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The hum of my mother’s
sewing machine welcomed me home after
school most days. One grandmother
helped me make my first garment,
a plaid shirt. My other grandmother made beautiful crochet and quilts. I enjoyed embroidery as a child and continue to be most content while sewing either by hand or machine.
Quilts were on every bed in our
home and I naively assumed everyone
had them. When I made my first quilt
in 1984, I knew I had found my passion
from all the other sewing and handwork
projects I had been involved in.
A book of cross-stitched quilt blocks
was the kick-off point. My daughter
and I began stitching blocks, which
were so beautiful that they deserved
a “real quilter” to assemble
and quilt them. Once I began learning
to quilt, I abandoned the cross-stitching
to her. When the top was assembled,
she helped me quilt it, though did
not catch the quilting fever (just
the quilt). It won blue ribbons in
two shows.
First came very traditional, then
more innovative pieced quilts, then
a Baltimore Album-style quilt. I
attended every class, workshop, and
show that I could and was trying
new techniques too fast to complete
the projects. This led to a passion
for miniatures—they can be
completed!
I like to be productive. Quilting
sometimes represents the quiet, peaceful,
introspective person in me; at other
times it is the lively joy of interacting
with other quilters. Quilting allows
me to enjoy all aspects of sewing—designing,
creating, playing with colors and
fabrics, and using the sewing skills
learned over the years as well as
experimenting with new techniques
and products. Quilting lets me be
artistic in a medium that lavishes
time and energy on the work. If the
item is to be a gift, I find myself
meditating about and expressing thankfulness
for that special person. Sometimes
the designing is enough and I do
not continue to feel the excitement
during the making of a piece, so
it goes on a shelf to be considered
later—sometimes to complete,
sometimes not, with no guilt attached.
My quilting has evolved to art for
the walls as I constantly strive
to create the beauty all around me
in fabric and thread. Leaves and
trees are a favorite subject and
a constant reminder of God’s
care and love.
My husband and I live in Hattiesburg,
Mississippi, and are seeing the recovery from the effects of Hurricane Katrina in August 2005. We are
the proud parents of two grown children,
a daughter in Hattiesburg and a son
and wife and six granddaughters in
Texas.
Seeing the new growth
on the surviving
majestic, wounded trees helps us
to be reminded of our blessings. Creating beauty by interpreting nature
in fabric and thread is a constant
source of joy. We owe a debt of gratitude
to the women who came before us who
elevated the role of women to one
of respect and appreciation, allowing
us to lead creative, independent
lives.
| Organizations: |
- Pine Belt Quilters, Hattiesburg,
Mississippi, one of the founding
members and first officers
in 1984; served as vice president,
president, secretary, show
chair, currently Children’s
Quilts Chair. www.pinebeltquilters.com
- Mississippi Quilt Association,
charter member and first President,
1991; served as newsletter
editor and historian.
www.mississippiquilt.org
- South Mississippi Art Association,
membership director. www.southmsart.org
- Gulf States Quilting Association,
member since 1984. www.gulfstatesquilting.org
- Studio Art Quilt Associates.
www.saqa.com
- International Quilt Association.
www.quilts.org
- American Quilter's Society.
www.americanquilter.com
- Quiltart Internet List. www.quiltart.com
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Publications:
Color
Play by Joen Wolfrom
- Quilt
Style by Lucy Fazely
- Mississippi
Quilts by
Mary Elizabeth Johnson
- Quilter’s
Resource by Maggie McCormick Gordon
- Miniature
Quilt Magazine; Quilting
Today Magazine
Presentation at Symposium:
“Care, Conservation, and Preservation of Quilts” Quilts: A Social & Cultural History of Rural Mississippi, symposium sponsored by Consortium for the History of Agricultural and Rural Mississippi (CHARM), Mississippi State University, March 2005.
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Exhibitions
and Juried Shows: |
- Solo Exhibition at Cottonlandia Museum, Greenwood, MS, July 9-August 28, 2009
- Solo Exhibition at the Gallery of Mississippi Arts Commission, Jackson, MS, April 6-June 25, 2009, with Closing Reception June 25, 2009
- Solo Exhibition “Martha Ginn: Mississippi Fiber Artist,” Lucile Parker Gallery, William Carey University, Hattiesburg, MS, January 15-February 11, 2009, with Artist Talk on February 3, 2009
- One of twelve featured artists at Simply TeaVine ArTeast event June 2008, Hattiesburg, MS
- JavaWerks Coffee Shop, artist of the month solo shows August 2003, December 2005, December 2006, Hattiesburg, MS
- IQA (International Quilt Association, Houston)
- AQS (American Quilters Society, Paducah)
- GSQA (Gulf States Quilting Association, New Orleans, Baton Rouge )
- Pine Belt Quilters (twelve biennial shows, Hattiesburg, MS )
- SMAA (South Mississippi Art Association shows and juried exhibits, Hattiesburg, MS )
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