Like a Fish Out of Water

Like a Fish Out of Water -
Journal Quilt 2005 - January
Private Collection

Like a Fish Out of Water is part one of a series of five describing a difficult situation at my son's school. It describes the feeling of not being in the right place. The fish here are suspended in air (not a viable option for fish); photographed on a black background. They are held in place by beaded wires representing arbitrary rules.
The quilt is made by creating the open frame with timtex, batting and fabric, and then machine quilted once the copper wires from the center were inserted. The spirals on the border were hand stamped and dotted with copper paint. The fish pillows are satin stitched, painted and embellished with copper wire. This quilt was published in the Quintessential Quilt, the commemorative catalog of the 2005 International Quilt Festival.

Swimming in a Sea of Buttons

Swimming in a Sea of Buttons
16.5" x 18.5"
Private Collection

 This little quilt also went to Small Wonders last year! It won 2nd runner up!

This quilt is about finding beauty in the mundane but necessary chores of daily life, the 'sea of buttons'. The fish on the side remind us that we are not alone in facing the challenge. The golden circles were printed with sockets from the garage, pencils, toothpicks, paintbrushes and various lids.
This quilt has about 300 buttons.

A Multicolored World

A Multicolored World
24" x 24"

This quilt went to Small Wonders last year. I didn't count, but it has about 3000 beads! It won 1st runner up! It was also juried into Beyond the Borders in Australia last summer.

This quilt was meant to show the beauty of differences among peoples. It reminds me of a saying I once heard that goes something like, "wherever I go, I wear you", which speaks to the influence we have on others we meet, even if only briefly.

 How it was made:
The center of these beaded medallions was painted with lumiere metallic acrylics and gel medium. I then stitched the round quilted pillows and embellished with seed beads, lots of them! Each block was individually machine quilted and then layered from the center out with fabric strips. There are over 500 different fabrics in this quilt! I gently laid tearable stabilizer on top of the strips and stitched a spiral shape with a simple running stitch. I then tore off the stabilizer and satin stitched the spirals. The sashing and borders were quilted separately. All the pieces were then butted up to each other and satin stitched. Then the fabric strips were laid down flat at the edges, overlapping where necessary and stay stitched in place. The center medallions were hand sewn last.

First Day of School

First Day of School
24" x 17.5"

This little quilt was inspired by some glass fish beads I bought at the Houston Quilt Show. Honestly, it wasn't my fault. My friend kept walking me by the embellishment booths. I had to buy more beads!
These fishie pillows are the fish parents as they 'walk' their babies to school on the first day of school, a day that is getting closer and closer as my daughter quickly approaches kindergarten age. This one was also accepted into Small Wonders! How great is that?!!

Long Legs and Fast Feet

Long Legs and Fast Feet
16.5" x 24"

What would the world look like if birds couldn't fly? This is one of many musings I have had with my young daughter on our long walks. The roofs of the houses have been decorated with different copper beads and designs. This quilt was accepted to Small Wonders this year!