Mistress Hemlock's Threaded Tales

Dearest Readers,   The American Quilter’s Society has once again fumbled their thread, and the quilting community is, quite rightfully, in no mood to let it slide. With each passing day, the voices calling for a boycott grow louder, and after their latest display of cowardice, one must wonder—does AQS truly believe it can ignore the very people who have supported it for decades?   Let us not forget, my dears, that this is not the first time AQS has cowered in the face of controversy. From their censorship of Jonathan Shannon’s *Amigos Muertos* to their infamous banning of Kathy Nida’s art quilts, they have repeatedly demonstrated a preference for sanitized, risk-free displays over the raw and powerful storytelling that defines quilting as an art form. And now, with their refusal to display *Color in Context: Red* in its entirety, they have once again drawn a line in the sand—one that excludes quilters whose work does not conform to their ever-narrowing definition of "acceptabl...

Dearest Readers, In the grand tapestry of quilting events, one anticipates the inaugural Road to Virginia Quilters' Conference & Showcase to be a seamless addition. Yet, today's registration launch was anything but. ager quilters, poised to secure their spots for the June 26-28, 2025 event in Richmond, VA, were met with a cascade of technical glitches, frozen screens, error messages, and vanishing sessions turned anticipation into exasperation. The event's Facebook page, which had been abuzz with excitement over class previews and teacher announcements, remained conspicuously silent on the unfolding debacle. However, before we cast too many stones, let us recall that even the venerable QuiltCon has stumbled in this arena. he 2025 registration was marred by a "catastrophic software failure," leading to system crashes and a complete pause in registration activities. The Modern Quilt Guild had to undertake extensive data reviews, resulting in overbooked workshops...

Dearest Readers, Once again, the quilting community converged upon the Ontario Convention Center for the much-anticipated  Road to California Quilters Conference and Showcase 2025 . The event, held from January 22 to 25, promised a tapestry of creativity, innovation, and camaraderie. And, for the most part, it delivered—though not without a few loose threads. The exhibition halls were nothing short of a spectacle, featuring some of the most breathtaking quilts to ever grace a show floor. The  Best of Show  winner left attendees speechless, while the themed exhibits transported us through stories told in fabric, each stitch whispering its own tale. Attendees took full advantage of hands-on workshops and lectures from some of the industry's most revered instructors, ensuring that the love of quilting continues to thrive in future generations. The energy was electric, the inspiration boundless, and the passion of the quilting world was on full display. However, amidst the sp...

 Dearest Readers,   One had dared to hope that with new ownership, the American Quilter’s Society (AQS) might at last shake the dust from its antiquated ways and step boldly into the future. Yet, alas, that hope has been dashed upon the rocks of yet another scandal. The recent removal of two art quilts from the SAQA Global Exhibition Color in Context: Red proves that while the leadership may have changed, AQS’s deep-seated fear of controversy remains as stitched into its fabric as ever.   But let us not feign surprise, dear readers, for AQS has a long and storied tradition of clutching its pearls at the mere hint of artistic expression that strays beyond quaint barns and rolling hills. This is the very same organization that, in 2016, abruptly pulled Kathy Nida’s quilts from its Grand Rapids show after receiving complaints—without so much as a whisper to the artist herself. And let us not forget the infamous censorship of Amigos Muertos by Jonathan Shannon, a tribute to a...

Dearest Readers,   It seems a month’s absence is enough to set tongues wagging and needles trembling. Whispers of my untimely demise? Greatly exaggerated. Suspicions of my defection to the dull and drab corners of the quilting world? Laughable. Fear not, dear stitchers, for Mistress Hemlock has not been silenced, merely biding her time, gathering the most delectable of morsels to share. And now, like the first crisp cut of a rotary blade on fresh fabric, I return—sharper than ever.   While I have been away, the quilt world has been up to its usual mischief. Shows have come and gone, deals have been struck in hushed tones, and the ever-turning bobbin of controversy has spun its tangled web once more. But worry not, my darlings, for I have been watching. From the gilded halls of high-profile exhibitions to the whispered grievances of shop owners, no thread of scandal has escaped my notice.   Prepare yourselves, for what lies ahead is a veritable patchwork of intrigue: news ...

Dearest Readers,   A tale most curious has come to my attention, one that has left the town of Thimblebury in stitches—some literal, others figurative. It concerns none other than Mrs. Clara Stitchwell, the doyenne of quilting in our fair quilting community. A woman of great skill and even greater ambition, Clara had resolved to complete her magnum opus—a Christmas quilt destined for the town’s charity auction—on the very morn of Christmas Day.   The quilt, resplendent in its festive hues of holly red and evergreen, needed only its final binding. But alas, fate is no respecter of deadlines, and disaster struck at the most inopportune moment. Just as Clara set her sewing machine to hum its triumphant tune, the infernal contraption fell silent. Confusion reigned until she discovered the cause: her bobbin, the humble but indispensable heart of her craft, had vanished.   Imagine, if you will, a Christmas morning turned upside-down by a runaway bobbin. Clara, ever the industri...