You are invited to view this gallery show, presented September 13 - October 26, 2019.

Visit the free Opening Reception and meet the artist on Friday, September 13th 5-7pm.

Mary Nordeng comes from a long line of creative women. Her great grandmother taught her to sew Barbie doll clothes on a toy sewing machine. Her maternal grandmother excelled at every craft imaginable. Her paternal grandmother instilled in her a love of quilts. Her mother still knits and crochets beautiful baby gifts for all of her friends. Mary cannot knit or crochet. She tried once and made a dishcloth that was a trapezoid instead of a square. Because of these talented women, Mary grew up with an appreciation for all of the arts. As a young child she loved to color and was envious of the children who had the boxes of 64 crayons. She hated her boring yellow bedroom, the color her younger sister chose, because she would have preferred something much more colorful. While in high school, Mary would spend much of her money on fabric or craft and art supplies. Little did her future husband know that when he married her he was not only gaining a wife, but also a fabric stash! Mary’s love of color and pattern eventually led her to the quilting world. In 1999, she bought longarm quilting machine. Little did she know how it would change her life. Her quilts have won several awards. Her quilting has been featured on the covers of magazines in Great Britain, Australia, and the United States. She has taught at numerous machine quilting shows around the United States, and has published four books. Because Mary loves color so much, it wasn’t enough to just buy fabric, she had to learn how to make the fabrics in the colors she preferred (remember that box of 64 crayons?), so she learned how to dye fabric. She began by learning to dye cotton fabric, and now also dyes silk and wool. Mary also likes to play with paint, both on fabric and on canvas. She participated in the Austin Artworks Festival in 2018 and was a recipient of an award of excellence. Even with all her varied creative interests, Mary always returns to her one true passion, which is machine quilting. She now creates most of her pieces with the machine stitching foremost in mind.

Artist statement:

I always tell people that I cannot draw a straight line. But, when I quilt with my longarm machine, I use both hands, which engages both sides of my brain, and that makes me twice as talented. Well, it works for me.

My quilts, while varied in style, all have an emphasis on the machine quilting. All of the machine quilting is hand-guided, not computerized. I move the machine over the fabric to create the stitching designs. There are traditional-looking appliqué quilts, all done by machine. I also have more contemporary looking pieces. My most recent designs are a series of mid-century modern pieces which remind me of the decor in my childhood home.

Jamie Kouba - I am a maker. A craftsperson. And, occasionally, an artist. I am happiest when my right brain is engaged in the creation of beauty: where line and design meet color and light.

Much of my original work comes from a textile challenge group of like-minded women. We met to collaborate, inspire, teach, and support each other on our unique, yet connected, textile journeys.

I find inspiration in EVERYTHING, as you will discover working your way from piece to piece. My latest inspiration comes from my son, Jake Kouba, as we explore the infinite possibilities of Islamic Tile design. We’ve only dipped our toes into the water….there is more to come.

Enjoy!