JEFFREY GUTCHEON

I met Jeffrey Gutcheon at a quilt show in Ridgefield CT in the late 1970´s. `79? He had a table with fabric for sale and I picked a few of them to purchase because they were beautiful. He asked "Who are you?" I replied that I was no one special. A painting student at SVA,(Last name Raftery then.) He said I had picked all his antique fabric reproductions. He convinced me to come take a quilting workshop at his downtown loft. I did. I made one quilt there and had a blast. He was a live wire....

Helped my band The Hello People learn how to sing Jazz Harmonies. Larry Tasse [email protected]

Addendum to my previous remarks..... I first met Jeffrey at his loft/shop in the Cable Building on Houston Street in the 1970's (around the corner from my Greenwich Village apartment). I had recently transitioned from paint to textiles as my medium of choice and had begun quilt making. His encouragement and teaching skills in those early days was invaluable. I went on to become a professional fiber artist whose works are included in museum, corporate and private collections internationally....

His quirky personality could not disguise this brilliant and complex man, a great teacher...he is missed.

I was a member of The Hello People. Jeff was a friend of our drummer N.D. Smart who was also a member of Great Speckled Bird. We were a very good vocal group as well as other assets. Jeff thought we could sing in the style of the Hi-Los or Letterman and was teaching us closed harmonies. What a sweetheart of a guy. Just one of the many many many musicians unheralded in the golden era of Rick and Roll and its Sister Genres. May the Quilt of The Universe keep him safe, warm and as I am sure,...

Wish I had a recording of his rag in honor of my son Matt Greenhill.

If I haven't said it in my original posting, Jeffrey was a very kind, understanding and giving person. My family moved from the Bronx to Washington Heights when I was in the sixth grade. I wasn't a particularly shining student at P.S. 187, especially with respect to math. Jeffrey volunteered to tutor me in math. He was very patient and supportive. I will never forget his kindness. Jeffrey, I hope you're at peace in Heaven.

In this very difficult time of the CoronaVirus, it lifted my spirits to see Jeffery Gutcheon's memory honoured today. I met Jeff and Beth, his then wife, at a conference in Toronto in 1977, which my quilt guild sponsored and which Jeff, Beth, Jean Ray Laury, Virginia Avery, Michael James, Kim Ondaatje and others participated in and created a magical moment for quilters from all over North America who attended the event. And my personal thanks to Jeff, who was a textile converter, eventually...