And More Attic Quilts

Hollyhocks #2
1997
57x40.5" Hand dyed and commercial cottons, fused, pieced, hand embroidered, machine quilted with 12# hand dyed perle cotton thread.
While this quilt happens to be on my website  I don't think I have ever discussed it here on the blog, and it was in the attic, so it qualifies. It also proves I lied about not using black in my work. I hang my head in shame, again. On the other hand it is an example of why black may have been necessary, since the reason was that I needed to show the thread especially clearly. This was because Laura Wasilowski and I (Artfabr!k) were selling hand dyed threads in our quilt show booths all over the country and we needed an example of how it could be used for machine quilting.

The quilt was displayed in our booth when a rep from Springs Industries came up and asked if I would like to lend them my quilt to make into a fabric! Wow! I said yes, of course, and it due time I was sent a nice check, two yards each of the colorways, one black and one navy, and of course my quilt was returned too. It was pretty darn easy money. I still have the untouched fabric shown here.



















Ying and Yang, or some such name, which I have forgotten after all these years.
Hand dyed cottons, silks, and some commercial silks, 17x21" each. Fused, and machine quilted. $250 for both.
 I had this idea that the positive and negative shapes could be cut from one fabric and fused onto two corresponding background fabrics. It was a noble idea, but I am not so sure it worked in the finished product.

It was a trick to get the cut away pieces to copy the original...and you may be able to see how that was done in this detail shot. Let me just say, it took patience and tweezers to do it right.

 

Mid-Century Modern

21x25"

Hand dyed cottons, fused, machine quilted. $250 Email me.

Who would think I could do a gray quilt? Well, I dyed some luscious grays, and had to use them. I really liked this design, but I got one negative comment from someone (not mentioning who) and it got put away. Am I so sensitive? I guess I was then. I really like the simplicity and the details of this piece.


By way of explanation: While I was teaching, vending and dyeing fabric and threads, my time to make quilts was limited and I would have to have ideas ready the minute I got back home. I might make the quilt, start to quilt it, and then put it away until I could return to finish it off. By the time I returned to the studio I might have a totally new quilt that I had to make and the previous work languished. So some work never got the moment in the sun that it deserved. I am glad to have this opportunity to show you what I've made.

PS: Yesterday, my sewing machine broke. Seriously broke. It just stopped midstitch, frozen solid. This never happens, but I must admit I was really using it hard. Usually I can fix it, but this time I will have to bring it into the repair guy. I was almost finished with a new QAYG piece, and was hoping to bring it to the Chattanooga Modern Quilt Guild meeting on Saturday, but it will have to wait until next month. Here's hoping the fix will be quick.  I was so focused on finishing and then NOTHING. So I swept up, put away stuff, and read the rest of the day. Boo hoo!