THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, September 29, 1996 TAG: 9609270080
SECTION: HOME PAGE: G1 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: AROUND THE HOUSE
SOURCE: BY MARY FLACHSENHAAR, SPECIAL TO HOME & GARDEN
LENGTH: 107 lines
IF QUILTS COULD talk, this stunning one by B.J. Elvgren of Chesapeake would tell a colorful tale of life in medieval England.
Titled ``The Chester Mysteries,'' the quilt is a lively depiction of a medieval series of plays based on Bible stories. Elvgren was inspired by a re-enactment of the plays on a recent trip to England.
And the judges of the third annual All-American Quilt Contest were inspired by Elvgren's work, which they chose as the top entry from Virginia.
Three national winners and a winner from each state were named in the contest, which was titled ``If Quilts Could Talk.'' The competition, sponsored by Coming Home, the bath and bed division of Lands' End, and Good Housekeeping magazine, had 2,600 entrants nationwide. As a state winner, Elvgren will receive a $100 gift certificate to Coming Home.
Elvgren, who has been making quilts for 17 years, considers herself a professional. She has sold quilts through galleries in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Yorktown. One of her largest pieces, at 11 by 22 feet, was commissioned by WQED, the public television station in Pittsburgh, to commemorate its anniversary.
Vacations in England with husband, Gillette, provide the theme for many of her quilts.
``I do full-scale drawings, then cut them out to use as pattern pieces,'' said Elvgren, the mother of three grown sons. ``The pleasure, for me, comes in making choices from many elements.''
The pleasure, for the rest of us, will be in viewing her opus. An entry in a juried art show at the Peninsula Fine Arts Center in Newport News, ``The Chester Mysteries'' will be on display there from Saturday through Nov. 10.
The quilt, which took three months to make, will then be for sale for $3,500. Elvgren is hoping that the city of Chester, England, will be the buyer.
The winners in the quilt contest are announced in the October issue of Good Housekeeping magazine and the October Coming Home catalog.
The quilts and their stories are included in the All-American Quilt Gallery on the Lands' End Internet home page - http://www.landsend.com. The Library of Congress' American Folklife Center will archive the winning quilt stories. GET ORGANIZED
Listen up, pack rats. Next Sunday, Oct. 6, begins the fifth annual Get Organized Week. A time to attack that hopeless closet, level that tower of old magazines, get those fraying photos into an album.
``Organizing will reduce stress, make you more productive, help you make more money,'' promises professional organizer Stephanie Benton of Cincinnati. She is chairperson for the week, which is sponsored by the National Association of Professional Organizers.
Benton shares this tidy piece of advice: ``When you're overwhelmed, remember that every big project is just the sum of several small ones. Instead of setting out to organize the basement, just do one shelf.''
If that's all you do, at least you won't feel like a failure, Benton said. And that single squeaky clean shelf may serve as inspiration to take on a second. INSTANT BACKYARD STORAGE
A useful anti-clutter product is the Rubbermaid storage shed for the backyard, available in a variety of sizes. Made of light, weather-resistant resin, the shed has interlocking panels that snap together easily, no tools required.
Shelves may be added, although they're not included.
The sheds, which come in horizontal and vertical shapes, make a home-neat-home for lawn mowers, garden tools, sports equipment and the like.
Walls and doors of each model are taupe, floors and roofs are green. Prices range from about $120 to $320, depending on the size. Rubbermaid storage sheds are available at hardware, garden supply and home stores. DOWN THE DISPOSAL
The Sink-It is a tiny tool that could save a spoon, even a finger. Shaped like a hand-held microphone, the white plastic gadget pushes food scraps swiftly and safely into the garbage disposal.
The Sink-It costs $2.25, tax, postage and handling included. Send a check to R.R. McKenzie Co., 10 Chenile, Irvine, Calif., 92714. NEW WEAPON IN GERM WARFARE
Germs are everywhere. Villains like e.coli and salmonella make it into the headlines all too often. Now a special agent called Microban is gaining popularity as an effective weapon in household-germ warfare.
The latest consumer product to use the germ-killing ingredient is Hasbro's Playskool 1-2-3 child high-chair, where Microban is injection-molded into the polyethylene tray. Currently the germ-resistant high chair is being test-marketed.
Microban is also used in other consumer products - some plastic cutting boards, kitchen wipes, pillows, mattress pads, even certain brands of socks and sandals. The Microban trademark indicates its presence in a product.
Over the years, this organic, anti-microbial agent has been used in hospitals, laboratories, dental offices and food-processing plants. Manufactured by The Microban Products Co. of Huntersville, N.C., it protects against the growth of bacteria, mold and mildew and, according to the company, lasts the lifetime of the product it inhabits. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
COMING HOME
AT RIGHT: B.J. Elvgren's quilt can be seen at Peninsula Fine Arts
Center in Newport News starting Saturday.
Photo
R.R. McKenzie Co.
The Sink-It is a kitchen tool for safely pushing garbage down the
disposal. by CNB