The passing of Jean Ray Laury

The loss of Jean on March 2nd was another great loss for the quilt community. She was of one of the "mothers" of the late 20th century quilt revival, there even before the quilt revival got going. I became a fan of her before I became a quilter. Back in 1977, I purchased her book The Creative Woman's Getting-It-All-Together at Home Handbook and it was a life-changer. I still have it and cherish my hardback, black-and-white, dog-eared, and stained copy with the broken spine! Back when women's roles were shifting and we couldn't always count on respect for our voices or in the workplace, Jean showed us how some artists managed their version of "having it all" (creative career and family).
    Years later, after Jean and I met and worked together on various articles, she maintained her persona that I had created for her just from that book and what I knew about her reputation in the quilt world: innovative, warm and supportive, and such a talented lady!

 I send our sincere sympathies on behalf of The Quilt Life to her family. She will be missed by so many.