Strata - I started by discharge dying the pieces of velveteen, using cast off die cuts as shapes to stop the bleach. I joined the pieces and then started embellishing and quilting with yarns, Sulky blendable threads, and beads. Edges are finished with yarn rather than binding.
Sylvia Landman - Inspired by a swimming sea turtle seen from a glass-bottom boat. Quilt is hand and machine appliqued & embroidered, embellished with shellls, mini sea horses, tulle, cellophane, Angelina, silk marbled fabric, hand-made paper. Quilt was made as a challenge quilt for local quilt guild.
Butterfly Garden - I love butterflies so I wanted to express that. Butterflies of every size, color, style hover over and on top of leaves and flowers.
Grandma's pinwheels - Made by my grandmother and her sisters as teens prior to WWI. This is a scrap quilt and my grandmother could always point out pieces from each of her sister's dresses. She gave me this quilt in the 1970s and I slept under it while away at college, and still sleep under it when it's cold -- not often in Florida. The quilt is handmade and my grandmother always complained about how long it took. This quilt seemed to be a rite of passage for her. She sewed clothing until the early 70s, but preferred to use her electric Singer and never made another quilt.
Smiling Faces - Fabric is Sunday Bloomers. I used a complimentary fabric, added buttons, lace and a lady bug. The bugs are center stage inside black and white checks.
Butterflies - After taking a class with Louisa Smith based on her book, Strips & Curves, I knew I had to make my own using dramatic color and butterfly appliques
Bar 3 Ranch - This is my first attempt at free hand machine quilting. I made a pillow case to go with the quilt. I added the metal conchos to make it look more cowboyish. The back is flannel with Pine Cones. A perfect match.
Pharaoh - Men of Biblical Proportion - The corner blocks, backing, and background of the center appliqués are the only commercial fabrics used. I hand-dyed the blue borders and fabrics used in the appliqué. The green hieroglyphic blocks illustrate the Plagues of Egypt and were printed on fabric, hand-dyed green, then bleach-discharged for texture.
Mardi Gras - Inspiration came from Pfaff's Carnivale embroidery card. I especially liked the jester embroidery design (bottom right corner) and that sparked the idea for the trapunto mask and jester cap soft sculpture. The 3D mask was done using faux trapunto with water-soluble thread and decorated with hot-fix crystals. The background uses the traditional Mardi-Gras colors and the corners are decorated with doubloons.
The Three Little Pigs - Fabled Fibers - THE THREE LITTLE PIGS was created as part of "Fabled Fibers", a collection of 50 quilts based on classic fairy tales and original stories. The quilts were made by quilters from all over the U.S. The premiere display of the entire collection will be at the 2007 Houston International Quilt Festival.
Pineapple Stars with a Japanese Twist - Oriental fabrics with florals spinning in the center of this foundation pieced star. The borders have dragonflies and the flowers from the border are repeated in the quilting design.
Geisha Portraits - Problem: I knew quilting the portraits would be difficult. The lines are so delicate that I knew it would require careful stitching and pivoting - and I was not looking forward to quilting delicate lines while wrestling with a big quilt sandwich. Solution: The Cotton Theory method allowed me to quilt the piece in small units, then assemble them with the sashing and border units.
A Boy's First Quilt - This literally was the first quilt I made. I've began sewing in 2000, but had never been interested in making a quilt until I saw this pattern by Nancy Barrett. I signed up for Nancy's class and bought the pattern and started collecting a palette of fabrics. Unfortunately, the class was cancelled, but I decided since I already had my supplies, I'd forge ahead and figure it out for myself.
The Quilt That Grew - This was supposed to be a baby quilt, but when I added that wonderful border it almost doubled in size. I think this young man may have it on his bed when he's in college!
Cherish - This quilt was made for the “Have A Heart” Quilt competition sponsored by Unlimited Possibilities Magazine. It won for Best Machine Quilting and is currently on a traveling exhibit. The quilt will be auctioned off in November 2007 with all proceeds going to the American Heart Association.
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