2004 Silver Star Award

Quilt industry business leader and designer 

HOUSTON—January 14, 2004—Quilts, Inc. and International Quilt Festival announced today that Marti Michell of Chamblee, Georgia, has been named the recipient of the 2004 Silver Star Award. The award is presented annually to a living person whose body of work has positively influenced, promoted, and developed the art of quilting.

Michell was chosen for her contributions in several areas, including her business acumen, service to the industry, teaching, designing of patterns and templates, and authorship of many books.

"Marti Michell has had a tremendous influence on the quilt world since she first came on the quilting scene more than three decades ago. As a teacher and author, she has inspired countless quilters to stretch their wings and try new things. The enthusiastic pleasure she takes in sharing techniques and knowledge with others makes her a gifted educator, able to convey information in a way that makes it easy for others to learn,” said Karey Bresenhan, president of Quilts, Inc. and director of International Quilt Festival in announcing the award.

“Her creative and innovative abilities as applied to notions, patterns, fabrics, books, and quilts show the breadth of her knowledge of the quiltmaker's art and have resulted in more and better products for quilters everywhere. Marti doesn't follow anyone—instead, she leads!"

Marti majored in Textiles & Clothing and Home Economics Journalism at Iowa State University. She began a small sewing school before moving into patchwork & quilting. She then began making small package kits for projects and selling them at quilt shows. That small start evolved into her business (Yours Truly, from 1972-85), a freelance design career, and now From Marti Michell, herbusiness (with husband Richard) which sells Marti’s books, templates, rulers, patterns, and accessories both online (www.frommarti.com) and at shows.

She also recently completed two terms as the President of the International Quilt Association, and helped to
oversee an era of great growth in its annual Judged Show. The Michells coordinate the popular Schoolhouse Series
at the tradeshow International Quilt Market, which allows retailers to demonstrate their new products directly to
quilt shop owners. 

“The Silver Star Award is an incredible honor, made even greater when you recognize the many outstanding talents
of the previous recipients. I will be absolutely thrilled when my name is officially included in that list,” Michell says.
“Much of my quilting career has been focused on developing products that will entice people to start quilting. Then,
by simplifying tasks and clearly defining steps those projects help them achieve success. It is a specialty that is not
highly visible, which makes this level of recognition especially valued."

Michell will receivethe 2004 Silver Star Award at a dinner on Nov. 6 as part of the International Quilt Festival in
Houston, Texas, which runs Nov 4-7.The evening events included a career retrospective, and a special exhibit of
her quilts, books, and memorabilia will be on display during the show.

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NOTE: Most of the instructional information and artwork shown is excerpted from my books. Like other published material, it is protected by copyright law, but you have my permission to print and download these materials for your own non-commercial use.