Award-winning art quilter Heather Pregger speaks to DAFA

DFW quilter Heather Pregger, one of DAFA’s award-winning art quilters, presented the guild’s first program of 2014 on Jan. 27. In a trunk show and talk titled “Evolution of an Art Quilter” Heather told how she first discovered quilts and started working initially as a traditional quilter. Over a period of many years, she has developed a mastery of colorful, large abstract quilts and has won a number of significant prizes, including Best Large Art Quilt at the 2013 International Quilt Festival in Houston.

“Fiber Trafficking” earlier in the evening proved that one member’s trash is another member’s treasure. In the hour before the program, members swapped art supplies and cadged unwanted and unneeded items from others' stashes.

Above: President Vet and treasurer Carrie Noess chat (center back) as Lu Peters and Reid Barnhart examine some loot. Right: Vet and Chuck Baber watch as Linda Chappell and Patricia Dillingham discuss possible uses for one of Chuck’s cardboard packaging pieces. 

Heather shows one of her early strip-pieced quilts (left) and an early “Tomato Soup” quilt (center), held up by Mary Lou Smith. At right Denise Spillane holds aloft a corner of one of Heather’s recent “Tuning Forks” quilts as the artist explains her approach to color movement.

Heather discusses one of her “Big Figure” quilts and her use of “corduroy” quilting. A stack of Heather’s brilliant quilts, created mostly with hand-dyes. Heather explains her binding technique to Reid Barnhart (left) and Thelma Victor.

- Carolyn Skei

DAFA closes 2014 with Holiday Potluck and Silent Auction

The last meeting of 2014 featured DAFA’s traditional Holiday Potluck and Silent Auction of art items. Inclement weather slimmed the crowd more than usual, but no one went away without dining well or without feasting their eyes on many creative items made by fellow DAFA members. Auction items ranged from pincushions to award-winning jam and even to entire garments.

Hungry attendees dish up holiday fare, both “sweet and savory.”

Carol Regan (left) celebrates her purchase of knitted fingerless gloves made by Gail McLaughlin. Shoppers scout the silent auction tables for gifts and treasures. Top-selling auction item was this sweater coat made by Carolyn Bush (right) and purchased by a smiling Brenda McKinney.

Barbara McCraw and Teresa Sherling present trunk show

Close friends and quilting colleagues Barbara McCraw and Teresa Sherling were DAFA’s guest artists on Nov. 25, 2013, presenting a charming trunk show and telling with humor the story of their collaboration in B&T Studios in Denton. The two teach classes in techniques ranging from beginning to advanced, including Baltimore Album year-long classes. Both have had their work juried into the International Quilt Festival in Houston, and Teresa has had one of her quilts chosen for the collection of the Smithsonian Institution. The quilt depicts Sasha and Malia Obama.

Chuck Baber (left) led the November mini-workshop, teaching participants how Japanese stab binding is done. His small sample books are shown in the center panel. At right, participants clip their book signatures and drill holes with the Dremel.

Barbara McCraw (left) and Teresa Sherling await the start of their DAFA program. Displaying their individual versions of shared challenges, Teresa shows her bulldog quilt and Barbara shows her cats.

The Baltimore Album quilts showed clearly the unique approaches to color and design that the two quilters take while sharing a love of similar techniques. At right, DAFA members crowd around after the program to admire the pair's “hair quilts” and other intriguing work.

-- Carolyn Skei