Hollis Chatelain - Textile Artist

Many people ask me what I am working on, where my work is being exhibited and how I am spending my time. This is a new addition to the website that will be updated monthly with the latest things that are happening in my life.

So much has been happening in my life that I haven’t had time to do a full newsletter. But don’t worry, you will be getting all of the news very soon!

In the meantime, John Flynn has written a little blurb about something we would like to tell you about. Please remember that this is from his point of view!!

I would like to use this opportunity to announce the very first World Quilt Federation, AKA WQF, “Smackdown”. This will be the quilting equivalent of a no holds barred cage fight refereed and administered by Ami Simms to benefit the Alzheimer’s research project. http://www.alzquilts.org

The participants will be; Hollis Chatelain, Becky Goldsmith, Sue Nichols, and myself. We were not chosen by anyone to stage this ultimate contest, it developed at a dinner party that spun out of control. First there was a fairly civil discussion about whose quilt donated to The Alzheimer’s priority project had brought the highest price. We were unable to figure this out among ourselves so we went to the source, Ami Simms. Ami did not answer any of the four of our phone messages about this critical issue. She had the lame excuse of being at the Penguin’s- Red Wing’s Stanley cup playoff game. With no help from Ami we decided that the only fair way to settle the discussion was to have a head-to-head no rules contest the winner to be determined by the highest auction price.

This contest will be unlike any other contest in quilt history in that there will be no rules. We all agreed on a size limitation but I do not exactly trust anyone to adhere strictly to or even remember accurately the guidelines set forth late on the evening of the dinner party that started all of this. What I do expect is that you will see and have the opportunity to vote on with your pocket-book the best work each of us is able to produce in our own style in the allotted time.

As I am writing this I have not started to work on or even design the quilt that will ultimately be my final entry. I do expect some brilliant inspiration to come to me when I least expect it, and I do not want to clutter my mind with any preconceptions about what my quilt should look like. I am going up against two world-class appliqué artists and the preeminent dye painting/thread painting quilter in the WQF so I do not expect that my usual little machine quilted whole clothe quilt will win the day.

I have been a long time contributor to the Alzheimer’s Priority Project. My usual contributions have been the machine quilted demonstration pieces that many of you have witnessed me making when I am at quilt shows across the country. I will continue to contribute those little pieces to this very important cause but the quilt I make for the very first WQF smack down will be very special and I will be hoping for your support. You might also consider bidding on one of the other Smackdown quilts but maybe just a little less than you bid on mine.

The four Smackdown quilts will be revealed for the first time at the Alzheimer’s booth during the Houston Quilt festival. The auction will take place on the Alzheimer’s website in the beginning of November and end when the ultimate Smackdown winner is declared on November xx.

Hollis again: Okay, now I would like to say that my little quilt will be ready next week. I will send out a picture of it so you can all see it and get ready to bid on it!!

All four of us have donated quilts to the Alzheimer’s Research Project in the past and are thrilled to be able to create this friendly Smackdown fight. Of course, I know that I will win this fight and be able to announce that my one quilt has brought in the most money to the project (with your help and big money bids!!!!).