ABOUT REYNOLA
Reynola Pakusich is a third generation member from a family of quilters who settled in Eastern Washington and Idaho. She began quilting seriously in the 1970's and teaching for quilt shops shortly afterward. She has had numerous photos of her quilts published in books and magazines, as well as several one woman shows.
Reynola retired from 30 years of public school teaching in Sedro-Woolley School District and now combines quilting with her husband’s interests of fishing and hunting (i.e. paper piecing in a car, boat, on a ferry or working by gas light at a lake cabin.) Residing in Bellingham, Washington, she is an active member of several Northwest Washington quilt/study groups and continues to take workshops, attend lectures, and experiment with the latest techniques to stay on the cutting edge of the craft.
As an artist she says, "In my work I begin with the fabrics – seeking to see what shapes
that special fabric might want to be cut into, what kinds of fabric textures, colors and values might support that special piece. The fabrics seem to almost speak – rejecting, accepting and sometimes
eagerly clicking with one another."
Teaching and Lecturing Experience
In addition to classes in various shops and guilds throughout Oregon and Washington from the 1990’s to the present, Reynola has presented the following:
2008 - "Traditional Piecing with Ethnic and Hand Designed Fabrics" and
"Using Ethnic and Hand Dyed Fabrics" quilt shows at
LaConner Quilt and Textile Museum,
2007 - Empty Spools, Asilomar, Pacific Grove, CA
2006 - Twisted Thread, Festival of Quilts, Birmingham, England
Empty Spools, Asilomar, Pacific Grove, CA
2005 - Lafayette, CA
Empty Spools, Asilomar, Pacific Grove, CA
Galveston and Beaumont, Texas
Fairbanks and Denali, Alaska
2004 - Santa Rosa, CA
Empty Spools, Asilomar, Pacific Grove, CA
2003 - Empty Spools, Asilomar, Pacific Grove, CA
Gulf States Quilter Conference, Baton Rouge, LA
2002 - Monterey and Santa Barbara, CA
Gulf States Quilter Conference, Baton Rouge, LA
Empty Spools, Asilomar, Pacific Grove, CA
2001 - Ocean Waves Guild, Miami, FL
Guilds and shops, London, England
Lecture Themes
“Ethnic and Hand Designed Fabrics in Quilts”
How our quilting fabric is made with emphasis on the unique characteristics and uses in quilts of Japanese, Indonesian, African and Hand Designed fabrics. Reynola draws on her knowledge and experience of textiles and extensive collection and use of “special” ethnic fabrics as well as her travel to Indonesia to see the hand production processes.
“Circles in Quilts”
Using circle shapes with pieced blocks incorporating the visual textures to create value flow and leading to traditional quilt blocks with circle designs, finishing the lecture with a series of family quilts to complete emotional as well as quilting circles.
“Color Challenges”
Offers color challenges and uses up to forty-five quilts to illustrate creative solutions.
Work Accepted in Juried Shows
2000, 1998, 1996, 1994 - Great Pacific Northwest Quiltfest, Seattle, WA
1997 - Pacific International Quilt Show, Santa Clara, CA
Awards
1997 - First Prize-Empty Spools Quilt Contest, Asilomar, Pacific Grove, CA
First Prize- Omnigrid Invitational Quilt Contest, Burlington, WA
Judging
2005 - 2004 - Judge Island County Fair, Clinton, WA
Invitational Group Shows
2007 - United Kingdom Quilt Festivals, Collection of Circle Play Quilts
2002 - LaConner Quilt Museum Fifth Anniversary Celebration, La Conner, WA
“Piecing a Quilt of Life,” South Carolina State Museum, Columbia, SC
2001 - Edison Eye Art Gallery, Bow, WA
1998 - “Dreadful Thread”, La Conner Quilt Museum, La Conner, WA
1998 - Washington State Centennial Traveling Quilt Show
Publications
2004 - Circle Play: Simple Designs for Fabulous Fabrics,
ISBN 1-57120-235-8
Articles
2007 - Fabrications Quilting For You, United Kingdom- “ Plaid Circle Quilt”
Quilter’s Newsletter Magazine, “A Cultural Bias: Quilting with Ethnic Fabrics”
2002 - Piecework Magazine, “The Wedding Dress Quilt”
2000 - American Quilter Magazine, “Using Yukata”
1998 - American Quilter Magazine, “Designing Around the Circle”
Quilts 2002 – 1996: The following books have photographs and descriptions of how I use color and design in my quilts.
- Quick Classic Quilts by Marsha McCloskey, Oxmoor House, Inc., 1996
- Design Your Own Quilts by Judy Hopkins, Martingale & Co, 1998
- The Quilter’s Guide: Design Essentials by Lorraine Torrence, Martingale & Co, 1998
- Patchwork Persuasion by Joen Wolfrom, C&T Publishing, 1997
- Designing Quilts: The Value of Value by Suzanne T. Hammond, That Patchwork Place, Inc., 1994
- Women and Their Quilts by Nancyann J. Twelker, That Patchwork Place, Inc., 1988
- Quilts From a Different Angle by Sara Nephew, That Patchwork Place, Inc., 1986
- Block Buster Quilts by Margaret Miller, Martingale & Co, 1995
- Color Play by Joen Wolfrom, C&T Publishing, 2000
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