By Janet Esch

Jan Carlson was featured in the November Edition of the Society Sampler

The following is paraphrased from the newsletter:

As one of the founders of the Baltimore Appliqué Society, Jan's boundless energy and enthusiasm for appliqué brings results. She has always loved detailed hand work.

A life-changing event for Jan occurred when Jeana Kimball, was invited to see the antique Baltimore Album Quilts at the Maryland Historical Society. With Mimi Dietrich, Tony Carr and Jeana, Jan saw the historical quilts. "I didn’t sleep for two weeks after touching quilts that were 150 years old! From that visit, Jeana planted the seed to Tony and me that we needed to start a guild to help raise money to take care of these precious quilts."

With Mimi's help in planning a quilt to make and recruiting people for a guild, sixty-five people showed up for the first meeting in 1993. Jan remembers, "That first quilt, 'City Springs' raised $17,000 for the Maryland Historical Society. Our second was for the DAR museum in Washington, DC and raised nearly $9,000." The third quilt that Jan has coordinated is the one that 104 members worked on for three years, the "Samuel Williams Quilt" for the Baltimore Museum of Art. She says, "Our most ambitious accomplishment with 42 blocks and a triple vine border nearly killed me!"

Jan is also a teacher. For eight summers she has taught Quilt Camp for Kids at the DAR. In November, 2005, she will be teaching at Quilters' Gathering in Nashua, NH and will curate an exhibit of Baltimore Album quilts made by BAS members. About teaching Jan says, "My favorite appliqué method is template-free and I have made it my goal to show anyone who will listen! I truly have a passion for sharing my love of appliqué with others."

She has twice served BAS as president. Her work has been exhibited at the Maryland Historical Society, DAR Museum gallery, and the Maryland State House. She continues to be an exceptional leader of the Baltimore Appliqué Society.

Here are some of Jan's quilts (contact Jan at baltoquilt@att.net for available patterns)

"Harvest Basket" --pattern available

"Come Sail Away"--pattern available

"Little May Basket"--pattern available

"Baltimore Reel"--pattern available

"Baltimore's Country Cousin" (Susan McKelvey's pattern series soon to be a book from AQS)

"Fruit Punch" DAR Quilt Camp

"So That We May Live Free"

"All Hearts Come Home for Christmas"

"If They Could See Me Now"