Throughout July, Thump Coffee in downtown Bend exhibits “Coffee or Tea,” fiber works by Journeys, a local group of artists who seek to express their passion for art through creating and sharing the love of quilts and fiber arts. Journeys fabric artists challenged themselves to push beyond the expected to interpret the theme “Coffee or Tea.” Each quilt shown is an original work of art created by the individual artist, and each work represents a variety of techniques and expertise, as well as a dazzling selection of color, fabrics and embellishments.

Jean Wells was thinking about coffee growing in Hawaii and Costa Rica when she made “Coffee Country.” She used a linoleum block to print her own fabric in coffee colors.

Ruth Golden Ingham, who lived many years in the Middle East, entitled her quilt “GHAWA (coffee) in a Bedouin Tent.” Surface design includes coins and luminous fabric.

Charlene Kenny made her wool and cotton quilt back in December, while enjoying a warm cup of tea looking out upon the wintry scenes. It features eight cups, along with a tea pot drawn by her friends, and is constructed using hand appliqué. Kenny used ribbon, rick rack, buttons, yarn and velvet piping to complete her quilt.

“Coffee with Friends” was inspired by Betty Gientke’s reunion with high school friends. Gientke was reflecting upon our tendency to put off time spent with friends. She used sharp contrasts of black, red, white and yellow. The work is pieced and appliquéd with a quote, “A cup of coffee with a friend is time well spent.”

Joanne Myers says of her quilt, “So many memories are recalled as I quilted this art piece – the neighbors and family who stopped by our home to say hello and shared a cup of ‘old times’ around the kitchen table. The coffee grinder tells me that my grandparents felt this old machine was important – all of the grandchildren wanted to be the one who would get this morning noise maker – it said ‘welcome’ to so many of us.”

The Arabic word for coffee translates as “Wine of the Bean,” says Jan Hearn, who assembled an abstract piece in coffee colors. The quilt is pieced of silk, hand painted silk, cotton-silk, cotton and linen, and features many beads. Beading design was influenced by Thom Atkins, and Hearn used Jean Wells’ “portrait technique” to frame her work.

Viewers who visit Thump Coffee in July will enjoy several other works of art made by this creative and imaginative group of fabric artists.

More About Journeys: “We define art quilts as original work, consisting of fabric, layered and stitched together. We seek to stretch ourselves and each other to move beyond the boundaries of traditional quilt making, each of us developing our own unique style in fiber art. We aim to go beyond the expected and to explore new dimensions, techniques and materials to make new and unexpected original works of quilt art – and to have fun doing so.”