Lectures
I'd love to share any of my lectures with your quilt guild or bee. My newest lecture and trunk show is "Color the World With Quilts." My most popular lecture is the story of the quilts and quiltmakers of Caohagan Island, a 13-acre island in the central Philippines, followed closely by my lecture on Japanese fabrics. I offer "Around the Block" especially for guilds who love trunk shows. Take time to read the descriptions then be in touch with me to see which lecture is best for your group.
New in 2024! Fun Trunk Show!
Color the World With Quilts
This trunk show delights as it subtly shares best practices in color selection without the jargon that can cause quilters’ eyes to glaze over. You’ll see 30-plus quilts up close and personal plus more in the accompanying slide show. Learning color has never been so easy, so intuitive. Within the hour, you’ll be on your way to tuning into your unique color sense. The show includes quilts designed by speaker Dana Jones plus those designed by others and made by Dana. Color experts and those a bit intimidated by color with find inspiration in this light-hearted, conversational presentation.
Pagtinabangay:
The Quilts and Quiltmakers
of Caohagan Island
You’ll be transported to a tiny island — just 13 acres — in the central Philippines as you enjoy images and stories of the colorful quilts and the more than 100 quiltmakers of Caohagan Island. You’ll see photos of more than 50 of these handmade, one-of-a-kind quilts plus be introduced to the unique techniques developed by these quiltmakers whose tools are simply fabric and scissors, needle and thread. I spent more than a month on the island, quilted with the residents, went fabric shopping with them on nearby Cebu Island, and snorkeled the reef that surrounds Caohagan. Those who view the quilts come away smiling, inspired by the creativity of these women and men. This lecture is perfect for warming up a winter guild meeting.
Around the Block: Creating Quilts from Blocks from Traditional to Contemporary
From traditional blocks to modern blocks, from repeated blocks to one-of-a-kind blocks, from blocks you know to those you’ve never seen — quilters past and present (and likely future) love blocks. This trunk show includes more than 20 quilts from a range of quilting genres, including ones I've designed and ones designed by others and all constructed with blocks. Perhaps you’ll be inspired to join me in becoming a “blockhead” — newly defined as a quilter entranced by the infinite world of quilt blocks. I hope you’ll come away from this presentation proud to be a chip off the old block of our quilting foremothers and our quilting mentors and peers. Plan to join me on this colorful trip around the block.
Indigo, Taupe & More:
Japanese Fabric from Vintage to Contemporary
In a whirlwind round of interviews with multiple generations of Japanese quilt-makers, I learned a lot about working with Japanese fabrics from indigo to taupe and beyond. I talked with master quilters Kuroha Shizuko, Yoko Seito, Reiko Kato and Keiko Goke. In this slide show, you’ll learn how each of these women selects and designs fabric. You’ll see images of quilts by each quiltmaker plus a variety of Japanese fabrics.
The International Honor Quilt:
Women Remembering Women
When Judy Chicago’s iconic feminist art installation, "The Dinner Party," was first exhibited in San Francisco in 1979, women who came to see it were deeply moved. They didn’t want to just view it; they wanted to contribute to it. This posed a dilemma for Judy. She understood "The Dinner Party" as a finished piece. She also understood the women’s desire to recover stories of more women, women who had made a difference in their lives. The International Honor Quilt was envisioned as a way for viewers of the "The Dinner Party" to respond to the powerful and personal impact it had on them. A call for 2-foot x 2-foot x 2-foot triangular quilts, each celebrating an individual woman, a group of women or a women’s issue, went out. As "The Dinner Party" was exhibited across the United States and beyond during the 1980s, triangles were added until there were more than 500.
This slide show and lecture shares stories of some of the triangles, the makers and the women honored with an emphasis on triangles made by women who would later become known quilters and those made to honor quilters. You’ll also see triangles quilted by 11 children of one woman and some of the most unique of the triangles. The stories range from fun to inspiring to heart breaking. The quilts range from exquisitely made to first efforts. In the end, this is the story of women responding to a moment in history through an international community art project.