About Pins & Needles Art Quilyting

The Pins & Needles Art Quilters group is a neighborhood circle formed from members of River City Quilter’s Guild.We meet once a month to exchange information about art quilts, to share and critique our work, to pursue exhibitions and competitions, and publishing options. We currently have over twenty dedicated members from varied backgrounds. We challenge our group monthly to try new techniques, or themes, to explore mixed media options, and to share new discoveries.

Our group’s work is regularly shown at the River City Quilter’s Guild annual show in Sacramento, California. Our members’ work has also been shown at several national and international shows, as well as in local venues.


Showing posts with label Phyllis McCalla. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Phyllis McCalla. Show all posts

Sunday, March 20, 2016

January 2016

Show and Tell
Sharing art and quilts we are making and have finished

BJ Bailey showed us her revised and finished Collage Quiltlet.
BJ also showed her spider's web, dripping with beads.

Artist: Jan Soules
Jan shared some trim and hand-dyed fabric experiments.

Kim Sikes made this in a Lenore Crawford workshop.

Kari Bauer made this in the same workshop.

Sandra Torguson hand-dyed this fabric using Shibori techniques.
Sandra also shared a book she had made years ago in a Bay Area art books group.

Special guest, retired CSUS Art professor Gwen Amos, showed us some of her newfound passion for quilts. 

Elizabeth McInnes shared a hexagon quilt she had made previously. She decided at the time that since the floral images were small, she could make the hexagons small. She said it was an experiment she won't try again!
Elizabeth also shared this quilted shaped leaf bowl.


Log Cabin Reveal
Our Log Cabin Challenge was to make an art quilt using some version of a Log Cabin Block, within the size range of 12"x12" to 18"x18", and with one wonky side. Here are our talented group's Log Cabins.

Artist: Kari Bauer


Artist: Sheila Green
Made with dupioni silks, paper, and found objects.


Artist: Joy Valenton


Artist: BJ Bailey


Artist: Phyllis McCalla
Artist: Phyllis McCalla
A dimensional pillow.
Artist: Phyllis McCalla
Phyllis was on a roll!


Artist: Linda Bergman
Linda also made a pillow, using Civil War reproduction fabrics, and traditional Log Cabin blocks.

Artist: Jan Soules
Using some of her own hand-dyed fabrics, Jan made shattered window blocks, and hand quilted the entire piece.


Artist: Kim Sikes
Log Cabin blocks interpreted literally!

Artist: Sandra Torguson
Sandra embroidered the center, and added many of her own hand-dyed fabrics.


Artist: Gwen Amos
Gwen made multiple Log Cabin blocks. Does this one have a knot within one strip?
A collage of the many pieces Gwen shared.


Artist: Lori Wisheropp


A floor collage of all our Log Cabins!
Thanks for viewing our work!

Friday, October 30, 2015

October 2015

Show and Tell
Pieces we are working on or have recently finish.

Artist: Elizabeth McInnis
Created in a workshop she took at the Pacific International Quilt Festival (PIQF).
Artist: Sheila Green
"Oak Grove"
Created in the Sheer Landscapes workshop, with Esterita Austen, at PIQF.
Artist: Kim Sykes
Kim's entry into the River City Quilt Guild fabric challenge.
Artist: Marie Nelson
Busting her UFO's (UnFinished Objects), Marie shared three large quilts recently finished. All are quilted by Marie, free-hand on a longarm machine.
Artist: Marie Nelson
"Zen Moment"
Artist: Marie Nelson
"Dresdens and Bunnies"
Under the lights, the quilting shows better.

Artist: Penny Hanscomb
"Cabbage"
Artist: Sandra Torguson
Made with fabrics hand-dyed by Sandra.
Artist: Kari Bauer
"Self-Portrait"
Kari's feels like this one is more true to herself artistically than were her other attempts.
Artist: Sunni Hamilton
"Cats Pondering Pi"

Homework Quiltlets
Recapping what we have been doing, we are following the book "" and doing the suggested exercises at the end of each chapter, resulting in a 9"x12" vertical quiltlet using our chosen theme. This month, the design concept was Collages.

Artist: Kari Bauer
Theme: Southwest
Artist: Elizabeth McInnes
Theme: Figs
Artist: Marie Nelson
Theme: Things with Wings
Artist: Phyllis McCalla
Theme: Grafitti
Artist: Kathy Orsburn
Theme: Skeleton Keys
Artist: Carole Mah
Theme: Travels
Carole is new to the group, and she is catching up by doing all the exercise quilts. This design concept was perspective through placement and color.
Artist: Carole Mah
Design concept: inspiration from images
Artist: Carole Mah
Carole's Travel collage
Artist: Lori Wisheropp
Theme: Art Deco Florals
Artist: BJ Bailey
Theme: Text

Our next challenge, due in January, is a Log Cabin, traditional or otherwise; finished size: 12" square to 18" square, or anything in between; and one edge "irregular" (at an angle, curved, jagged, etc.) Can't wait to see how we all interpret this challenge!

Thursday, November 20, 2014

River City Quilters' 2014 Show

We are so proud of our members' participation in this year's show. Over thirty awards just to members of Pins & Needles. Here they are (in no particular order).

Artist: Marie Nelson
Best in Show


Artist: Denise Schmidt "Ground Water"
Second Place

Artist: Denise Schmidt
First Place

Artist: Elizabeth McInnes "Time Out of Mind"

Artist: Fab Five Quilters, Carol Pirruccello, Cathy Brorby,  Phyllis McCalla, Jan Bawart and Jan Soules
First Place

Artist: Helen Burke "Not a Mystery Any Longer"

Artist: Helen Burke "Magic Book"

Artist: Helen Burke "Skeleton in the Closet"

Artist: Jan Soules
First Place

Artist: Jan Soules
Third Place

Artist: Jan Soules
First Place

Artist: Jan Soules "Tilly's Quilt"

Artist: Jan Soules "Two Red Poppies"
Third Place

Artist: Kari Bauer "Computer Chip 1.0"

Artist: Kari Bauer "Computer Chip 2.0 Mac"

Artist: Kari Bauer "Computer Chip 3.0 Me"

Artist: Kari Bauer "High Desert"

Artist: Kari Bauer "Orchard Gale"

Artist: Kathy Orsburn
First Place

Artist: Kathy Orsburn "Bottoms Up"

Artist: Kathy Orsburn
Honorable Mention

Artist: Kathy Orsburn "Technicolor Dress"

Artist: Kim Sikes "Greeting Dawn"
2nd Place and Best Use of Fabrics

Artist: Kim Sikes "Fletcher's Quilt"
Honorable Mention

Artist: Kim Sikes "Out of the Darkness"

Artist: Linda Bergman
Second Place

Artist: Linda Bergman
Third Place

Artist: Linda Bergman

Artist: Lori Wisheropp "Making Circles"

Artist: Lori Wisheropp  "Soil Profile"

Artist: Marie Nelson
Honorable Mention

Artist: Peggy Sahmaunt "Multi-Fasseted-Starburst

Artist: Peggy Sahmaunt "MacGuts"

Artist: Phyllis McCalla
Featured Artist

Artist: Phyllis McCalla
Featured Artist

Artist: Phyllis McCalla
Featured Artist

Artist: Phyllis McCalla
Featured Artist

Artist: Phyllis McCalla
Featured Artist

Artist: Phyllis McCalla
Featured Artist

Artist: Phyllis McCalla
Featured Artist

Artist: Phyllis McCalla
Featured Artist

Artist: Phyllis McCalla
Featured Artist


Artist: Phyllis McCalla
Featured Artist


Artist: Phyllis McCalla
Featured Artist
Second Place

Artist: Phyllis McCalla
Featured Artist

Artist: Phyllis McCalla
Featured Artist


Artist: Phyllis McCalla
Featured Artist

Artist: Phyllis McCalla
Featured Artist


Artist: Phyllis McCalla
Featured Artist

Artist: Phyllis McCalla "African Influence"
Featured Artist

Artist: Phyllis McCalla
Featured Artist

Artist: Sandra Torguson "Hidden View"


Artist: Sandra Torguson

Artist: Sheila Green "olor de muerte (smell of death)"
Honorable Mention

Artist: Sheila Green "Baptism Dress"
Third Place

Artist: Sheila Green "Aloha"

Artist: Susan Spicer "Hidden Flowers

Artist: Bl J. Bailey "Diatoms"

Artist: Connie Horne
Second Place