Segment 1: Gold Rush!

From outside the picturesque courthouse in Dahlonega, Georgia where gold was first discovered in the United States, Jodie introduces her friend Rob Appell as co-host for this episode. Rob is a pattern designer, author, and teacher, and works with his mom at The Cotton Ball in Morro Bay, California. Jodie and Rob introduce the theme of the show: gold fever! Dahlonega is where the saying, “There’s gold in them there hills” was born. Mark Lipinski also joins us from the road with a very informative piece on color values.

Segment 2: Gold Mine!

Jodie and Rob are greeted at the Consolidated Gold Mine by Miner Mike, who appears to have just stepped out of the past. Miner Mike proceeds to lead our co-hosts into the past, down into the Georgia mountain where gold was mined. The mine is complete with hibernating bats, which sent one of the crew above ground real fast. (We had mercy, that wasn’t caught on tape!) Back above ground, Miner Mike shows Jodie and Rob how gold is panned. Our co-hosts find that there is skill involved in getting rich.

How to Find Quilt Out Loud!

It’s easy! Simply login to QNNtv.com. You will be taken to your dashboard page. Look for the big Quilt Out Loud! logo in the center of the page and click on it. Under “Series” click on “Episode List.” There you will find all of the episodes available to date. Click on whichever you wish to watch.

To find out more about any episodes, click on “Visit QuiltOutLoud.com” on the left side of the page. There you can click on “Episode Notes” on the left side of the page and find notes for each episode.

Schnibbles Contest!

Moda Fabrics and That Patchwork Place® have teamed up to sponsor a quiltmaking contest with generous prizes to celebrate the publication of Schnibbles Times Two by Carrie Nelson, owner of Miss Rosie’s Quilt Company. Contestants will submit quilts to participating shops, and each shop will select one finalist for the overall competition. The sponsors will select three winners who will each receive new books and current fabrics in a series of monthly shipments.
First, second, and third prize packages will be awarded, and include monthly shipments of That Patchwork Place Books and current Moda fabrics.

The contest begins the week of April 19, 2010. For contest details, call 800-426-3126 or visit www.martingale-pub.com.

The Death of Quilter Hystercine Rankin

We mourn the passing of legendary quiltmaker Hystercine Rankin, who died on February 10 at the age of 80. Born in a log cabin in Mississippi in 1929, she began by making basic, utilitarian quilts but would become famous for her appliquéd and embroidered story quilts. The one pictured here, "Memories of My Father's Death," commemorates the racially charged murder of her father when Hystercine was 10 years old.            

Such was her skill and influence that Hystercine Rankin's quilting would take her all the way to the White House. In 1997, she received the highest award the National Endowment for the Arts bestows on traditional crafters, a National Heritage Fellowship award.

Rankin's accomplishments will outlive her partly because she is one of the influential people documented in the Alliance for American Quilts' Quilt Treasures project, which we do in partnership with Michigan State University Museum and MSU's MATRIX: Center for Humane Arts, Letters and Social Sciences Online. Like all of our Quilt Treasures' portraits, the one of Hystercine Rankin includes a wealth of material about her contribution to quilt history, including a gallery of her quilts and a video mini documentary. You can watch the entire video, or just watch her answer specific interview questions. There is even a short slide show under the gallery section showcasing her method for making a traditional "string" quilt.