New Work

"Renewal"

29" x 29 1/2"

This work is about renewal of the landscape after bush fires, and, perhaps, renewal on a more personal level after trauma.

I'm particularly pleased with how this came out as it was a product of just plowing on in the face of artist's block.

The central motif is a panel of inked-stamped trees on hand painted cotton. I cut the stamps and completed this bit last winter while Victoria, Australia was suffering from horrific bush fires. We visited there in April and had the opportunity of seeing the bright green leaves practically jumping off the eucalyptus limbs and the trunks themselves in a vigorous affirmation of regeneration.

The strata piecing was created more recently and quite independently in an attempt to move out of a rut. Strata piecing is familiar and satisfying, especially if I don't have a goal in mind. It allows me to play with color and texture rather instinctually.

The two works happened to be pinned to my design wall at the same time. Voila! The strata was reassembled with the panel pieced into it.

The stitching on the strata is free-motion quilting with neon green, signifying new growth, whilst the trees are hand stitched with seed stitches using hand-dyed thread.

Stepping into the Baby Pool: TWINS!

Stepping into the Baby Pool, the little strata quilt to the left, was acquired last year by friends who had commissioned a larger piece and decided to include this in their purchase as they were starting their family.

These things sometimes take time. How happy are they, as we are for them, that they are pregnant with TWINS!

This news certainly called for another quilt. This second, Stepping into the Baby Pool II, is my gift to them. It contains much of the fabric from the first and some distinctly it's own. They are similar, definitely related.

Now I'm wondering if two can be called a series?

A quilt for Jingju

Jingju is a sunny six year old girl who knows exactly what she wants ....and her favorite color is green. I met Jingju this past weekend.

I'd promised myself at our last Chinese New Year's party that when she arrived in the arms of her waiting parents I would make her a quilt. I knew that she would not be an infant, but a child who, I imagined, might like to participate in some choices.

She arrived in April and I hadn't had a chance to meet her until now.
She and I went directly to my studio, with her mother following. When I asked her if she had a favorite color, she immediately burst with GREEN! Dark? NO!

Now I knew which box of fabric to select for her to look through. It didn't take her two minutes to find her favorite. It's the border fabric in this strata quilt (it also appears in some of the large squares). An unusual choice for the six year old I thought...but she was certain. And so it is done.

Her mother is hoping that Jingju will want to hang it in her bedroom. I'm thinking Jingju has already decided exactly what she will do. I can hardly wait to find out. Bed? Play tent? Picnic with teddy bears and dolls?