This story originally appeared in the Journal Gazette

CHARLESTON — Illinois quilter Edna Patterson-Petty is slated to present a fabric collage workshop on Saturday at the Eastern Illinois University Tarble Arts Center during “Celebration: A Festival of the Arts.”

Titled “Fabric Delight,” the workshop is open to all ages. Participants will be guided to use their creativity to create a fabric collage. The goal is to relax, have fun and create. Children under 10 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian, and adults are encouraged to participate whether they attend with a youngster or not.

The workshop will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. on in the Tarble classroom. Participation in the workshop is free, but advance registration is requested because seats are limited.

Registration will be taken on a first-come basis. More information and registrations are available by contacting the Tarble at 217-581-2787 or tarble@eiu.edu, or visting www.eiu.edu/tarble/education.php.

The Tarble will provide the materials needed for the workshop. Participants are invited to bring their own materials to use, including fabric remnants and embellishments, lace, ribbon, yarn, buttons, and anything else to make the collage that much more personal.

Patterson-Petty is a quilter and multimedia fabric artist from East St. Louis. She has exhibited her art in numerous galleries, museums, and universities. In 2013, Patterson-Petty was invited to Beijing, China for the closing ceremony of The Sum of Many Parts, an exhibition of art quilts/traditional quilts from the United States.

The artist first learned the skills of making scrap quilts from her mother.

“We came from the school of survival and making use of what you had,” Patterson-Petty. “You take bits and pieces of what is available to you, and create something unique.”

Patterson-Petty holds a master’s in studio art from Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville. In addition to being a practicing artist, she works as an art therapist and holds an advanced degree in art therapy.

The Fabric Delight workshop is a From Generation to Generation at Celebration 2014 Illinois Folk Arts program, presented in conjunction with the From Generation to Generation: Folk Arts of Illinois exhibit on view at the Tarble through June 22. The Tarble is one of five sites state-wide hosting the exhibit and related events.

“From Generation to Generation: Folk Arts of Illinois” programs are produced by Company of Folk with partial support by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency, the Illinois Humanities Council, and the National Endowment for the Arts. From Generation to Generation at Celebration programs are funded in part by a grant from the Ruth & Vaughn Jaenike Access to the Arts Fund, Tarble Arts Center membership contributions, and Friends of Celebration.

The Tarble is located at 2010 Ninth St. on the EIU campus in Charleston. Parking for the workshop is available in the Tarble’s visitor lot and the EIU staff lot just north of the center. On the day of the workshop, visitors and participants are asked to enter the Tarble using the south entrance.