected fabric in our Etsy shop and on our website. The Dutch Heritage fabric is an example of fabric not readily available in the US, which we are importing. We also have multiple...

The “stay-at-home” orders have officially ceased in many countries as well as all 50 states in the US. Which seems like a good time to mark an end to something horrible by celebrating what quilt art was accomplished. I want to call on everyone who is willing to share what quilts were created during the quarantine. A quilting friend of mine had made 7 quilt tops, as well as quilted and bound 2 quilts, a wall hanging and a table runner. She has also cut out a new quilt with 48 blocks and started an applique block for another quilt. She probably has both of those projects done too, as well as 3 others because that was the tally 2 weeks ago. What have you accomplished during the quarantine? It can be that you completed a...

The 45th anniversary of the Houston Quilt Festival occurred this year and was very memorable for multiple reasons. The multi-level display of beautiful blue and white quilts was an amazing way to honor the accomplishments of all those workers, vendors, and quilt artists who have contributed to this event for 45 years. The two founders of the festival Karey Patterson Bresenhan and Nancy O’Bryant Puentes continue to be involved in the festival and share their love of quilts. I was pleased to teach 8 classes, 2 demos, and provided 3 gallery talks for our special exhibition. “Antique Quilts from the Poos Collection” exhibited 25 quilts from our newest book “Hidden Treasures, Quilts from 1600 to 1860.” Besides our special exhibition, there were many other special exhibitions, which will be our focus in an upcoming series of...