Quilts by JVC: Little Landscape Gems
Unlike so many of our towns, Loveland’s settlement is credited just to one man who simply settled in the area. Explorers and settlers began to arrive in the Big Thompson Valley as early as the late 1850s. By 1858, Mariano Medina, a well-known mountain man, explored the area and evidently liked what he saw. In 1860, Medina returned to the area with his family and a small group of Spanish settlers. Fort Namaqua, as it was known then, became a trading post and stage station. The town of Loveland, established in 1877, sprang from the meager beginnings of the fort and was named for William A.H. Loveland, president of the Colorado Central Railroad, which played a key role in Loveland’s development.
Quilts by JVC is a home-based company in Loveland. Founder Joanne Cranfield, best known for her little landscapes that depict Colorado scenery, knew she had found her passion after making a quilt for her son in 1982. Ever since, Cranfield has been creating little landscapes that celebrate Colorado’s beautiful mountains, flora, and fauna.
Cranfield has lived in different parts of the United States and Canada, which afforded her opportunities to learn and develop her art. This time paid off, as one of her original quilts was displayed in the American Quilter’s Society Engagement Calendar in 1994. Her quilts have also appeared in several quilt instruction books.
Cranfield says that she enjoys making all kinds of quilts, but landscape quilting is her absolute favorite. “I am fascinated by color and am always amazed by its ability to enhance and change any design,” Cranfield says. Her paintings in fabric are little Colorado gems that are as fun to make as they are beautiful to display. Cranfield, who builds the kits herself, includes all the fabric, illustrations, and directions one needs to complete the project top.
Cranfield truly loves to share her art with others. She teaches at her local quilt shop and makes quilts for others. “This past year,” Cranfield explains, “I made 52 quilts for family and friends who were ‘needing a hug.’” She also donates quilts for hospice patients.
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