Block Party Quilters

Jennifer Patriarche

BPQ Featured Artist 2025

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Artist's Statement:

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I didn’t have the example of a sewing or quilting mother to follow, and didn’t start any hand work until my teens, when I learned to knit and sew.  However, I loved it!  I knitted lace baby shawls, Aran sweaters, smocked baby dresses, and made many of my own clothes. Quilting seemed to be an impossible dream until we moved to a new city in
1981 where I finally found a class - and a group of new friends. My first quilt was entirely hand-stitched using a quilt-as-you-go method, and while I never made a quilt that way again, I loved the process of creating something beautiful and colorful from fabric. There are so many patterns, colors and ideas, there will never be time to explore them all!
Now, quite a few years later, I have made quilts for all my family and a lot for myself. I have met so many wonderful people who are now my friends, and I continue to learn new things. Membership in the Block Party Quilters has brought me great pleasure for over 30 years; particularly my part in the charity group where I put bindings on quilts for the many diverse recipients of these beautiful gifts.
I hope my granddaughters will enjoy and cherish my quilts and perhaps learn to quilt themselves so that this wonderful art form gets passed on and enjoyed by new generations.