Art Quilts
During the pandemic I answered the call for masks and scrub caps and learned to sew on a vintage Singer Fashion-mate 237 sewing machine gifted to me years ago. In the summer of 2023 a course description at Art League Houston caught my eye. I signed up for a quilting class and started my quilting journey with a nine-patch, a log cabin, and a flying geese block.
Since September 2023, I've been experimenting with textiles to create mini (and not-so-mini) art quilts. Sometimes I use traditional quilting cottons from my favorite local quilt shop and the mountains of scraps left over from my mask-making days. Most recently I've begun working to incorporate a wide range of up-cycled clothing, bedding, and other textiles that might otherwise be destined for the landfill or glutted overseas markets. When the fabrics in my stash aren't quite "enough," I use bleach, acrylic inks, and embroidery to create certain elements and effects.
My collection of quilted art works is currently small, but ever growing. I will continue to explore and expand the repertoire of textile and art materials I use to create each new piece. Stay tuned...
Houston Views Series
"Tributaries & Distributaries" is the first quilt I've completed (April 2024) in a series intended to celebrate the interactions between Houston's built environment and the waterways and other natural features that interlace her landscape. Stay tuned...
Texas Wildflower Series
Each mini art quilt in this series features an iconic Texas wildlflower painted in bleach and acrylic ink on up-cycled shirt weight denim and quilted with cotton threads. Some pieces also include hand embroidery. All are framed in a 6" vintage metal embroidery hoop. More to come...
Plantasia
I love plants! So much so that they provided inspiration for and became the subject of my first few mini art quilts. I completed "Flamingo?" on September 11, 2023, followed quickly by "Hill Country Oak" and "Wild Texas Sunflower." The plant kingdom is immense, varied and beautiful...endless inspiration for years to come...
Winged Wonders Series
Birds have always held a special place in my heart. I am looking forward to translating their beauty into a series of mini art quilts using upcycled fabrics and high quality quilting cottons. I'll finish each piece by framing in a 10" diameter hand-tinted bamboo embroidery hoop.