Back Yard Beauty

Back Yard Beauty

36 x 36"
Hand dyed (by artist) cotton sateen, hand painted commercial black fabric, cotton thread
fused applique, extensive thread work, machine quilted

To be exhibited at International Quilt Festival, Houston 2018, as part of the Power of Women exhibit.

Step-by-step progress photos at this previous post.

Also on exhibit in the show as part of the Hands All Around special exhibit:

Dizzy Miss Lizzy

52 x 54", cotton fabrics, machine pieced and quilted

 
Bloggers Quilt Festival!

Advocate For Nature

Honoring Rachel Louise Carson,

Marine Biologist, writer, naturalist, one of most influential people of 20^th century

An author of several books, and nature writer, Carson was the winner of National Book Award for The Sea Around Us.  She wrote Silent Spring in 1962 as a warning about chemical pesticide and fertilize use.  The book led to testimony before Congress and national television exposure in 1963.  Carson was vilified by chemical industry and some in government for speaking out, but was ultimately proven correct when studies of dead wildlife found high concentrations of chemical pesticides.   

Ocean scene with net overlay, attached only at the top.   Materials and techniques: hand dyed and commercial cottons, metallic mesh. cheesecloth, netting.

 Currently on display at:  The Art of Fiber III: Hidden Dreams, Arts Council of Livingston Parish, LA, through October 28, 2017.

Come join the fun!   Amy's Creative Side  is sponsoring the Blogger's Quilt Festival again this year! 

Music's Wonder Woman

Honoring Sarah Caldwell, (born March 6, 1924, Maryville, Missouri, U.S.—died March 23, 2006, Portland, Maine)
American opera conductor, musicologist, producer, impresario, international musical ambassador
Caldwell was the first woman to conduct at White House, USMC Band, Metropolitan Opera, and only the second woman to conduct the New York Philharmonic.  She also founded the Opera Company of Boston.  Caldwell was known for unusual presentations of standard works, innovative productions of challenging and difficult works; including traditional works in contemporary or different historical settings.  She often went back to the original scores, and also presented new modern work. As conductor and producer there, Caldwell established a reputation for innovation. Her pursuit of meaningful character interpretations and her concern for both musical quality and visual appeal drew to her productions many of the greatest opera singers of the time.

Depicted is my interpretation of Caldwell's production of 'Voyage to the Moon.'  She is conducting from a director's chair in front of the orchestra pit.  Materials and techniques: painted fusible interfacing, hand dyed and commercial cotton fabric, velveteen, metallic gimp braid, netting. 18 x 30.

Currently on display at:  The Art of Fiber III: Hidden Dreams, Arts Council of Livingston Parish, LA, through October 28, 2017.

Come join the fun!   Amy's Creative Side  is sponsoring the Blogger's Quilt Festival again this year! 

By the Light of the Silvery Moon

By the Light of the Silvery Moon, 18 x 30, 2015

What might you find in a moonlit Louisiana swamp?  Alligators and Luna Moths, among other nocturnal creatures.  Spanish moss, swaying in the nighttime breeze, as it hangs from Bald Cypress trees.  Lots of stars in the night sky.  Crickets chirping and cicadas trilling, along with a chorus of frogs.  Orb Weaver  and Banana spiders spinning their magical webs.  And the annoying whine of mosquitoes, no doubt, as they are sometimes nicknamed the Louisiana State Bird. Swirling air currents inspired by the sky in Vincent van Gogh’s Starry Night.

Much of my fiber art references nature, particularly the natural environs of my adopted home state.  While not a native to the area, I’ve come to appreciate the beauty of the plants and animals, some of them endangered or threatened species, in the swamps, forests and bayous.  I selected By the Light of the Silvery Moon to interpret for the whimsical possibilities. 

The song, originally published in 1909, was written by Gus Edwards & Edward Madden.   A cartoon version with ink illustrations by Myron Waldman was produced in 1931 as part of Fleischer Studios Screen Songs theatrical cartoons.  They ran on television 30 years later, and I remember “follow[ing] the bouncing ball” to read the lyrics along the bottom of the screen.   Popular for years, the tune was used in/by numerous performers, recordings & films.  My challenge in making this quilt was depicting nature in a low-light situation, rather than my usual bold and bright colors.  

 

You can see all 175 quilts in the Fly Me to the Moon exhibit at the locations listed on Coordinator Susanne Jones's Website

Moonlight Serenade

Moonlight Serenade, 18 x 30, 2015

2015 was a year of challenges and changes.  My father was hospitalized in April, and unfortunately did not recover.  One of the many things he loved was music, especially classical, jazz, Broadway musicals, and Big Band hits, such as Glenn Miller’s Moonlight Serenade.  I chose the topic for this quilt just after my dad died, as a tribute to him and his love of music, which was passed on to his children and grandchildren.

 Moonlight Serenade captures a universal moment in parenthood, holding a small baby and singing softly until sleep comes at last.  Sewing the shadows onto the soles of the feet after quilting the floor reminded me of Peter Pan, one of Dad’s favorite stage shows (and how I got my name). 

We lost Boris, our 15-year-old black cat, to old age in late September. He became part of the quilt as well, his third appearance in my fiber art.  I chose to work with a limited matte color palette, mostly grays, to keep things serious and quiet.  The angled perspective was challenging, but made for a more interesting composition.

You can see all 175 quilts in the Fly Me to the Moon exhibit at the locations listed on Coordinator Susanne Jones's Website

Yes, It's a Quilt!

Three layers of fabric, held together by stitching.  That's the definition.
Outer layers: organza.
Inner layer:  woven copper  mesh with areas cut out.
Surface has applique stitched with metallic thread.
Binding is organza.
Title: Autumn Glory
20 x 17

Leaf Party!

Originally made for the 15th anniversary of  the QuiltArt list, there are 15 colors, 15 sunprinted leaves, 15 stamped leaves, 15 quilted leaves.  15 x 15 inches, of course!

Portrait of Greco

Greco is my son’s cat.  She’s the newest in a long line of cats that have spent time with me and grown up with my children.  

The portrait was developed from a photograph by the artist.  The quilt includes hand dyed fabrics by the artist, and extensive threadwork. Greco “helped” out with the sewing of this quilt by napping in the room while I was sewing and trying to explore the sewing machine.