I was in Cincinnati for the International Quilt Festival when my friend Liz Kettle handed me a bag of goodies and declared, “You need to do this.” The bag contained samples of men’s suiting and shirting fabrics, a tie, buttons, and the challenge to make an 18 x 18-inch art quilt based on what a “power suit” means to you. I accepted the challenge and added my own challenge of adding nothing to my materials other than batting and backing to make my piece.
So what is a “power suit”? Right away, I thought I had the answer, but the more I thought about it, the more it changed. With the deadline of August 31, 2011, fast approaching, I finally decided to work with my strength, my source of power.
Now here we are in October, and the excitement is building as the exhibit opening nears. The exhibit opens with an artists’ reception at Artistic Artifacts in Alexandria, Virginia, on October 22 from 4–8 p.m.
I wish I could be there to see the 107 quilts by 105 artists from all across the United States and Canada. Since Ii can’t, my hope is that who do attend the opening will take lots of photos and post them online so that those of us who are unable to make the trip can see what I’m certain is a most wondrous collection of art.
Here is the link to the Power Suit Challenge if you would like to learn more and see the list of artists who participated.