Block Party Quilters

Value is an elusive and powerful tool at play in many of the quilts you see and love.  But what exactly is it?  Join Giuseppe Ribaudo of Guicy Guice as he illustrates what value is and how to harness its unbelievably versatile applications.

In this lecture, Giuseppe will discuss basic color theory and how you can make any and all colors work with one another by utilizing value.  You'll leave the lecture with a more thorough understanding of color and value that you can apply to quilts of your own.  

Giuseppe learned garment sewing early from his grandmother, but it wasn't until college that he discovered quilting.  He began with improvisational quilts before moving into modern traditional territory.  In 2018 he released his first of many fabric collections.[

Come see over 40 of Kristen's quilts and hear her story and value from making each one.  Over half the quilts were made using the Quilt-As-You-Go method, but she will also show other quilts and techniques tried over the years.

Included is a short video on how to make a two-sided binding, along with the ugliest quilt Kristin's ever made with a deep dive into what whe learned in the process!

Kristin began quilting in 1999 when she made a baby quilt for her best friend.  She made the quilt using the fabric from the bridesmaid's dress she wore in the wedding, where she learned that acetate is not the best fabric choice for a baby quilt, but she got the quilting bug.  It was a colorful and creative outlet to balance with her career as a computer programmer.

Kristin retired from the county of Sacramento where she spent 23 years as a computer geek.  When not quilting or teaching, she enjoys spending time with her hisbandShawn, their three grown children and two grandkids.  They live on 18 acres in beautiful Worley, Idaho where they enjoy gardening and raising chickens.

Karen, first to quilt in space, hand-stitched a star block from recycled materials in orbit.  Inspiring NASA's Astronomical Quilt Block Challenge, which brought together thousands of quilters worldwide and 2014's International Quilt Festivalshowed their work - a powerful example of art and science coming together.  

Karen learned to quilt at a young age and continues to create textile art inspired by her experiences viewing Earth from space.  Since retiring from NASA. she has focused on sustainability and design, collaberating with Robert Kaufman Fabrics on collections, all based on her photography and perspective from orbit. [

Karen also co-created the Lunar Quilt Challenge (2024-2025), a global initiative inviting artists, students, and communities to explore sustainability, heritage, and humanity's connection to space through textile art.  The project culminated in a showcase at the Kennedy Center and now serves as a foundation for the international initiative INTERWOVEN: The Threads That Connect Earth and Space. 

Come hear Karen's experiences sewing in space and the unique challenges involved.

In this engaging lecture, Robin O'Neil explores the dynamic landscape of quilting through the lenses of traditional, modern, and improvisational practices.  She defines each category, compares their visual language and philosophical underpinnings, and shares vivid examples to illustrate how thesestyles intersect, diverge, and continue to evolve.

With decades of experience as both an educator and artist, Robin offers insight into how quilts tell stories of heritage, innovation, and personal expression.  Perfect for quilters of all backgrounds, this talk invites curiosity, conversation and inspiration.

Robin is a textile artist and educator whose intuitive, freeform quilts burst with color, texture, and movement.  With a background in philosophy and special education, she began quilting in 1973 and later abandoned templates to embrace spontaneity.  Her large-scale works are tactile celebrations of creativity, joy, and wonder.  Robin has taught nationally, completed a residency at Chateau d'Orquevaux, and has featured on PBS and at QuiltCon.  Her quilts invite connection through bold expression and fearless improvisation.

Spotlight: Robin O'Neil, Quilter and Designer - Create Whimsey

For decades, Shannon & Jason have been teaching that creativity shouldn't require expensive tools, perfect technique, or access to specialty products.  Their approach to Scappy Wonky quilting is rooted in two core principles: sustainability and accessibility - because everyone deserves to embrace the creative chaos.

In this lecture. you'll discover hoe Scrappy Wonky quilting transforms limitations into possibilities.  Use what you have,  Reclaim and reuse materials.  Waste nothing.  Create without barriers.  Shannon & Jason will share their philosophy of anti-gatekeeping in the quilt world, showing how imperfection isn't just accepted - it's welcomed as part of the creative process.

You'll learn why "ish measurements" and wonky construction aren't just techniques - they're freedom.  Freedom from the pressure to buy the latest tools.  Freedom from the fear of making mistakes.  Freedom to create on your own terms, at your own pace, with whatever materials you have on hand.  

Whether you're new to Scrappy Wonky Quilting or you're ready to dive deeper, this lecture will shift how you think about creativity, accessibility, and what it means to make something beautifully imperfect.

The Charity Sew-In is moving to Saturday instead of the typical Thursday evening.  Signup at the January 8th guild meeting (NOTE: this is the second Thursday given the New Year's holiday).

This annual event is always a ton of fun and very productive.  If you have never been to one of these sew-ins, it;s time!

Since 1988, BPQ members have made quilts for children staying at Ronald McDonald House while being treated at Seattle Children's Hospital.  Each child gets to choose their own quilt and pillowcase when they move in.  Every holiday season BPQ members provide quilted holiday stockings for the children at Ronald McDonald House.

BPQ also provides quilts to Evergreen Hospice, KidVantage (formerly Eastside Baby Corner) and Swedish Palliative Care of Issaquah.  The Harborview Pediatric Burn Center was added to our recipient list in 2024.  They offer the highest level of critical care for children with trauma, which often results from car crashes, burns or falls.  Treehouse is another organization we added in 2024.  It has become Washington's leading organization addressing the academic and other essential supports of youth in foster care.

The Charity team makes sure your quilts go to the right organization!  For more information email them at Charity@blockpartyquilters.org.