Sara Quattlebaum

BIOGRAPHY

Sara Quattlebaum grew up in Wisconsin learning at a very young age many ways to use her hands and dreaming she could create this way forever. Crocheting and knitting came first, then making her own clothes. In the early 1980s Sara took a quilting class with a close friend. She never looked back. She made quilts from patterns, then designed her own quilts. During her career in computer consulting and court reporting, Sara began teaching quilting at quilt shops and doing programs for quilt guilds. After moving to South Carolina, she continued teaching and began taking classes from international quilters, opening her world up to art quilts. Now retired, Sara makes art quilts full time, teaches a little and found her dreams have come true.

ARTIST STATEMENT

I use predominantly abstract shapes to create my work, but almost always my pieces turn out with a look of nature about them. I get inspiration from other artists, from a glimpse of something on the television screen, from taking a hike near my house, or from a photo. I then get out my sketchbook and begin sketching my rendition of that inspiration. When making an art piece, I begin with my background, whether hand dyed fabric or a beautiful store-bought piece, and back it with iron-on interfacing. I then begin cutting my shapes to form improvisational motifs and audition them on the background to create the art piece. I love to layer my fabrics and to use thread play, thread sketching, couching and/or free-hand embroidery during my design of the art piece. I never know what the end result of the art quilt may be. I just love to see it develop.

EDUCATION

BA Liberal Arts – New York University, NY
Graduate of two-year Court Reporting Program – Madison Business College (1974)

EXHIBITIONS

“Mountains to Shore”, by Upcountry Fiber Artists, Central Piedmont Community College & UFA, Charlotte, NC, October to December, 2023

“A Few of Our Favorites”, by Upcountry Fiber Artists, Arts and Heritage Center of North Augusta in North Augusta, SC, April and May, 2023

“Upcountry Fiber Artists Exhibit”, City of Greer Center for the Arts, Greer, SC, November and December, 2022

“Some of Our Favorites”, by Upcountry Fiber Artists, Simpsonville Arts Center, Simpsonville, SC, October to November, 2022

“Georgia Mountains to Shore”, by Upcountry Fiber Artists, Oconee Cultural Arts Foundation, Watkinsville, GA, January to February 2023

“Carolina Moutains to the Shore“ by Upcountry Fiber Artists, Aiken Center for the Arts, March to May, 2022

“In Layers” by Upcountry Fiber Artists, Belton Center for the Arts, January and February, 2022,

“In Layers” by Upcountry Fiber Artists, Arts and Heritage Center of North Augusta in North Augusta, SC, July and August of 2021

“A Thread Runs Through It”, Southeastern Quilt and Textile Museum, SAQA SC/GA Regional Artists
(2020)

Quiltmaker Annual Challenge Exhibit, Columbia, SC (2012)
Evergreen Piecemakers Annual Quilt Exhibit, Olympia Mall, Olympia, WA (2000)

Hoffman Fabrics Challenge, quilt selected to travel to world-wide exhibits for one year, 1990

RECOGNITIONS & AWARDS

Blue Ribbon Award, Best Interpretation of Theme, A Thread Runs Through It Exhibit, Southeastern Quilt and Textile Museum (2020)

Best Art Award, CQG Show, Charlotte, NC (2020)
1st Place Award, Abstract Art, CQG Show, Charlotte, NC (2020)
1st Place Award, Artist Design and Creation, CQG Show, Charlotte, NC (2020)
3rd Place Award, Landscape, CQG Show, Charlotte, NC (2020)
Honorable Mention Award, “Green”, Heritage Quilt Show and Exhibit, Indianapolis, IN (2019)
2nd Place Viewers Choice Award, Stitching Sisters Annual Challenge, Chetek, WI (2017)
1st Place Viewers Choice Award, Stitching Sisters Annual Challenge, Chetek, WI (2016)

1st & 2nd Place Viewers Choice Awards, Stitching Sisters Annual Challenge, Chetek, WI (2015)
2nd Place Award Judged Carolina Quiltmaker Annual Challenge Exhibit, Columbia, SC (2012)

1st Place Viewers’ Choice Award, Evergreen Piecemakers Annual Quilt Exhibit, Olympia, WA (1994)

PRESENTATIONS

“Thread Play” GA/SC Regional SAQA Members, September, 2019.

“Collage with Lines” INSPIRE Collage Group, April 2023

“Creating Faces with Fused Fabrics”, Six-Hour Class taught at Oconee Cultural Arts Foundation, Watkinsville, GA, January 14, 2023.

PUBLICATIONS

A Thread Runs Through It; Studio Art Quilt Associates (2020)
Round Robin Quilts by Pat Margret, Publication Date 1994 by Martindale & Company, 112 Pages

Blockbuster Quilts by Margaret J. Miller, Against All Odds, Publication Date 1991 by Martingdale & Company, 168 pages

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

Juried Artist Member, Arts & Heritage Center of North Augusta, North August, SC - Juried Artist Member

Member, Studio Art Quilt Associates (SAQA)
Member, Upcountry Fiber Artists

Member, Gathering, Fiber Art Group in Charlotte, NC
SAQA Co-Representative for GA/SC Region, 2020-2022

Member, Chinaberry Art Textile Art: GVL Textile Artists

Member, INSPIRE Collage, Fiber Art Group online