Back to My Roots

Paper Quilt

Detail

I made this printed paper and fabric quilt about a month ago based on a class that Melanie Testa taught using recycled items such as cardboard, string. corks, etc. I love printing on paper and fabric and do it a lot with the mixed media collage class I teach.  The individual blocks were machine stitched together then layered with cotton batting and back. The binding was hand stitched and I really want to add some hand stitching in a circular pattern (what else!) but that will come some evening over the long cold winter when I have some extra time.

I have sewn for my whole life starting at about age 5. My Grandma Smith was an excellent seamstress but I don't remember her teaching me. I just picked up a needle one day to make some clothes for a doll and later taught myself to use a sewing machine when I was 12 and started making clothes. 

Quilt making came later when a friend taught me the basics of traditional patterns. This was back in the late 70's to early '80's when Art Quilts were just getting their start and I felt the calling to design my own quilts. I had quilts in a bunch of shows but soon tired of the labor intensive process and abandoned quilts in search of a more immediate process. This led me to being an apprentice at a handmade paper mill and making that my main medium for a number of years. Slowly I incorporated found objects into my work and they eventually won out over the handmade paper to become the stars.

Coming full circle I started playing with fabric again about ten years ago making much smaller quilts that didn't take as much time but were still incredibly satisfying to make. I probably have at least 20 small to medium sized quilts in various stages of finish that I will one day exhibit together. It's funny, I still have people from when I was known as a quiltmaker that ask me how my quiltsmaking is going and soon I can say, "really great and I'm having a show at......."