Built in 1936 by the Works Progress Administration, the limestone building was originally a National Guard armory, a firehouse during the seventies and eighties, and it now houses the museum. The old rock armory is my favorite building in the town where I grew up.
During the summer, I had the opportunity to lead a community quilt project at the Guntersville Museum and Cultural Center.
Collaborations are always fun for me. Potential combinations of people, topics, materials, and locations make every project a different experience with unique results. People are familiar and comfortable with fabric so the colors, texture, and patterns are relatable. Working with fabric gives an immediate level of comfort for all participants. With community quilts, individuals are free to make their own blocks. Stories are told, ideas and techniques are shared, and when the parts are gathered and joined together, the project and the community are celebrated by the group. It is fun to gather together with artisans of all skill levels to work towards common goals. It is most important for participants to have independent ideas without too much interference from the leader. Read more…
My good friend, Ann Alsobrook died a couple of years ago at the ripe old age of 93. She lived a good long life. Ann was like a second Mama to me. She taught me how to cook and sew, macrame, entertain, garden with wild combinations, and she taught me how to be myself. Her husband, Charlie, died in 1985. Charlie taught me how to be descriptive and poetic when thinking or writing about nature, and he taught me how to pack for long backpacking trips. He hiked the whole Appalachian Trail when he was 63. Ann and Charlie died 29 years apart, but in the same month. He died on October the 15th, and she died on the 6th.