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Monday, April 18, 2016

Ninigret Quilt Guild - March 2016 Lecture

"Quilter and motivational speaker, Valarie Poitier gave a slide and trunk show. 
Her topic was "Promote Your Work Without Apologizing" and was fabulous.
She was energetic, educational and very entertaining."

What a wonderful guild!
tI met my match...Ms. Barbara and she is an amazing personality, wonderful quilter and a guild treasure and favorite.  

I thought she was perfect!  Ms. Barbara my hat is off to you, what a gem!

This concludes my winter Lectures. What a fabulous time I have had traveling and meeting new people, sharing, learning and growing in spirit and lessons learned.  I am proud to represent the quilters in Massachusets where ever I go.  Many of you and our sister states have helped me develop my current programs.

If your guild is looking for a lecturer or workshop teacher contact me and let's see what we can arrange.
All the best!










Sunday, February 28, 2016

March 2016 Lectures, Skits, quilters Journey Presentations

Presenting: an Off the Wall, rib tickling, event.

Quilts, dyed Fabrics, lecture, skits, stream of quilters consciousness, oh dear.
Get ready to be entertained, educated, wowed, and terribly impressed when Ms. V lets loose, and not her quilting seams.

March 5, 2016
Greater Hartford Quilt Guild
Scout Hall Youth Center
28 Abbe Rd, East Windsor, CT 06088

Presenting: A Quilter's Journey

A Lecture and a Trunkshow.

44 years in the making. No really there are at least two sewing projects scraps She will one day put in a quilt.  How does one go from bed quilts to art hanging in museums across the country. And still keep her sense of humor, find her sharp scissors, create a layout for one hundred and fifty quilts, serve on the board of a museum, teach, and represent 100 Massachusetts Art Quilter's. 

March 17, 2016
Thimble Pleasures Quilt Guild
http://www.thimblepleasures.org/
Goss Hall of the Unitarian Universalist Church at 13 Maple Street, Mendon, MA (click here for directions).

Presenting: 

March 29, 2016 
Nimble Thimbler’s Guild  
Reading, MA








Sunday, January 17, 2016

And Still We Rise...the quilt exhibit has left Connecticut.

"240 Million African Slaves Ago" is now in Winchester, VA at The Museum of Shenandoah Valley. This is its fifth museum stop on this journey. I attended the opening, feeling so proud and thrilled. I saw some of the other artists and the curator. I participated in the filming done by a local news station. That clip is available on my Facebook page. Val Quilting Poitier. As soon as I figure out how to post it here I will.  The link to the museum is below the picture. All the best!







"240 Million African Slaves Ago" was on exhibit at the Bruce Museum on Friday 1/15/16.  I attended the Opening Reception.  I am so thrilled to have been a part of this exhibit.  Lots of wonderful art enthusiast, museum members, staff, and the local news. I had an opportunity to 










Here I am so pleased to see my quilt. It's on a 5 year tour.
answer lots of questions about my quilt, the story behind it, and the techniques.  What a honor.  Thank you 


Here is another thrill, I experienced.  Watch this recording often interview about the exhibit.


https://www.themsv.org/exhibitions/and-still-we-rise-african-american-story-quilts

Monday, September 28, 2015

Workshops and classroom instruction, sewing, surface designing

Quilting Workshops, seminars and Classes 2016-2017, 2017-2018

Design using regular 1/4 seam, Raw Edge or Needle Turn

  • Strip Piecing Choices a Scene, Landscape, a Room, an Animal, make a small Quilt Top
  • Learn to add Perspective, shadows, highlight central motif.
  • Techniques and Notions: Bring all those things you bought and rarely or never used again to a workshop. Let's use then in a project and on sample sandwiches.
  • Surface Design, dyeing, stamping, silk screening, mark making.
  • Good Solid Basic Sewing and Quilt Techniques.
  • Trapunto, add stuffing. 
  • Faces, masks, appliqué!

Professional Development Workshops for guilds, artists, speakers

Teach the teachers/Train the trainer - do you want to improve your presentation skills, pair down, expand or tighten up your trunk show, workshop, finish the lesson on time? Get some advice and learn how to get/give a great result? Create a solid presentation, get some advice, see what others are doing right, learn to put your best foot forward? 

Training for Speakers and Lecturers. Are you interested in lecturing or giving a trunk show that will leave the audience on the edge of their seat.  Want to Take a class or seminar with like minded others, preferable at the same skill level? I  have a workshop for you!

For groups, guilds or a one hour motivational presentation for your guild; How to Promote Your Work Without Apologizing! 


Here's How I Work - Pick a level, schedule several workshops in one contract.

If you are like me you want the most out of a class and want like skilled members to work with. So let's do a one day or three day session grouping like skilled members together. Yes an opportunity to learn in your own skill level. No more beginners in an advance class or super quilters breathing over your shoulder if you are a beginner, finishing before you get half way done.

Basic Class Room Style and a few Techniques that are taught in each class.
Raw edge or needle turn are possible to do for each type of lesson.
Note the lessons will enhance your skill level if you are a beginner or advanced Quilter.

In class 101-1 

1. You will learn a solid design, placement, and composition technique while making a few 6" X 8"quilted.  Choose either a Landscape or Perspective Design, or both. Final piece can be framed as a top or loosely quilted and finished using a raw edge or binding. (One Day Class)

In class 102-2 

2. You will build on lesson 101-1 using a photo you will learn how to lay your colors and fussy cut shapes to enhance the perspective and depth of the scene.  Finished quilt top size between 8" X 10" and a Fat Quarter. Finished work can be matted or framed. (Not necessarily 2 consecutive Days, )

In class 103-3-5 - Days, over a Weekend, once a week,  or Five Consecutive Days, mix it up and add a Saturday or Sunday Book at the middle, start or end of the week.

3. Continuing to build on previous lessons or for our quilters who want to start adding surface designs...You will use permanent and no permanent pencils and markers or other permanent inks, paints, oils sticks to scribble and shade in details. Followed by stitching either by machine or hand. Finished work size up to a fat quarter and can be framed or quilted.

General Materials

  1. General sewing tools - thread, needles, adhesive either paper backed or not, scissors for fussy cutting, cutting board, ruler, pins and needles, machine optional for one and two day classes or a needle turn class can be taught as an add on day or separately.
  2. camera or phone with camera
  3. Variety of small fabric Scraps, precut trips or fat quarters, even fat eights in sky colors, ground colors, greens for grasses and bushes, creamy beiges and yellows in various shads, greys, Browns, think earth tones.
  4. Inexpensive glue stick made for children's craft, and paper.
  5. Permanent pens in your collection, "like" Sharpies, pentel, Farber Castelle.
  6. Watercolor paints, watercolor crayons or watercolor pencils
  7. Oil sticks, shiva or oil pastels.
  8. spiral note book.
Detailed Materials List for each class will be given.
Patterns or examples are available as part of a kit, separately, or included in cost of class
Materials listed in #3 will be available to purchase in a kit.
If we are working and the group wants to add a day, lets see if our calendars mesh and we will add a day.


Saturday, September 5, 2015

Speaking Engagements Fall 2016

Well, we are off and quilting new stories and sharing them hither thither and yon...gotta love spell check. I do try to limit my lectures to four times a year, but lately a few others have squeezed under the door.

That gave me time to participate in my guild activities, travel to see my offspring and theirs, rest, sew, rest, sew, oh and eat and exercise, did I mention sketch, stop-sew-buy-fabric-sew, and the most important part, finding stashed fabric in the most unlikely places at home?

Booked November 8, 2016 - update soon

Booked November 17, 2016 - update soon


October 25, 2016

7:00 pm 
Rising Star Quilt Guild , Lexington, MA
Lecture, trunk show, slide show

October 19, 2015

Farmington Valley Quilt Guild, Simsbury, CT

Lecture: How to Promote Your Work Without Appologizing

September 14, 16, 2015

Monday 9:00 am 09/14/2015     

Hanna Dustin Quilt Guild


http://hannahdustinqg.org

Program: “Promote Your Work Without Apologizing” 

Meetings are held at the Hudson Community Building (formerly the Lions Hall) on Lions Avenue in Hudson, NH.

From Route 93, Exit 3 – West on Route 111 approximately 8.5 miles. Turn right at the light just past Burger King. Turn left after the Dairy Queen onto Adelaide St. Turn right onto Lions Avenue.
From Route 3, Exit 5 – East on Route 111 to Hudson. Continue straight on 111 and turn right at the Dairy Queen onto Adelaide St. Turn right onto Lions Avenue.
 If you’d like to get directions: click here!
~~~~~~~~~

Wednesday, 7:30 pm  09/16/2015  

RHODODENDRON NEEDLE QUILTERS GUILD

http://www.rnqg.org

Program:  Ms. V’s Solo Act:  A Quilter’s Life, a rib tickling informative trunk show, and performance.

RNQG "guild members hail from 37 towns in southeastern Massachusetts and northern Rhode Island. Experience levels range from beginner to professional." 

New Location:  

Walpole VFW Hall108 Robbins Road, less than a mile NW of their former site.


~~~~~~~~~~


October 13, 2015

Tuesday, doors open at 6:30, 10/13/2015

Cocheco Quilters Guild

http://www.cochecoquilters.com

Program:  New Work, Collections, & Skit

Located at the McConnell Center, 61 Locust Street, Dover, NH.  
  • Park behind the library and enter through the door marked #2 (handicapped entrance: door #7).  
  • Doors open at 6:30 pm, meeting begins at 6:45 pm
  • Included in the business portion of the meeting are officer and committee reports, Show & Tell, and a fat quarter and door prize drawing.Each meeting features an interesting program, often with nationally recognized quilt teachers and artists offering lectures and trunk shows of their work.
Each meeting features an interesting program, often with nationally recognized quilt teachers and artists offering lectures and trunk shows of their work.

~~~~~~~

December 8, 2015

Social time 6:30, Meeting 7:00-9:00

Tewksbury Piecemakers Guild 

Tewksbury, MA 01876



*Please note: members only, not open to the general public*
~~~~~~~

December 8, 2015

Social time 6:30, Meeting 7:00-9:00

Tewksbury Piecemakers Guild 

Tewksbury, MA 01876

*Please note: members only, not open to the general public*



Speaking Engagements Fall 2015

Well, we are off and quilting new stories and sharing them hither thither and yon...gotta love spell check. I do try to limit my lectures to four times a year, but lately a few others have squeezed under the door.

That gave me time to participate in my guild activities, travel to see my offspring and theirs, rest, sew, rest, sew, oh and eat and exercise, did I mention sketch, stop-sew-buy-fabric-sew, and the most important part, finding stashed fabric in the most unlikely places at home?



October 25, 2016

7:00 pm 
Rising Star Quilt Guild , Lexington, MA

October 19, 2015

Farmington Valley Quilt Guild, Simsbury, CT

Lecture: How to Promote Your Work Without Appologizing

September 14, 16, 2015

Monday 9:00 am 09/14/2015     

Hanna Dustin Quilt Guild


http://hannahdustinqg.org

Program: “Promote Your Work Without Apologizing” 

Meetings are held at the Hudson Community Building (formerly the Lions Hall) on Lions Avenue in Hudson, NH.

From Route 93, Exit 3 – West on Route 111 approximately 8.5 miles. Turn right at the light just past Burger King. Turn left after the Dairy Queen onto Adelaide St. Turn right onto Lions Avenue.
From Route 3, Exit 5 – East on Route 111 to Hudson. Continue straight on 111 and turn right at the Dairy Queen onto Adelaide St. Turn right onto Lions Avenue.
 If you’d like to get directions: click here!
~~~~~~~~~

Wednesday, 7:30 pm  09/16/2015  

RHODODENDRON NEEDLE QUILTERS GUILD

http://www.rnqg.org

Program:  Ms. V’s Solo Act:  A Quilter’s Life, a rib tickling informative trunk show, and performance.

RNQG "guild members hail from 37 towns in southeastern Massachusetts and northern Rhode Island. Experience levels range from beginner to professional." 

New Location:  

Walpole VFW Hall108 Robbins Road, less than a mile NW of their former site.


~~~~~~~~~~


October 13, 2015

Tuesday, doors open at 6:30, 10/13/2015

Cocheco Quilters Guild

http://www.cochecoquilters.com

Program:  New Work, Collections, & Skit

Located at the McConnell Center, 61 Locust Street, Dover, NH.  
  • Park behind the library and enter through the door marked #2 (handicapped entrance: door #7).  
  • Doors open at 6:30 pm, meeting begins at 6:45 pm
  • Included in the business portion of the meeting are officer and committee reports, Show & Tell, and a fat quarter and door prize drawing.Each meeting features an interesting program, often with nationally recognized quilt teachers and artists offering lectures and trunk shows of their work.
Each meeting features an interesting program, often with nationally recognized quilt teachers and artists offering lectures and trunk shows of their work.

~~~~~~~

December 8, 2015

Social time 6:30, Meeting 7:00-9:00

Tewksbury Piecemakers Guild 

Tewksbury, MA 01876



*Please note: members only, not open to the general public*
~~~~~~~

December 8, 2015

Social time 6:30, Meeting 7:00-9:00

Tewksbury Piecemakers Guild 

Tewksbury, MA 01876

*Please note: members only, not open to the general public*



Strips torn, zigzag stitched, pieces from scratch and scraps.

Wall Street: 240 Million African Slaves Ago

2013 Cincinnati, Ohio - after the opening and panel discussion.





Then it went to the history museum in Florida its 2014 exhibit. 



Exhibit at the Bullock Museum in Austin, Texas closed on August 30, 2015.

The quilt will be heading off to its new location...


Below is an in progress shot of the quilted faces a few moments after I visualized individuals and knew I could add the details of hair and profiles, which you see on the upper right to left at the top of the wall.