Helen Kelley | loose threads

A New
Perspective

Here in Minneapolis they replastered and regilded one of the downtown theater palaces to host touring companies from Broadway. Over in St. Paul, they restyled the old courthouse to accommodate an art gallery, auditorium, and posh space for galas and fetes. Unused warehouses are being upgraded into elegant living spaces with high ceilings and airy views of the river. Restoration and renewal is everywhere.

Updating is good. It lets in fresh ideas and frees our imaginations. A bit of deep breathing brings in new air. Renewal comes to Quilters Newsletter too. When Bonnie Leman created the first issue, her vision was to give the most and the best to quilters. At the time I began writing my monthly letter to quilters nearly 25 years ago, QN was still a slim black-and-white publication that featured accurate patterns and current news. Over the years, the number of quilters has grown to awesome proportions, and astonishing quilting developments have brought us into a new and exciting realm. With each step in its growth, QN has flourished. The magazine has blossomed into color and keeps growing haler and heartier.

Helen Kelley is a quiltmaker, lecturer, author, and teacher from Minneapolis, Minnesota. You can visit Helen on the Internet at her website www.helenkelley- patchworks.com or email Helen at this address: helen@helenkelley- patchworks.com.

View our archive of Loose Threads columns.

I admit that I am an old-fashioned girl, comfortable doing things the way they have always been done, but I love the excitement of discovering contemporary, creative possibilities. Because of my old-time inclinations, I shy away from some current fashions such as fusing, thread-play, raw edges, and assorted new tactile techniques. I am not really adept at them. Since some of my tried-and-true methods work well for me, I have not felt a need for alternatives that are newer and easier, but I explore them all. The variety of choices is challenging, and if I don't explore what's new, I may miss a possibility for future problem solving. For example, using paper piecing to sew odd shapes together has proved to be an absolute godsend for me at times.

When my copy of QN arrives in the mail each month, I page through it, looking at the new products and special lessons. Quilting is creative and invites experimentation. Different options satisfy different hands and minds. Even though my inclinations are traditional, it's wonderful to be able to survey the latest tool and textile improvements. Inventors and manufacturers are constantly making my life better. I want to know what's new each month. QN keeps me updated.

Today, there is so much new happening in the quilt world–new events, new fabrics, new faces, and new places–that clamors for our attention. These fresh, exciting ways of doing things are best expressed with contemporary colors, shapes, and formats. Innovation and exploration will always be the foundations of this magazine, but beneath the new vibrant format, QN will always be true to its original vision of giving the best to quilters. That's an old-fashioned value that doesn't need updating!

©HK 2007