Joe the Quilter, Returned to Michigan

Joe Cunningham with his quilt honoring his ancestral line

CAMEO quilt guild hosted Joe Cunningham this week. Joe is a 'local boy' from Swartz Creek, MI. He admits to a life long love of books, writing, art, and music.

Joe Cunningham's spoof on state bird quilts

He had a ten year music career when he met Gwen Marston. She was documenting the quilts of quilt historian and quilter Mary Schafer of Flushing, MI. Joe offered to assist Gwen by contributing  the quilt catalog copy. To educate himself Joe read extensively about quilts and even learned how to make quilts. He went professional, writing books and creating quilts with Gwen.

Memories of Italy and Flint MI inspired this quilt by Joe Cunningham

Joe Cunningham's take on Michigan Winters

Honoring the standards set by traditional quilt maker Mary Schafer became limiting to Joe's creativity and he allowed himself to leap off the path into a new style. His quilts often have a sense of humor. Some are abstract, others are naturalistic but using flat planes of color in the images. Joe often uses large pieces of fabric, or cuts a patterned fabric and repieces it. He has mastered computer quilting.

Joe Cunningham used photos of tar road repair for the embroidered designs

Joe's presentation was a blend of songs, the story of his artistic development, and a trunk show.

Rock the Block, Joe Cunningham's workshop quilt

Everyone had a wonderful time. Joe is personable and down-to-earth, funny, and a natural entertainer. We even learned some new tricks, like how to fold quilts to prevent creasing and a new way of finishing quilt edges.

Joe Cunningham

Joe has authored 11 books, including Men and the Art of Quiltmaking.

Read about Joe the Quilter at
http://www.flintexpats.com/2009/09/joe-quilter.html
See Joe's quilts at
http://www.joethequilter.com/gallery.html

Joe's brother Jeff attended a quilt display I helped create in Pentwater, MI. He was involved with the Coopersville Farm Museum show, Quilts and Their Stories. Jeff was excited to see Ann Sole's Gee Bend quilt.

Jeff and Ann looking at the Pentwater quilts

A Quilter's Paradise: 2015 CAMEO Quilt Guild Show

Here are some of the 186 quilts in the CAMEO Quilt Guild show.

Design Odyssey by Betty Carpenter; left is Starry Blue by Linda Wallace

French Braid by Susan VanEck

Tina Rink's Wedding Quilt for her son and daughter-in-law

 

Michigan Lighthouses by Sharon Cratsenburg, machine quilted by Barbara Lusk. Sharon made the quilt for her husband who was in the U.S. Navy. The Nautical flag border spells Michigan Lighthouses.

She included the Crisp Point Lighthouse, where my husband's grandmother spent time as a girl about 100 years ago!( see The Shipwreck Coast, Girl, and a Lamp)

Top Left: Marie Ware Dragonfly; Right: Tina Rink Modern Streets

Helen's Irish Bouquet by Helen Graham

Patricia Baldauf's quilt for her daughter's graduation from U of Montana

Designing Stars by Dorothy Strefling 

Summer Meadow by Jeneen Sharpe

Janet's Viewer's Choice winning quilt is reversible!

Austrian Heavens by Janet Steele also won Best Original Design

Marie Ware's Reef Refuge

Chambered Nautilus by Carole Gilbert

The raffle quilt seen above was amazing.

Theresa Nielson's Grand Central Station Quilt, which I blogged about here

60th Anniversary Quilt, Linda Hermes

Best Modern Quilt winner Sharon Bisoni's City Scape in Shades of Grey

An interesting use of lace doilies

Kay Schepke Blue Traveling

Cindy May's Christmas Morn  also incorporates lace doilies

Lucy Lesperance's Eye of Splendor

Best Use of Color Award to Janet Steele

 

Sharon Bisoni, Falling Leaves

Alaskan Triangles by Vanetta Sterling

Jan Mansfield, Grandma's Starlit Garden

Where's the Beef?  by Sharon Johnsonbaugh uses cow fabric

Two More Little Quilts

I made two more small quilts for the quilt guild silent auction. I have been finishing odd blocks and incomplete projects.

CAMEO quilt guild's show will be held June 5 and 6, 2015 at The Madison Place Conference Center in Madison Heights, MI. This is my first year with the guild.

This applique block didn't make it into my Jacobean Rhapsody quilt. I took a class with Gabrielle Swan with the Capital City Quilters and the block I started that day turned into a whole quilt! I have 'lost' my better photograph of the finished quilt, which is hand appliqued and hand quilted.

Next is a quilt I designed a few years ago with an Easter Bunny giving a fox a basket of eggs. It's about getting along.

I think I am done with the silent auction quilts. Instead I am gathering fabrics for a pattern by Bunny Hill Designs I have long admired and purchased on sale a few weeks ago her Pumpkin Pie Quilt.
I haven't gotten it out of my head since I first saw it.