Ideas and plans to create the Season 10 Great River
Shakespeare Festival Quilt began in February 2013. Seven local artists,
artisans, stitchers, and sewers, Dee Cipov, Connie Larson, Mary
Kaser, Kathy Seifert, Mary Alice Anderson, Margaret Kiihne, Mary Lee
Eischen and Rob Thomas came
together around a large dining room table at Margaret and Ray Kiihne’s home. This is a simple story of the quilt coming
together. There were many hours of work,
gathering together, discussion, laughter, and time that went into this
quilt.
Margaret Kiihne and Dee Cipov
Connie Larson, Ray Kiihne and Dee Cipov
Three additional artists Jeanne Oost, John
Baird, and Zachery Wagner agreed to create blocks for the Season 10
Quilt.
Jeanne Oost and Zachery Wagner
John Baird
People came forward with design ideas: Kathy Seifert, Connie Larson, and Jeanne Oost. After much discussion, a
design was chosen that would include a center medallion and 10 blocks measuring
9.5” finished squares to surround the center. Sashing strips would be added around the blocks. It was decided to create a queen sized quilt. Guidelines and parameters were considered for
balance, design, and artistic beauty.
Dee Cipov, Kathy Seifert,and Mary Kaser
Photo credit Rob Thomas
Photo credit Rob Thomas
Mary Alice Anderson, Mary Lee Eischen, and Margaret Kiihne
Photo credit Rob Thomas
The artists who lived at a distance were sent costume fabrics from
the previous season’s plays and invited to create a block. The discussion was
involved. Some of the discussion
happened via e-mail and telephone.
Connie Larson, Dee Cipov, Kathy Seifert, and Mary Kaser
Photo credit Rob Thomas
Stitching the final binding Photo credit Rob Thomas
A design decision was
made to use solid colored cottons as sashing around the blocks and as part of
the border. Kathy Seifert and I agreed to take swatches of the blocks fabrics
and find solid colored fabrics to compliment the costume fabrics used in the
blocks.
Many discussions
about the center medallion happened. It
was suggested that we create a rosemary plant image to honor Rosemary Ingham,
the costume designer and co-founder of the Great River Shakespeare Festival. She graced the Great River Shakespeare
Festival with her talent until her death in 2008. I agreed to work on the rosemary design alongside
Kathy Seifert. I created the
drawing. Kathy provided the expertise
about the applique technique. Over one
weekend, we put it all together. Then
the rest of the quilt could be assembled.
Kathy Seifert
Rob Thomas
Season 10 Great River Shakespeare Festival Quilt 2013
86" x 96"
Raffle tickets cost $5.00 for the chance to win the Season 10 GRSF Quilt. They are available at the downtown box office or from any of the makers. Drawing for the quilt is happening at the Callithump, July 30th, 2013 at the Performing Arts Center on the Winona State University Campus.
Learn about all the events of the Great River Shakespeare Festival such as plays, free concerts on the green before the plays and more.
Thank you to Rob Thomas for taking group stitching photos on the day of the finish binding. All other photos on this blog post were taken by Mary Lee Eischen.
See you this summer around the festival.
