Patricia Belyea – February 4 – 6
Website: https://okanarts.com/
At the age of 53, Patricia Belyea made her first quilt out of old clothes from Goodwill. Once started, Patricia worked on quilting projects during every waking hour when she wasn’t at her day job. Five years after making her first quilt, she quit the corporate world to become a full-time quilter.
While raising a family, Patricia and her husband hosted eight homestay students from Japan. On one of her many trips to Japan to visit their “kids,” Patricia discovered vintage yukata cottons. She started playing with these hand-dyed fabrics with graphic patterns and luscious colors. They were ideal for making gorgeous quilts. At first, Patricia bought a few bolts of yukata cotton for her own pleasure. But she didn’t stop. Before long, she had the largest collection of yukata cotton outside of Japan. With more Japanese textiles than she could use in a lifetime, Patricia founded Okan Arts.
Today, Okan Arts is led by Patricia and her youngest daughter Victoria. They import textiles from Japan, host creative learning events, and lead quilting and textile tours to Japan.
With a life full of creativity and quilting, as well as a love of Japan, Patricia revels in sharing her stories and expertise with others.
ARTIST’S STATEMENT
The fabric made me do it! Once I got involved with the act of cutting apart fabric and sewing it back together, I was hooked. A bona fide treasure hunter, I discovered vintage Japanese yukata cotton on my travels. These luscious hand-dyed cottons, with lyrical patterns, were perfect for quilting. But I didn’t want to cut the fabric up into small squares, rectangles, and triangles. Instead, I innovated two ways to add curves to my quilt compositions –Complex Curves and Inserted Curves.
VIRTUAL LECTURE: Tues, Feb 4: 9:30 am (CT): The Unknowing of Creativity
Patricia Belyea shares her creative approach to developing new ideas for original quilt designs. Leapfrogging from one compositional concept to the next, Patricia takes you on a journey of exploration with her newest series of quilts—Big Grids with Inserted Curves—made with vintage Japanese yukata cottons and other global fabrics.
Virtual Workshop: Creativity & Complex Curves
Tues, Feb 4: 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Wed, Feb 5: 9:30 am – 4:00 pm
Thurs, Feb 6: 9:30 am – 4:00 pm
Being able to add complex curves to your quilt designs is like being given keys to the universe. It opens up so many possibilities for inspiring new directions in your quilts.
In this online workshop, Patricia teaches you how to add curved piecing to your quilt designs. You start by making one 18″ complex curved block. You move to making three more blocks to complete a 36″ square Quadrant Quilt.
To finish your quilt top, Patricia shows you a precise trimming technique. Then you add sashing for a final touch.
The workshop challenges you to think creatively as you learn new skills.