“Wearable Art”
Sarah and I have just returned from teaching at the Quilters Heritage Celebration in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. I taught two classes and had some fantastic students in each class – what a pleasure to teach! We’ll be home for about a week and then we’ll be heading up to Machine Quilters Exposition in Manchester, New Hampshire where we will be taking long arm classes to improve our skills and I will be teaching a business class on Friday.
I first attended Quilters Heritage in 1994 when I was learning all about quilting. I was amazed at seeing all the quilters who were wearing quilted jackets and vests (which I later discovered was referred to as “Wearable Art”. I think quilt shows are one of the very few places that you can actually walk up and “pet” someone without them being offended – they actually enjoy it and are more than happy to share the “story” behind their wearable. I was bound and determined that next year, I too would have a piece of wearable art. My choice was one of Judy Murrah’s Jacket Jazz patterns. I had never sewn a garment and actually didn’t know not to put a cotton lining in a jacket. I wondered why it was so hard to slide into the sleeves and why my jacket didn’t flow.
I have to start working on my “to do” list today. I actually have two lists. Merry and I maintain what we call “The Big List” which contains EVERYTHING we need to accomplish broken down into the various things we are currently working on as well as who is doing what and the deadlines, so there we are not duplicating work. There’s also another list with individual tasks (which includes phone calls, paperwork to be done, the long arm quilts for the week and other things). Sounds complicated – it’s really not.
One of the first things I must do is create a Power Point presentation. This is new to me as I am technologically challenged. I must call upon my 18 year old to walk me through the process! When you can’t figure something out – ask a kid!
Linda J. Hahn, NQACT www.twocountryquilters.com
About the Author: Linda Hahn
Linda received her National Quilting Association Teacher Certification in 1999. She has been three times nominated for Professional Quilter Magazine’s Teacher of the Year award. She was also nominated for the 2008 Certified Teacher of the Year award from the National Quilting Association. She was recently been named Marketing Consultant for Elizabeth’s Studio, a new fabric company. Linda is on the faculty for the 2008 NQA Show in Columbus, Ohio. In August 2007 she taped a quilting segment for EBRUTV, Somerset, New Jersey. She has been part of the faculty at the New Jersey Quilt Convention since 2005 and was the featured teacher at the Frost Valley Quilting Weekend in 2004. Linda is on the teaching staff at Creative Sew n Sews, Englishtown, New Jersey. Linda has taught in Bermuda twice and twice on a quilting cruise. Linda, her daughter Sarah and business partner Merry May, present Bed, Breakfast & Quilt Getaways – affectionately known as “BBQ”. Linda and Merry are currently working together on several books and will be designing quilts and patterns for Elizabeth’s Studio. Linda has done commission work for Elizabeth’s Studio, Shamash & Sons, Kreinik Thread Manufacturing Company and Sullivans, USA. Her work has appeared in Quilting Now Magazine, The Professional Quilter, Quilt Almanac, Quilt Magazine and the NQA Quilting Quarterly. Linda is co-owner of Two Country Quilters, a long arm machine quilting business. Two Country Quilters also vends hard to find and specialty quilting items at New Jersey Quilt Shows. She lives in Manalapan, New Jersey with her husband, Allan, daughter, Sarah and her golden retriever, Amber Lynn, all of whom are involved in quilting!
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