Linda Schutz's shop in downtown Carver is
filled with unique creations.
She raises quilting to an art form
Wednesday, October 23, 2002
By Tama J. Westman, Correspondent
Linda Schutz, a quilter who recently participated in the Chaska Quilt Show at the Community Center admits, “Other than the peasant top we all had to make in 7th grade, until nine years ago, I had never done any other sewing.” When a new neighbor moved in, a quilter, and taught Schutz the basics, she says, “My mind just took off.” Schutz envisioned contemporary pieces and art quilts, and original design work, breaking from traditional patterns. “Really,” she laughs, “I thought I invented quilting.” Schutz, sole proprietor of Hazelnut House, Carver, has raised quilting to an art form. A former Shakopee resident, she has lived in Carver for seven years.
A divorced mother of three, the work-at-home mom needed to get out of the house. She set up a studio space located on the main run through the city of Carver, Hazelnut House. “I came here seven years ago, and fell in love with this town,” Schutz says, “I can’t imagine being anywhere else.”
The interior of Hazelnut House resembles an art studio more than a quilter’s shop. The walls are covered with fascinating signed art quilts that mesmerize and stun. This is not your traditional wedding circles kind of place.
Schutz sees fabric as paint and lets the story come to life in her design. She combines both artistry and high quality craftsmanship. At times, she uses paint on top of the fabric to accentuate and define the design. “Sometimes We Just Talk” shows a naked man sitting on a chair facing the bare legs of a woman lying just off canvas. “Afterglow” is a touching piece that depicts a nude woman and her lover basking in the moments after lovemaking. This particular radical design had Schutz tossed out of a quilting show hosted by the Lutheran Brotherhood four years ago.
“I had fun experimenting with the medium of fabric. I did the nudes to open people’s minds - to see quilting as an art form,” she says. “It’s so sad, when nudes are seen in oil and sculpture, they are accepted as artwork. They aren’t considered vulgar.”
However, the forum of Schutz’ work is receiving due recognition. She is the recipient of the Hoffman Challenge award. The winning piece, a 36” squared art quilt, “Toucan Tango,” toured the country as an example of her ground-breaking style.
Northwest Airlines used one of her quilts in an ad that ran two years worldwide. Locally, Alliance Health Systems purchased 30 quilts. A Schutz quilt tiled in mosaic hangs in the birthing unit and another original piece hangs at the front entrance of St. Francis in Shakopee.
The head of Minnesota Parrot Heads, commissioned Schutz to do a t-shirt quilt made for Jimmy Buffet. The piece incorporated t-shirts from across the country and symbolic images that were quilted in and hangs in Buffet’s executive office in Key West, a gift on his 50th birthday.
Another avenue Schutz has taken in her work is photo transfer, making memory quilts. Schutz fashions original designs from photos that people bring her. She says, “tell me the story of this photo.” After listening, Schutz brings the story to life as the fabric begins to emulate the story. She says, “If it’s something you can look at every day and still love it – then it’s good.”
Preferring to work with as little direction as possible, Schutz says, “Don’t give me a plan.” Schutz a true artist, adopts the artist’s tools of perspective, light source, dimension, color, movement and composition.
Even when it came to setting up shop in Carver, Schutz says, “What am I doing here? What is my goal? A man would have a plan. I’m not a man.” She just knows that “this is the time for me to do what I want to do…” to build a business in art quilts.
Even a sideline, selling Juki sewing machines, came as a fluke. “I found out about this machine, and it’s just great. It has a semi-industrial motor, but a domestic head, making it very easy to use, and reliable.”
Visitors will find no quilter’s circles or frames at Hazelnut House. Schutz completes her work with a long-arm machine. No fabric squares to be seen, but étag ère’s filled with a rainbow’s spectrum of fabrics waiting to be worked into a design, their story as yet untold.
Schutz plans to offer private consultation and classes in design this fall. A far cry from beginner quilting or traditional basics, she will spend about 10 minutes in technique, and several hours in original design. Pioneering a new level of art takes initiative, bravery, and more than a thimble-full of gumption. Schutz is well stocked in all three.
While Hazelnut House is not a store, walk-ins are welcome.
Unless otherwise noted, all content Copyright © 2004-2008 by Linda Schutz
