Last month just as the first optimistic crocuses were starting to push through the soil in Washington, DC, we held three exciting events that helped raise over $15,000 for the AAQ operating fund. Not only was this a fundraising success, but events like this remind us of why we do what we do.

A gathering of quiltmakers and people who care about quilts conducts a certain electricity that is irresistible. In the photo at right, Dr. Carolyn L. Mazloomi speaks about "Modesty," a quilt by Jim Smoote. (In the background is a framed quilt by the late Viola Canady depicting the historic Charles Sumner School, our venue for this lecture).  I was intrigued, educated and inspired by Dr. Mazloomi, Le Rowell and the DC artists who presented their work. It reminded me that documenting the stories of quiltmakers and their work is how we preserve and share this electricity for all!

We want to thank Lisa Ellis of the Sacred Threads Exhibit and maker of Art Call, the on-line artist registration, jurying and exhibit administration system. www.ellisquilts.com; and the Rowell Family Charities for sponsoring our Connected by Threads events. Thanks also to all those who attended, volunteered, donated items to our silent auction, and contributed their talent and their time by making presentations at our events. You are an important part of this alliance and we appreciate your efforts and support so much.

Above: Le Rowell sharing "The Liberation Quilt" created in Luxembourg to express gratitude to the Americans for freeing them in World War II.  Designed by Florence Thilgen in 1994, 50th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge.

At right: Maria Goodwin, member of the Daughters of Dorcas and Sons quilt guild, who presented her work at our Meet the Artists event, explains how she collects patterns found in ancient artifacts and uses them as inspiration to create her own quilting templates. In the background is Donnette A. Cooper's quilt, "American at the Crossroads" (Donnette A. Cooper© 2008).

At left: Lisa Ellis, another Meet the Artists presenter shows her quilt called "Global Balance" which she designed by taking a line drawing of a drunkard's path pattern and tranformed it with the "spherize" filter within Photoshop.