Outside Looking In
38" x 43.5"
I made this quilt as an entry for a local guild show. The theme of the show was "Log Cabin" quilts. Being a bit of a nonconformist, I opted for a picture of a log cabin. I enjoy the techniques in Vicki Johnson's book "Paint and Patches" and wanted to try some of her techniques. This was a first attempt at a painted quilt (the center is handpainted). I'm fond of the fireflies.

Red Maple (aka Free Fallin')
20" x 26"

I hadn't done any sewing for a long, long time. Taking the leap to leave a 26 year abusive marriage has made me feel like like I'm free-falling in life. I needed to get quilting again and when I read about Quiltswap 2 on QA it seemed like just the motivation I needed. The swap was a blast - a great way to collect other artists' work.

I've recently been burning and melting fabrics - who knew I was a closet pyro? The three dimensional leaves are Kunin felt, heavily stitched and then zapped with a heat gun. Totally addictive.

Feelin' Blue
20" x 23"

I hadn't been able to sew for a long while and after a particularly rough time I had the burning need to play with fabric. (It was that or commit murder, LOL) I started out dyeing a yard of fabric from two ends - blue on one and yellow on the other. Where they met in the middle was a great green. I then stamped florals on the fabric and then sliced it into random width strips. I wove the strips together (ala Girl Scout sit upons) and then stitched the edges together. I placed additional fabric blocks to develop the pattern and then appliqued the droopy flower over the background. I felt better.

Traffic
15" x 21"

I wanted to play with stripes - I have been collecting striped fabrics for a long time and thought it might be interesting to combine them. I really like the interplay of color and black/white. This was a fast little quilt, more like therapy than anything else!

Bows and Ties
16" x 27"

I found the piecing pattern used in this quilt in an older book "Quilts of Illusion" by Laura Fisher. I wanted to challenge myself to piece these fans and blocks using men's old silk ties. Each fan is 1 1/2" square. The border is cotton velveteen. I love the texture of machine quilted velvet! Sometimes it's just plain fun to "see if I can do it". Sorta like the "Burgoyne Surrounded" quiltlet I'm currently working on, where each square is 1/4". Nuts but fun.

Unforgettable
30" x 30"

This work is my response to a guild challenge. The theme was Memories and the size was restricted to a minimum of 30" x 30". I collect perfume bottles (among other things) and love to imagine the stories that each whiff of scent might recall. Olfactory sense and memory reside in the same part of our brains. I remember my Grandmother when I smell Lily of the Valley, I remember my Dad when I smell English Leather cologne, I remember feeling beautiful one night when I smell Halston perfume. The background of this quilt is a collage of fabrics that reminded me of the "notes" of scent - florals, wild animals, spices. The border is a piece of rayon jacquard that I found in the remnant bin at the local big chain fabric store. (I just love remnant bins - they are the first place I head to when I'm shopping.) I also used the rayon for the bias line drawing of the woman's face (what was I thinking? I won't be in a hurry to do that again, controlling the fray was brutal). The floral organdy ribbons spiralling up from the trapunto perfume bottles are quilted in place with the names of perfumes; Red Door, Chanel No. 5, Halston, and so on. Unfortunately, when I had the piece finished and bound, it measured 29" x 29". After a bit of contemplation, I added the 1" ruffle to two sides and solved that problem!

It's All About Control
24.5" x 28" each panel

Each panel is pieced identically. I manipulated the stripe direction and color shading to explore movement. Machine quilted with areas of sashiko and threadpainting. I enjoy working with Kaffe Fasset's fabrics; the colors are superb and the hand of the fabric is wonderful. This diptych is my first foray into more abstract work. Usually my work is more representational. Or about something. This time, I just enjoyed the colorplay.