Tequila Sunrise by Jean Lohmar
On this beautiful July day while walking outdoors, something in the colors in nature all around me suddenly reminded me of my quilting friend Jean Lohmar who passed away in May. The deep sky blue, the brilliant colors of the flowers, even the dark grey of the parking lot all jumped out and reminded me of Jean's love of color in her quilts. Despite the sunshine I felt a moment of loss and sadness.
In June when I heard the news of Jean's death I was not only saddened but surprised. Jean always seemed ageless, always so energetic and active, planning another quilt with one in progress on her machine. I know many of you who read my blog might have known her too. She was an integral part of the home machine quilting revolution and was a quilter for many years, prolific in exhibiting and teaching, and recipient of many awards and recognition for her work.
Back in the late 1980's I first heard Harriet Hargrave lecture and was beyond excited to try and quilt an entire bed quilt on my home sewing machine. I searched and was able to buy a copy of Harriet's landmark book Heirloom Machine Quilting. One of my favorite gallery photos included was a traditional quilt called Spoon River Christmas by Jean Lohmar. I loved it, and made a mental note of her name.
Some years passed, and with trial and error, hard work and perseverance I succeeded at home machine quilting, entered quilts in many shows, and in 1998 taught my first classes at the AQS Quilt Show in Paducah. One of my students was Jean Lohmar, who also had a winning quilt in the show that year.
She introduced herself and I grinned and said with excitement: "Spoon River Christmas!!!" From that moment we were friends, sharing quilting information and ideas, our paths crossing again and again over the years. Jean was a part of my Camp Diane, and many of you knew her from her programs, lectures and trunk shows, many with her dear friend Millie Sorrells. I always looked forward to Awards Night at Paducah; old friends Jean, Millie, and Marla just might be there!
Three years ago I was fortunate to see her one-woman quilt exhibit at Wisconsin Quilt Expo in Madision, WI. It was a glorious retrospective, one quilt after another, as Jean always worked hard and when an idea struck, she made and finished a quilt. It was amazing to see them all together like that, quilts that were old friends, some that I had missed in person but had seen in photos.
Jean and I literally bumped into each other at the exhibit and had a hug, big smiles, and a quick visit, both marveling at how far we had come, how far quilting had come since we had first met. With a smile and wave we said goodbye, always looking forward to another meeting at another quilt event.
Sadly, that was the last time I saw Jean. I will remember her with happiness and fondness from all the times we were together: Jean smiling, energetic and smart and funny and caring.
Many of you will miss her too, but we have the legacy of her spirit and her work for inspiration, and we will also remember what a true quilting friend she was, a very special lady. She will be missed.
Diane
p.s. I inadvertently first posted a quilt photo of Mildred Sorrells' "Butterfly's Delight" at the top of this post and attributed it to Jean but that was incorrect, and that photo has been removed. I found the quilt photo online under Jean's name but that was not accurate. Sorry for the error, and apologies to Millie. Please play the video below to see a lovely array of Jean's quilts, and enjoy the photo of her award-winning "Tequila Sunrise," above, sent to me by her close friend Marla Yeager.
p.s. I inadvertently first posted a quilt photo of Mildred Sorrells' "Butterfly's Delight" at the top of this post and attributed it to Jean but that was incorrect, and that photo has been removed. I found the quilt photo online under Jean's name but that was not accurate. Sorry for the error, and apologies to Millie. Please play the video below to see a lovely array of Jean's quilts, and enjoy the photo of her award-winning "Tequila Sunrise," above, sent to me by her close friend Marla Yeager.
In Remembrance of Jean Lohmar 1929 ~ 2015
For her obituary, please click HERE.For a video of her work made by her son, click HERE.