Finding Creativity & Discovering Your Voice

 The Guitar Man Quilt We all have our gifts. Things we do that bring comfort and joy to others.  Things that come naturally to us. Our gifts are our voice and it doesn't always speak in words. The Guitar Man art quilt is about a man who had an elderly mother. This woman was kind and gentle, taught school most of her adult life, was a devote Catholic, prayed for others often and lived alone until her son moved in to help her. He was a musician, not famous or wealthy, just a man who loved music and played where ever he could. Together they crafted a life of mutual love and caring. As she slowly departed this world, he would sit by her bedside and play music for her. Together they drifted on sweet cords and soft melodies until her life was over.  The Guitar Man quilt was created from her clothing and depicts her son bringing comfort and joy to her using his gift of music. This quilt celebrates lives well lived and love unconditionally given. 

APRIL: The Star Dust Motel the story When you need a break, you are always welcomed at the Star Dust Motel.  Pull-in, check-in, and sit a spell watching the stars come out.  Snuggle up in a pile of cozy pillows next to warm lamp light and read a while. Everything may be a little old, but it feels so familiar.  At the Star Dust Motel time stands still so you can catch up. This quilt, The Star Dust Motel, took a lot of chopping, sewing, more chopping, re-arranging, and more sewing to work itself out. I had a big idea with lots of moving parts. I wanted to capture a place and a time period that was less crazy, slower, kinder. I wanted humor and unexpected whimsy. I wanted to use retro colors and fruity fabric and a cat instead of a person. I combined painting on fabric, raw edged  appliqué, piecing, sashing, FMQ quilting and lettering. My take away from all of this is that there are an infinite number of ways to tell a story in fabric.  Quilted fiction, as I call i...