When we first walked in the door of the Central Vermont Quilt Show in Barre, Vermont, today, I was awe-struck by the colorful quilts of Kathie Alyce, quilter designer and artist. On display, in a special exhibit, were landscape quilts that she made, as well as other extraordinary pieces. One quilt was made in the shape of an artist’s palette, and about the same size. Kathie admits to being in love with color. We believe her!
A black, white, and gray quilt (seen on the left) is dedicated to the memory of her brother who met a tragic death in Keene, New Hampshire, when a deer jumped in front of his motorcycle. There is a purposeful tear down the middle of the quilt, perhaps to symbolize how he was ripped from her life. It is a touching tribute, along with an aluminum-foil-color, motorcycle and deer, applied in some manner.
Kathie Alyce standing in front of a few of her quilts at the Central Vermont Quilt Show – 2010
The center piece of the special exhibit is a quilt, one of thirty quilts, that will be featured in a book, Flip Flop Quilts, to be released at the Houston Quilt Market in late October 2010. Kathie has developed a special hard plastic (or acrylic?) template tool that can be used to make a number of different quilts. The blue and white one, shown here, with her standing nearby, she calls the “Vermont Wedding Ring.” In a vendor space at the show, Kathy was selling her templates and quilt patterns.
I really enjoyed chatting with Kathie. At one point she said that a trademark of her quilts is curves. In viewing her various pieces, that statement rings true! From her website, I learned that she does commission work and also has some beautiful quilts for sale. In addition, she provides classes to groups.
Check out Waterfall Quilts The new book is being published by AQS (American Quilter’s Society). Congratulations, Kathy! Way to go! Please sign up on Kathy’s website if you would like to be notified when her book is ready for the public!
Patricia Cummings
Quilter’s Muse Publications
