When a good friend and fellow quilter moved to Omaha, Nebraska, she gave me a large bag of her fabric scraps, which I combined with some of mine. I call this small art quilt “26 Hours 6 Minutes” because that is the time, according to Google Maps, that it would take me to drive to her house. Fortunately, thanks to Zoom and email, our friendship remains closer.
Northwest Parkinson’s Foundation (online) September 27–October 1, 2021
The Northwest Parkinson’s Foundation annual benefit auction has opened and includes my quilt “Lavender.” Bidding has already begun online. You can also sign up for the digital live event October 1 at 6 pm PDT. All funds raised directly serve Northwest Parkinson’s communities, including the one in which I’m active in Bellingham.
I approach the design and construction of my quilts much as an artist approaches a canvas. Each quilt is made up of individual pieces and/or blocks but visualized it in its entirety. Although my work is rooted in traditional quilt making, I continually strive to create works that break the established mold. I usually work in a series, with each quilt unique but building on a theme. I collage and piece improvisational cotton and silk fabrics that I have dyed myself. I quilt by machine, using lines that enhance the piecing or tell a story on their own.
SAQA Benefit Auction
Studio Art Quilt Associates (online) September 10–October 3, 2021
Bidding on quilts, including my “Social Distancing” donation, in Section 3 of the SAQA’s annual benefit auction has opened and will continue through October 3. All proceeds help support SAQA’s exhibition programs, publications, and education outreach. You can find full details about how the auction works here.
Fiber Optix at the Cove
Penn Cove Pottery, Coupeville, WA September–October 2021
The Fiber Optix show at Penn Cove Pottery on Whidbey Island continues through October includes two of my quilts. The gallery has done a beautiful job of hanging the exhibition.
“Janet and Me” Size: 17″w x 28″h Materials and techniques: Hand-dyed cotton fabrics, polyester & silk quilting thread; machine pieced & quilted $720
This piece is a tribute to my mentor, my friend, and former Whidbey Island resident Janet Steadman. When Janet moved more than 2500 miles away, I inherited two large bags of scraps from her studio with joy. This art piece combines some of Janet’s hand dyes as companions to mine.
Ferns
“Ferns” Size: 21″w x 31″h Materials and techniques: Fabrics hand dyed by the artist; machine collaged, pieced & quilted $640
This is one of my older pieces that has been well received in several exhibitions. It has been shown at Women Who Dream Art in Longview, WA; Fabricated Elements in Portland, OR; CQA – Zarzuela in Seattle; Burnt Offerings in Gresham, OR; and the QSDS Invitational 2003 in Columbus, OH.
SAQA Benefit Auction
Studio Art Quilt Associates (online) September 10–October 3, 2021
The SAQA’s annual benefit auction has opened with any piece in the auction available for $1,000 to the first bidder through Sunday. After the opening, the auction will offer quilts in sections. If it is not sold during the opening, my donation will be up for bids in Section 3, September 27–October 3. All proceeds help support SAQA’s exhibition programs, publications, and education outreach. You can find full details about how the auction works here.
“Social distancing” of one kind or another has been around for centuries, including political, religious, economic, class, sexism and political distances. American writer Audre Lorde, who dedicated her life and her work to confronting and addressing these injustices, once said, “It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept and celebrate those differences.” My hope is that we can “recognize, accept and celebrate” our differences and live peacefully together in this society.
9th Annual Celebrate! Auction
Northwest Parkinson’s Foundation (online) September 27–October 1, 2021
I will be donating a piece to the Northwest Parkinson’s Foundation annual benefit auction, which opens online September 27 with a live event October 1. All funds raised directly serve Northwest Parkinson’s communities, including the one in which I’m active in Bellingham. I’ll share more about my donation as the event gets closer.
Melisse Laing 
