Program & Workshop Details

Sarah Nishiura is a Chicago based quiltmaker who utilizes traditional techniques to craft quilts out of recycled and vintage materials. Inspired by numerous textile traditions including 19th and early 20th century American Quilts, Sarah's work explores and celebrates the infinite possibilities of geometric design. Her quilts have been exhibited in museums and galleries in the U.S. and abroad including the Iowa Quilt Museum, the Wisconsin Museum of Quilts and Fiber Art, the New England Quilt Museum, the San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles, and the Yokohama Quilt Fest in Japan. Her quilts have been featured in numerous magazines and blogs including Martha Stewart Living, QuiltFolk Magazine, Chicago Magazine, and Food and Wine, and they are included in private, corporate, and public art collections throughout the United States. Sarah’s work has been supported by grants from the Illinois Arts Council, the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs, and the Center for Craft. Sarah has an MFA in painting from the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts and a BA in visual arts from Brown University.

Strip piecing is a wonderful technique for producing perfect checkerboard patterns, zigzags and diamonds, but it can also be used when creating exciting improv designs. In this workshop, we will examine strip pieced designs developed by the Seminole Indians in the early twentieth century, and other traditional patterns that utilize strip piecing, and then we will shift focus to experiment with the improv potential of the technique. Participants will create a range of unique pieced designs samples that they can choose to incorporate into larger quilt projects or keep as standalone works of art. ​ Participants can buy both the pattern and the templates through Sue's website at www.jacksquaresstudio.com or in person on the day of the workshop. The pattern cost is $9.