Artist Statement

When I grew up in rural Pennsylvania, being 10 years old meant that you joined the 4-H Club. The club that was in my neighborhood, the one within walking distance of my house, was a sewing club. That was where I learned to sew. That training was augmented by a mandatory Home Economics class from 7th to 9th grades.

Education was different in 1954. Those early years and that early introduction to fabric and sewing formed a passion in me for fabric that remains today.

For years I made clothing, tote bags and home deco items mostly for myself. When others saw them, they wanted them, too. So a small business evolved; making one-a-kind items and selling them in local boutiques.

Quilt making, however, is a relatively new adventure. I began quilting in 1999 and am self- taught. Using the many how-to books, I learned the basics of quilt construction.

Because I don’t enjoy working in symmetry and matching corners, my designs are mostly improvisational, using color rather than motif. I rarely measure or work with templates.

I enjoy the tactile qualities and the unlimited color ranges of working with fabric. Quilting awakens my intuitive sense of color, texture and light and best expresses my artistic vision.

My love of fabric has evolved into an art form that I hope can be enjoyed by others. My work is meant to be enjoyed by all.

Biography

Peggy McGeary
600 Palisade Ave. Studio 212,
Union City, N.J. 07087
E-mail: peggyquiltlady @ aol.com
Web site: www.milesquarefabricstudio.com
201- 325-0011

Peggy was first introduced to sewing as a child in the 4-H club in her native town in western Pennsylvania and developed her skill through the then mandatory sewing classes in school. This early training proved invaluable…even today she sews her own clothing.

For many years she has made one-of-the-kind jackets, tote bags and home furnishings. In 1999 she started quilting. Primarily self-taught, Peggy prefers to design with ethnic and hand painted fabrics, giving her work a distinctive graphic feel.

A Hoboken resident since 1978, Peggy recently completed a unique quilt utilizing photo transfers as her contribution to Hoboken’s 150th birthday celebration.

She completed several wall hangings as a tribute to the Gee’s Bend quilters, a celebrated group of southern Alabama women who still quilt in traditional styles and patterns.

Most recently she created a web site to sell her unique quilting fabrics.

Most Recent Shows and Exhibits:

Baird Center, South Orange, N.J. December, 2007
Jersey City Studio Tour, Hob'art group show, October 2007
Hoboken Historical Museum, solo show May-July 2007
Jewish Community Center, Washington twp., N.J. Group show with Hob’art, 2007
Brennan Court House, Rotunda Gallery, January, 2007, curator & exhibitor.
New Jersey Quilt Convention, Edison, N.J., 2006
Winner of the Governor’s Award.
Monroe Center for the Arts, Hob’art group show, 2006
Independence Bank, Hoboken, N.J. Solo show, 2006
Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival, Hampton, Va., Juried quilt show, 2006
Hoboken Library, Special solo exhibit of Hoboken City Quilt, 2005
Monroe Center- Group Art Show to celebrate Hoboken’s 150th birthday, 2005
International Quilt Association, Houston, Juried quilt show ,2002
Hoboken Studio Tour, Hoboken, N.J. (A city-wide tour of artist’s studios.)
Exhibited in years 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007.

Professional Affiliations:

Hob’art,a cooperative gallery, Hoboken, N.J. Charter member
Jersey City Quilt Guild, Jersey City, N.J.
Quilters of Color Network of NY, New York City