Because I do not plan or design my quilts when making a quilt, I sometimes end up with one that is too small for a bed or throw, and too precious for a table cover. My solution is to put a hanging sleeve on it, and hang it on the wall. This puts a smile on my face and joy in my heart, as I am a proud mother to my quilts. I have a series of these, and rotate them every now and then.
OK, this is not my living room, but it IS my quilt, all made with Cherrywood fabric. Those tiny squares were a true labour of love- I realized I need to add this outer border and make a LOT more squares to get the look I wanted.
Making art quilts is definitely fun for me. I enjoy every step of the process. They come from a very personal space, and each has a great story behind it. I have a very long list of ideas I’d like to turn into quilts- can’t wait!
The quilt below is one of my favourites, for sentimental reasons. A woman in the lab who was so much fun, bursting with energy and ideas, with a real artistic flare, was returning home to Portugal. I knew I wanted to created something special for her and created this quilt. The central block had images of everyone she had known in the lab.. but I was one image short. She used to doggie sit for another lab member, so I included a photo of the dog (second row, far left) to make a perfect rectangle.
It was quilted by Deb Kopeschny of BloomingLife quilting, who was developing a real love of Zentangles at the time, so I suggested she quilt in black and white thread, and use her favourite Zentangles designs.
Here is another quilt that is close to my heart.. I sold it a while back and hope it is happy in its new home!
It was made for a challenge I set at Quilts at the Creek. We supplied some fat quarters to those interested in participating, and the quilt had to incorporate those fabrics in the completed quilt. The fabrics are the ones in the centre of my quilt, and I struggled to find something to make it stand out. I had it quilted (thanks again, Sandy!), and stared at it long and hard. Finally I came up with the idea of making bias binding and attaching it to the quilt. I loved the final look of the quilt, and was so happy with the bias binding idea I had “created”. One day I googled it, and found other quilts made using this technique. My favourite is Joe Cunningham, see his quilts below. Stunning!
Below are other art quilts I have made. These all came together quickly because they were made from that creative burst that hits and insists you start exploring!
CozyFunkyCool 