Warren County Memorial Library – Stitching Life Stories
About Stitching Life Stories.The Warren County Memorial Library is pleased to invite you to participate in the Stitching Life Stories Project. The Stitching Life Stories Project is a series of events that will focus on story writing and quilting. The project features quilt exhibitions, gallery talks, and seeks diverse participation. It also showcases a series of writing workshops and narrative quilt artists’ presentations. All project activities are free and open to the public. However, the writing and quilting workshops have limited space and participant selection will be based on the quilters’stated interests.
Project Description. There are three components to the stitching life stories project: story writing, narrative quilt development, and a final narrative quilt exhibition. Participants are expected to engage in all three of the activities and should have quilting experiences.Another round of writing and narrative quilt development workshops are scheduled in early 2016.
Story writing: The two writing workshops, facilitated by renowned writer and experienced writing coach Jane Ball-Groom, will help participants to generate new text and stories.Ms. Ball-Groom is a published author and in her writing seeks to engage her readers, artfully texturing and weaving into her stories the dreams, passions, and principles of her characters’ lives, the history of the their times; and the indomitable strength of the human spirit.
The writing workshops are scheduled in the library’s community room for Saturdays. The dates and times for the three sessions are as follows: November 21, 10:00AM to 1:00 PM, November 21, 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM, and December 5, 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM. By the end of the workshops, participants will have a short story to serve as the basis for their narrative quilt development.
Narrative Quilt Development. A self-taught fiber artist, Sauda Zahra uses quilting to translate her inner thoughts, personal experiences, historical themes, and events into original works of art. Her quilts – varying in design, style, materials, and techniques – stitch together narrative, commemorative, and improvisional artwork that conveys the artist’s creative voice.
Ms. Zahra will facilitate the narrative quilt development workshops by presenting a conceptual framework for designing and making story quilts. This workshop is scheduled on Saturday January 30, with one from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM and another from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM. Each participant will have an opportunity to use an aspect of their short story and translate it to cloth using basic quilting techniques. Quilters will leave the workshop with a framework and enough information to complete their quilt at home.
Ms. Zahra’s narrative quiltexhibition will open to the public Saturday, January 23, 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM, with a gallery talk at 11:00 AM. Her quilts will exhibit in the library’s community room throughJanuary 30.
Narrative Quilt Exhibition. The Stitching Life Stories Project will culminate with a final exhibition of narrative quilts at the Warren County Memorial Library during National Library Week in April 2016.
For more information about participating in the Stitching Life Stories Project or if you have more questions, contact: Cheryl Reddish, Warren County Memorial Librarian: or Jereann King Johnson, project coordinator:r 252-257-1274.
Warren County Memorial Library
Stitching Life Stories Application
Submission deadline is November 12, 2015
Name
Email address
Home Address
Telephone (Home) (Cell)
Age Gender Ethnicity ___
Please respond to the following:
How long have you been quilting? # years
Please check all that apply to your quilting experiences:
Traditional Quilts
Art Quilts
Narrative or Story Quilt
Are you a member of a quilt group, guild, quilting bee, etc.? If so, which group?
Please share why the Stitching Life Stories Project appeals to you.
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