Jackie O’Brien, a certified instructor for Studio 180, will present her trunk show of One Block Wonder quilts during the next Fairfield Glade Fantastic Quilt Guild meeting.
The meeting will start at 9 a.m. Friday, Nov. 15, in the fellowship hall of Fairfield Glade United Methodist Church at 231 Westchester Dr.
Visitors and those attending who are not Guild members will be charged a $5 program fee because O’Brien is a guest speaker from outside the membership.
A 20-year quilt veteran, O’Brien is passionate about quilting and teaching others to quilt. She lives in central New York state. She said becoming a Studio 180 certified instructor in 2013 was one of the great joys of her life.
Because of this certification, she is able to teach all Deb Tucker quilter’s tools. Her quilt, Waves of Joy, is included in Deb Tucker’s book “Royal Treasures” based on Hunter Star quilts.
O’Brien teaches numerous classes and workshops at quilt guilds, shops and retreats throughout the year.
She is well known in the quilting world for her fantastic classes and her specialty, One Block Wonder quilts.
She discovered One Block Wonder quilts in 2006 and has made more than 100 so far.
Two of her quilts are featured in Maxine Rosenthal’s book “One Block Wonders Around the World.”
O’Brien uses the Studio 180 tools to create stunning one-of-a-kind quilts. The vibrant panels she chooses for her projects truly produce works of art.
She mostly works with the Deb Tucker Star 60 tool and many of its technique sheets for her creations, but the Wedge Star tool is also prominently featured in making many of her quilts. The blocks are made from one fabric with very little waste.
“You cut and sew equilateral triangles forming hexagons and then design with these kaleidoscopic blocks,” O’Brien said. “There are no ‘Y’ seams involved. Because the One Block Wonder quilt features one repeated block, design involves playing with the colors and shapes in any way you choose. As a result, the quilt you produce will have more energy and movement than the original fabric.”
O’Brien’s quilts have been exhibited at the Virginia Quilt Museum in Harrisonburg, VA, The Fenimore Art Museum, and the Farmers Museum in Cooperstown, the Earlville Opera House in Earlville, NY, and the Munson Williams Proctor Art Institute in Utica, NY.
Visit www.ifthesethreadscouldtalk.com for more information about O’Brien.
The Fantastic Quilters’ meeting will also include the monthly business meeting and a time for show and tell.
The Fantastic Quilt Guild is a group of more than 150 quilters who meet on the third Friday of the month at Fairfield Glade United Methodist Church to further the art of quilting through education, sharing, community outreach, and social camaraderie.
They have been meeting since 2002. New members and visitors are always welcome. Email fantasticquiltersffginfo@gmail.com for more information.