The Virtual Quilt

This page is your guide to articles from our e-mail publication, The Virtual Quilt. You can  subscribe to our Virtual Quilt Newsletter for free.  

People:

Meet the people behind the quilts. TVQ profiles quilters in almost every issue, and their stories are fascinating!

• Quilter Profile: Shirley MacGregor Oregonian Shirley MacGregor has been quilting and teaching quilting for most of the last 15 years in Asian cultures. And she's made some gorgeous prize-winning quilts of her own!

• Quilter Profile: Dean Neumann The creator and programmer of the most popular of all the quilt design programs talks about how it all started, and where it may be going from here.

Quilter Profile: Jo & Jos Hindriks Find out how "The Dutch Quilting Couple in America" bring their talents and interests to the art of quilting, and create something quite new.

• Quilter Profile: Iris Aycock Alabama quilter Iris Aycock's unique style has earned her the honors as Mistress of Botanicals. Find out how she brings the natural world literally into her quilts.

• Dawn Duperault Plain-spoken, funny, and web-savvy, Dawn Duperault has been entertaining quilters on the net almost longer than anyone else. Learn more about this intriguing quilter and costume aficionado. Plain-spoken, funny, and web-savvy, Dawn Duperault has been entertaining quilters on the net almost longer than anyone else. Learn more about this intriguing quilter and costume aficionado. Plain-spoken, funny, and web-savvy, Dawn Duperault has been entertaining quilters on the net almost longer than anyone else. Learn more about this intriguing quilter and costume aficionado.

• Bethany Reynolds Quilter, teacher, and author of the best-selling Stack-n-Whack Quilts, Bethany shares with readers how she developed this unique technique. Quilter, teacher, and author of the best-selling Stack-n-Whack Quilts, Bethany shares with readers how she developed this unique technique. Quilter, teacher, and author of the best-selling Stack-n-Whack Quilts, Bethany shares with readers how she developed this unique technique.

• Suzanne Marshall Master applique artist and originator of her own unique technique, Suzanne Marshall continues to challenge herself, and us,with new ideas and approaches.

• Pauline Burbidge One of England's best-known art quilters is profiled by fellow Englishwoman Celia Eddy. Burbidge's unique style continues to change and develop.

• Pat Autenrieth Pat Autenrieth's background in painting and other fine arts brings an unusual dimension to her quilts, and unusual views of quilting to her thoughts. She also maintains a great website!

• Ildiko Francais:A traveler and collector of fabric all her life, Hungarian-born Ildiko Francais has found her mode of expression in quilting in just the last few years. It was worth the wait!

• Barb Vlack: Author of the new book on Electric Quilt Software, "Too Much Fun!," Barb Vlack tells of her odyssey from quilter to teacher to author, and how she became the foremost guru on Electric Quilt.

Ideas: TVQ Essays

• The Tyranny of the Block by Catherine Jones. Why quilt blocks may hinder more than they help. Also, how many nine-patches will fit on the head of a pin?

• Why Make a Quilt Label? by Margo J. Clabo Author of a great new book on quilt labels shares her insights with TVQ readers.

• Good Manners, Freezer Paper, and Subterranean Wars: This new essay by Catherine Jones explores our oh-too-polite discussions about quilts. Find out why she thinks it's important to quilting that we disagree more.

• Women Who Sew and the Machines Who Love Them: Lynn Holland meditates on the sewing machines that have meant the most to her. And the ones she wanted to pitch over the side.

• Reviving Geometric Patchwork: by Catherine Jones. Computers may play a pivotal role in defining the future of geometric designs.

• Barbaric Splendour: Catherine Jones speculates on the plain style versus the ornate and their effects on the history of art and the future of quilts.

The Traveling Quilter:

Travel with the writers (and readers) of TVQ to quilt shops and shows all over the country.

• A Newbie at Houston, 1999 Carol Miller gives us a complete rundown on the big show.
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• The Traveling Quilter: New Orleans Lynn Holland travels to "The Big Easy" and finds quilting alive and well there, as represented by a wide array of great shops!

• The Traveling Quilter: San Francisco Lynn went to San Francisco on business, but made it her business to visit the local quilt shops. And the local color!

• The Traveling Quilter: Inspiration in Washington D.C. Christina Holland visited the quilts at the Smithsonian, and tells you why you should, too.

• Quilt Show Review: Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival Carol Miller gives us her usual amusing and insightful take on one of the East Coast's most popular quilt shows.

• Quilt Show Review: Quilting by the Bay Christina Holland reviews a recent show in the Tampa Bay area with lots of sunny (and fishy) quilts. Christina Holland reviews a recent show in the Tampa Bay area with lots of sunny (and fishy) quilts.

• The Traveling Quilter: The San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles. Christina Holland visits this pioneering quilt museum in Silicon Valley. Christina Holland visits this pioneering quilt museum in Silicon Valley.

• The Stay-at-Home Quilter: Quilt Shops in Greater Atlanta. Lynn Holland decides to stay home in Atlanta and write about the quilting riches around her. Four shops in the Greater Atlanta area include the new store opened by Little Quilts. Lynn Holland decides to stay home in Atlanta and write about the quilting riches around her. Four shops in the Greater Atlanta area include the new store opened by Little Quilts.

• The Traveling Quilter: Georgia Quilts.  The Atlanta History Center's new exhibit of 80 Georgia quilts extracts the history behind them while educating the public on quilting.The Atlanta History Center's new exhibit of 80 Georgia quilts extracts the history behind them while educating the public on quilting.

• The Art of the Quilt Carol Miller reviews a remarkable local invitational show in Virginia. Carol Miller reviews a remarkable local invitational show in Virginia.

• The Traveling Quilter: Quilt Shops in Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Lynn Holland reviews a bunch of shops, including the fabled Quilt Box in northern Kentucky. Find out why her teenage son actually got out of the car. Lynn Holland reviews a bunch of shops, including the fabled Quilt Box in northern Kentucky. Find out why her teenage son actually got out of the car.

• The Traveling Quilter: A Quilt Shop in Michigan Christina Holland takes us on a tour of the Frankenmuth Woollen Mill in Frankenmuth, Michigan.

• The Traveling Quilter: Quilt Shops in Maryland  TVQ visits three quilt shops in Maryland, including the fabled G Street. Which ones were best? The visits yielded a few surprises!

• Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival. Carol Miller puts you right there at this year's MAQF, warts and all!

• The Traveling Quilter: Central Florida: Lynn Holland reviews four great shops in Orlando and Clearwater, including the fabled "Rainbow's End."

• A Letter From Houston: Corinne Appleton shares her highly opinionated view of the Houston International Quilt Festival.

• Three San Antonio Quilt Shops: Lynn Holland reviews quilt shops in this trendy west Texas city. Get lost with her!

• Five Portland Quilt Shops: TVQ, and its readers, provide a guided tour of Portland, Oregon, as seen through its unique and varied quilt stores.

• Two North Carolina Quilt Shops: Georgia Bonesteel's unusual shop in Hendersonville, and the legendary Mary Jo's Cloth Store in Gastonia are a study in contrasts!

Planet:

Quilting around the world. TVQ visits quilting communities all over the planet.

• The Patchwork Planet: Quilting In Turkey. Gunsu Gungor combines her business and quilting skills to create a mecca for quilters in Turkey's capital.. combines her business and quilting skills to create a mecca for quilters in Turkey's capital..

• The Patchwork Planet: Quilting in Hungary  Kinga Tibor shares with TVQ readers news of the new and growing quilting community in Hungary. For Kinga it began with an American movie.

• The Patchwork Planet: Quilting in Britain: Celia Eddy and Janet Hazelton provide Planet Patchwork an inside view of the active and varied quilting community in the British Isles.

• The Patchwork Planet: Quilting in France: The French quilting scene is lively and sophisticated, and just beginning to be visible online.

• The Patchwork Planet: Quilting in Chile: Pilar Donoso shares with us the state of quilting in the vibrant South American nation with the long coast, along with her efforts to augment the tradition.

• The Patchwork Planet: Quilting in Austria. Ursula Adler and Lilo Wesely tell about the young quilting tradition in an old European nation.

• The Patchwork Planet: Quilting in South Africa Jenny Whitehead, past President of South Africa's national quilt guild, shares the history of the craft in her once-troubled land. They haven't been quilting long, but they're making up for lost time!

• The Patchwork Planet: Quilting in Canada Nancy Cameron Armstrong and friends provide a comprehensive view of quilting in the north country.
  
  

Multimedia:

More quilt publishers are going Hollywood. Is this a good thing?

• Escher Interactive CD-ROM: The father of tessellations, M.C. Escher, never fit comfortably into the fine art world, but has made his own niche. This new CD-ROM features his work in a playful and creative way.

• Patchwork Quilts Made Easy: Jean Wells stars in this new video for beginning quilters. Is it as boring as all the other quilt videos?

• Embellishments, by Judy Montano: Judy Montano still knows her embellishments, but her production company could use a few. Off with their heads!

Quilters' Products:

More of Addy Harkavy's (and others') reviews of quilting products, from templates to whirligigs. 

• Olfa's New 45mm Rotary Cutter. Addy Harkavy takes a look at the new features of Olfa's more ergonomic and safer cutter.

• Sew Precise with Shirley Liby! Collection three of EQ's foundation piecing patterns on CD.

• Foundation Piecing Software: We review the latest rage in quilting software, programs that generate foundation piecing patterns.. We review the latest rage in quilting software, programs that generate foundation piecing patterns..

• Two New Products: Addy Harkavy reviews a new ruler and foundation piecing material.

• Pretty Postings: Fox Hill Workshop's notecards for the computing quilter who also writes snail mail.

• Don't Slice Up Your Hands: Addy Harkavy reviews a new product to shield you from your wicked rotary cutter!

• A Graphite Marker That Washes Out: Addy Harkavy put it to the test.

There is a lot more in the back issues of TVQ waiting for you! If you're not yet a Planet Patchwork member and subscriber to TVQ, you can subscribe online today.