A Start . . .

Here begins the online journal of Raymond K. Houston (aka Nacho Grandma's Quilts!!) . . .

I am a middle-age African-American male quilter. As a quilter, I'm largely self-taught (but, weighing over 200 lbs., I'm "largely," period).

I recently wrote the following artist's statement:

My quilts are firmly grounded in the traditions of patchwork quilting, though they are far from "traditional." My quilts are artistic, without being "artsy." My quilts explore repeated patterns, in the style of M.C. Escher. My quilts use a bold color palette, partly due to personal preference, partly due to emphasize that these are "not your grandma's quilts!!"

I intend to use this blog in connection with my website:

• to show "works-in-progress";


• to explore the operations of symmetry as a design tool;


• to explore what lies beyond symmetry;


• to discuss color theory, as it applies to my quilts;


• to demonstrate my various construction techniques.