Lisa Alley

THE DIFFERENCE

When people come to my house and see that there's more fabric than furniture I try to explain it like this:

I see a quilt in my dreams.
My passion to make this thing becomes an obsession that consumes me.
My hands create what my dreams conceived and my passion compels.
A piece of my soul is wrapped in this quilt.

I have made many quilts - all a part of my soul - my children -
I their creator and mother.
The quilt has a part of me and makes me what I am -
a quiltmaker, a creator, a mother.

This quilt you hold in your hand is my soul.
This blanket you hold is a piece of material.
That is the difference.

Lisa's quilts have won numerous awards in local and state quilt shows including Best Use of Color and Best Domestic Machine Quilting as well as numerous first place ribbons in bed quilt categories. She has taught and lectured about quilts across the state.

Passionate about preserving the American tradition of patchwork quilting, Lisa is drawn to the old patterns, often with a new twist of color and texture. "I still think of myself as a quiltmaker first because I am so drawn to traditional quilt patterns" she says when reflecting on being an artist. "The history of quilting and the feeling of being connected to women of the past is what initially drew me to quilting. I think the first time I thought of my quilts as art was when I decided to create "Myth of the Woman" for the Women's Fund of Winston-Salem. Inspired by the goddess logo and the women with whom I serve on the board, I wanted to express the many facets and diversity of women and how our beauty and power can combine together as a force for change."

A lifelong North Carolinian, Lisa Routh Alley began making quilts in 1991 to meet a practical need- "I needed a new bed covering." Over 400 quilts later, quilting has become an obsession and a way of life. "The fabrics themselves inspire me," says Alley. "If I find a fabric that 'speaks' to me, it becomes a game to find other fabrics to match and then a pattern that makes the most of the fabrics. Antique quilts inspire me as well."

Discovering her passion for quilting came through trying her hand at various art forms. "I was very fortunate that my parents believed in giving us the opportunity to try different things growing up, to find our niche. I did some pencil sketching; I was a dancer, played piano and flute. However, I never found more than mediocrity until I picked up a needle."

Lisa has served as President and Quilt Show Chair of both the Forsyth Piecers and Quilters and the Heart of the Triad quilt guilds as well as other offices including Vice President, Newsletter Editor and Workshop Chair. She also served on the Board of Directors for the Capital Quilters Guild in Raleigh and Quilt Show Chair for the North Carolina Quilt Symposium.

When approaching a quilt from an artistic perspective, Lisa allows the project flow out of her, as a musician would improvise on an instrument; a blend of technical knowledge combined with feeling and soul. "Color choice and placement in the quilt, especially in scrap quilts is more instinct. The next step of constructing the quilt top is analytical; however, the process of quilting the piece is a combination of both.

In most cases, the quilting design just happens and I let my hands guide the fabric to create the shape I see in my head, whether it be a swirl, loop or leaf." Knowing when a piece is finished also comes by instinct. "When I stitch down that binding by hand, I am done. I have never gone back and added or taken away from a quilt design. I have had many quilt tops sit and wait for years while I stewed on how to quilt it."

Her passion for quilting has led to the exploration of other aspects of the fiber arts. "In the last year or so, I have begun rug hooking with wool. I love the hand dyed wools and primitive rugs. Other than that, my other interests in art are more of a spectator."

One of Lisa's most requested lectures is a humorous talk on the differences between a quilt and a blanket. This excerpt from "The Difference Between a Quilt and A Blanket" sums it all up for Lisa, and resonates with any quilter who reads it:

Lisa Alley's quilts will be on exhibit through the month of November at Chelsee's Coffee Shop, 533 N. Trade Street in the downtown arts district of Winston-Salem with an opening reception taking place on Friday, November 7th from 7pm to 10pm in conjunction with the First Friday Gallery Hop.

You may contact Lisa about her quilts at bearhugquilts@triad.rr.com