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Inspired by The Beatles - An Art Quilt Challenge
My Beatles quilt storyDonna DeSoto, passionate quilter in Fairfax, Virginia, loves The Beatles and their music. To commemorate the 50th Anniversary of The Beatles first visit to the United States she announced an art quilt challenge on making quilts according to the individual songs. This idea turned out to become an amazing and extensive adventure!
On February 9, 1964 The Beatles had their first appearance in the USA at the 
Ed Sullivan Show. Two days later they performed the legendary first concert at the Washington Coliseum. These 35 (!) minutes changed the US world of music abruptly!
150 artists chose a different Beatles song to portray as a 60 x 60cm fibre art quilt. These quilts will be on exhibition tour across the United States for two years. The grand opening was at the famous Quilt Festival in Houston, Texas, at the end of October 2014. We are all honored!
Here you can find the current list of exhibitions and more information about a new upcoming project.
But there is more: Donna DeSoto was impressed by the vast array of quilts and wrote a book about them. It is published by Schiffer Publishing.
Excerpt from the book's blurb:
Inspired by the vast array of Beatles' music and lyrics, the artists have merged talent with imagination to create beautiful works of art. Accompanied by 169 images, the book provides a personal narrative from each artist. Discover the stories behind their quilts and why certain songs were chosen. Read some of the personal memories the artists have of The Beatles, and hear many descriptions and details related to the making of these unique pieces. Behold the magic that happens when artists are challenged to use songs and fabric, lyrics and thread, and love for Beatles music combined with a passion for stitching. This book is a great resource for both art quilters and music lovers and a wonderful keepsake for the Beatles fan.
Hardcover, 176 pages.About the author: Others collect quilts, but Donna Marcinkowski DeSoto is a collector of quilters. She promotes camaraderie among the unsuspecting with subtle nudges to come have a look, open invitations to join in group challenges, and all-out harangues to drop everything and join in the fun. When not at home with her family in Fairfax, Virginia listening to the chorus of a noisy dishwasher, tapping out the syncopation of a computer keyboard, or humming along with the crescendo of her sewing machine, she can most often be found in the beloved company of quilters.Donna's artwork has been exhibited at local and national venues, in magazines, books, universities, hospitals, healing and charity projects, and in private residences.
My Quilt: Rock And Roll Music
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When it was my turn to choose a song from a list of more than 300 Beatles songs my eyes got caught by "Rock And Roll Music". Rock and Roll! It brings back memories of my time as a ballroom dancer when I was young. After the strict training at the dancing school we often whirred off to the - at that time brand new - discotheque do dance the frowned upon Rock`n Roll. What a crazy time of my life! |
See the video and listen to the original song here. Sorry, the image quality was pretty bad in former times!
The Song originates from Chuck Berry who performed it in 1957. The lyrics talk about the love for Rock'n Roll music, especially "if you wanna dance with me". That was my cue.
I created my quilt with a little help from Uschi's pretty legs and the handkerchief lace from Karin. Petticoats haven't been fashionable anymore in the sixties. But as I like them I dressed my dancer in a wide petticoat skirt: an artist's freedom. Television was black and white at that time so this made my color choice. Added is the fiery red of Rock'n Roll music!
See pictures from my quilt in the 
Gallery.
My quilt in Houston!
On her website Inspired Quilts Donna DeSoto briefly presents her projects. She has already successfully launched several quilt projects and published them as books. I participated in Inspired by the National Parks and Inspired by Endangered Species.
top of pageLast update: 23.01.2020