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 Studio Visit for October 22 at 6:00 pm

Our first trip this season will be to the studio of Dye-Namix, located at 151 Grand Street, 2nd Floor.  Dye-Namix combines traditional dying, painting and hand silkscreening with digital textile printing.  One of the first to utilize digital inkjet printing in textiles, Dye-Namix has introduced this technology from runway to film.  I think this will be a very exciting visit.  We will be limited to 20-25 members and the cost will be $20.00.  Make sure you contact Mindy Wexler-Marks to reserve a place on this trip. 

Textile Treasure Tour of St. John's the Divine-November 15 at 2:00 pm

This unique trip includes a behind-the-scenes visit to the Cathedral's world-renowned Textile Conservation Lab, which conserves tapestries, needlepoint, upholstery, costumes, and other textiles. Particular focus will be the Barberini collection of the Life of Christ tapestries and the Acts of the Apostles tapestries, based on cartoons by Raphael. 112th Street and Amsterdam Avenue. Meet at 2:00pm at the Visitor's Center which is to the left as you enter the cathedral. Cost per member $20.

Bound, Unbound-Lin Tianmiao Exhibition-December 7 at 6:00 pm

The first major solo U.S. exhibition of leading Chinese artist Lin Tianmiao "Bound Unbound" surveys the past twenty years of her captivating installations and sculpture. Through exquisite hand work using thread winding, embroidery, and sculptural processes, Lin Tianmiao has explored her interest in the human form through her art in subtle and beautiful ways. The exhibition comprises several new installations and many works never before seen outside of China. Meet at the Asia Society, 70th and Park, at 6:00pm. Cost per member $10.00.

 

ANTONIO RATTI TEXTILE CENTER 
METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART
I just want to share with Empire my trip to the Antonio Ratti Textile Center with a group of quilters from Empire among others.
Not only did we see quilts from the collection, we were also shown the way they are stored and in addition we were given access to see other textiles, from other cultures.  A real eye-opener. 
I especially enjoyed the crazy quilt made by Tamar Horton Harris North (1833-1905), dated 1877 North’s Landing, Indiana.  It was outstanding as were all the others that were chosen for us to see. 
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But the one that so fascinated me was the Adeline Harris Sears Autograph Quilt which was hanging on a wall.  It measured 77 x 80 in. Begun in 1856, Rhode Island.  This is a Tumbling Block design and each center diamond of the block - white silk - was sent worldwide to people she considered important at that time.
Among the ones returned were eight American presidents, i.e. 
Abraham Lincoln, authors, Charles Dickens and Ralph Waldo 
Emerson, plus prominent artists, and many in other fields of accomplishment.  
Adeline was 17 when she planned the quilt.  I was so taken with this quilt and because one could not really see all of the signatures close up, I decided to go on line at the Metropolitan Museum and look further. 
I was able to see the quilt in detail and spent considerable time researching.
2.
First I found a Technical Report on the Adeline Harris Sears 
Autograph Quilt by Elena Phipps, Conservator, Department of Textile Conservation with much detail about aspects of the design and fabrics chosen - There were three hundred and sixty signature blocks returned and partial blocks were used on the edges. Plus more information than I can tell you here.  Needless to say, I printed it out and began a notebook about the quilt.  I printed 16 pages with close-ups of 11 sections.  
This was a wonderful experience in every way.  And, I certainly recommend it to everyone interested not only in quilts, but with conservation of many different textiles in the Museum collections.
Janice Jenicek 
Empire Quilt Guild 

 

Textile Treasure Tour at St. John's the Divine

11 15, 2012

This unique trip includes a behind-the-scenes visit to the Cathedral's world-renowned Textile Conservation Lab, which conserves tapestries, needlepoint, upholstery, costumes, and other textiles. Particular focus will be the Barberini collection of the Life of Christ tapestries and the Acts of the Apostles tapestries, based on cartoons by Raphael. 112th Street and Amsterdam Avenue. Meet at 2:00pm at the Visitor's Center which is to the left as you enter the cathedral. Cost per member $20.