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.
I’m excited to announce that my quilt Singin’ the Blues has been accepted to the latest show at Gallery Syre in Bellingham. Titled “All You Need is Love,” the exhibition will feature work by 45 artists from across the continent in a variety of mediums. The works will fill the entire gallery space with “art as a messenger of love and universal understanding.”
The show opens Saturday February 11, with a reception from 6 to 8 pm, and runs through April 15. I hope you get a chance to check it out.
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.
Melisse Laing 
