fiber art

Cairn

Tyvek, white cotton fabric, acrylic textile paint, cotton thread, wool batting, glass beads, sequins. Free-motion machine quilted. Cairns are stacks or piles of stones used to mark trails or graves, as landmarks, as indicators of buried items, or for ceremonial purposes. I made this piece in January 2017, when the path ahead seemed frightening and unknown.

Not for sale

Infinite Voices

Cotton fabric, cotton thread, cotton batting, polyester interfacing. Raw-edge appliqué, free-motion machine quilted. Inspired by this quote by Malala Yousafzai: “We must tell girls their voices are important.” I envisioned the circles as individuals, and the circular stitching as female voices, all shouting out to be heard. Many beautiful voices, all different.

Not for sale

Ione

White cotton canvas fabric, acrylic textile paint, commercial cotton and synthetic fabrics, glue, ink, cotton thread, cotton batting. Free-motion machine quilted. I made this piece for my Dad; it is of his first car, Ione, or “I OWN,” because it was the first car he owned. It is based on techniques taught to me by Teresa Shippy. See more of her work at teresashippy.com

Collection of Bob Brubaker

Fly

Hand-dyed cotton fabric, cotton thread, cotton batting. Free-motion machine quilted. Based on an original drawing of a feather.

For sale: $200

Wicked in Green

White cotton fabric, acrylic textile paint, cotton thread, cotton batting. Wholecloth painted, free-motion machine quilted. This is a portrait of my cat, Wicked.

Not for sale

Resurrection

Cotton fabrics, glue, cotton thread, cotton batting. Free-motion machine quilted. This piece is based on an original ink drawing of daffodils. They are my favorite flower, a symbol of rebirth and renewal, a bright yellow ray of sunshine in the snow.

Not for sale

Old Baldy

White cotton fabric, acrylic textile paint, cotton thread, cotton batting. Wholecloth painted,
free-motion machine quilted. Old Baldy Lighthouse turns 200 years old in 2017, and this piece was designed for a class (to be held on Bald Head Island, NC, in May 2017) to benefit restoration efforts.

Not for sale

Crystalline

White cotton fabric, acrylic textile paint, cotton thread, cotton batting. Wholecloth painted,
free-motion machine quilted. Created for the Dinner at Eight Artists’ exhibition, “Pattern,” which debuted at International Quilt Festival – Houston 2016.

Not for sale

Pink Poppy

White cotton fabric, acrylic textile paint, cotton thread, cotton batting. Wholecloth painted,
free-motion machine quilted. My neighbor grows the most amazing opium poppies, and every spring I take hundreds of photos of them. This piece is based on one of these photos.

For sale: $400

Purple Anemone

Cotton fabric, fusible adhesive, acrylic paint (for small dots on flower center), cotton thread, cotton batting. Fusible appliqué, free-motion thread sketched and machine quilted. This piece was featured on a 2015 episode of TheQuiltShow.com with Alex Anderson and Ricky Tims.

Not for sale

Bit by Bit

Cotton fabric hand painted with metallic textile pint, commercial batik fabrics, cotton threads, wool/polyester batting. Hand needleturn appliqué, free-motion machine quilted.

For sale: $500

Orange Gerbera

24" x 34" (Copyright 2015)
White cotton fabric, acrylic textile paint, cotton thread, wool/polyester batting. Wholecloth painted and free-motion quilted. Created for an episode of TheQuiltShow.com with Alex Anderson and Ricky Tims.

Not for sale

Old Red Door

40" x 40" (Copyright 2015)
White cotton fabric, acrylic textile paint, cotton thread, wool/polyester batting. Wholecloth painted and free-motion quilted. Created for Dinner at Eight Artists’ exhibition, “Affinity,” which debuted at the International Quilt Market (Oct. 24-26, 2015) and Festival (Oct. 28-Nov. 1, 2015) in Houston, and also showed at International Quilt Festival – Chicago 2016.

Not for sale

Fancy Goldfish

Cotton fabric, acrylic textile paint, cotton thread, cotton batting. Wholecloth painted, free-motion machine quilted. Created as a donation to the Quilt Alliance (The Alliance for American Quilts), as part of its 2015 contest, “Animals We Love.” The Quilt Alliance seeks to “document, preserve, and share our American quilt heritage by collecting the rich stories that historic and contemporary quilts, and their makers, tell about our nation’s diverse peoples and their communities.” This piece was featured on the cover of Quilting Arts magazine’s October/November 2015 issue.

SOLD: The Brenda Bauermeister Groelz Collection

Le Poisson Bleu-Vert

Cotton fabric, acrylic textile paint, Lutradur, cotton thread, cotton batting. Free-motion machine quilted. The fins, scales and lettering on this quilt are made from painted Lutradur.

SOLD: The Richard and Vicki Anderson Family Quilt Collection

Look, See

Cotton fabric, acrylic textile paint, cotton thread, cotton batting. Free-motion machine quilted.

This piece was created for the exhibition “My Personal App,” which debuted at Road to California in January 2015. Quilters invited to participate in this exhibition were asked to create a 36" square quilt that looks like an app icon, representing their personal app. This is based on a photograph of my eye. I believe it is the mind, heart, and eye of the photographer, and not the camera, that makes a good shot. It is learning to see – not just look at things.

Not for sale

Sunny

Cotton fabric, acrylic textile paint, cotton thread, cotton batting. Free-motion machine quilted. This was my donation for Virginia Spiegel’s “THE 100” fund raiser for the American Cancer Society in February 2015. This fund raiser brought Virginia’s fundraising up to a total $250,000. One hundred artists were asked to create small pieces, and they were randomly assigned to 100 donors.

SOLD: The collection of Karen Lukacs

The Mind is Not a Vessel

Cotton fabric, acrylic ink, cotton thread, cotton batting. Free-motion machine quilted. Created for a 2015 article in Quilting Arts magazine on using acrylic ink for lettering.

Not for sale

The Source of Her Magic

Cotton fabric, Mylar, Angelina fiber, Angelina film, felted wool beads, metal washer, alcohol inks, Tyvek, melted CD, silk sari waste, metal charm, polymer clay, hand-dyed burlap, hand-dyed cheesecloth, Lutradur, wire, glass beads, button, perle cotton, cotton thread, wool/polyester batting. Hand stitched, free-motion machine quilted.

Not for sale

Busy

Cotton fabric, Mylar (for wings), cotton thread, cotton batting. Free-motion thread sketched and machine quilted. Created for a 2015 article in Quilting Arts magazine on using Mylar in art quilts.

Not for sale

Never Give Up

Cotton fabric, acrylic ink, cotton thread, cotton batting. Free-motion machine quilted. Created for a 2015 article in Quilting Arts magazine on using acrylic ink for lettering.

Not for sale

Look For A Beautiful Thing

Cotton fabric, acrylic ink, cotton thread, cotton batting. Free-motion machine quilted. Created for a 2015 article in Quilting Arts magazine on using acrylic ink for lettering.

Not for sale

Magpie’s Hoard

Cotton fabric, dye magnet, Angelina, Mylar, Tyvek, wire, glass beads, melted CD, acrylic textile paint, burlap, cheesecloth, assorted threads, wool/polyester batting. Hand embroidered and free-motion machine quilted. A piece created to showcase the many embellishments I’ve made during experiments with different materials.

Not for sale

Beetles

White cotton fabric, acrylic textile paint, wool/polyester batting. Free-motion machine quilted. Based on sketches of a friend’s beetle specimen collection. Included in the 2015-2016 exhibition “From Insects to Elephants” at the Wisconsin Museum of Quilts & Fiber Arts.

Not for sale

Harlequin Ink

Clamp-dyed shibori fabric, cotton and silk threads and fibers, wool/polyester batting. Hand embroidered and free-motion machine quilted.

Not for sale

October Morning

Cotton batik and hand-dyed fabrics, fusible adhesive, cotton threads, ink, wool/polyester batting. Free-motion machine thread sketched and quilted. Based on an original photo of light shining through orange dogwood leaves one bright October morning.

Not for sale

Lenten Rose

White cotton fabric, black and white cotton threads, wool/polyester batting. Free-motion machine quilted. This piece started with a black line drawing from my sketchbook; I tried to imitate the cross-hatching in the drawing when I quilted it.

For sale: $500

Joyful

Cotton fabric, fusible adhesive, cotton threads, wool/polyester batting. Free-motion thread sketched and machine quilted. I made this piece to demonstrate concepts explained in my article, “Thread Sketching for Beginners: Your Top 10 Questions Answered,” in the August/September issue of Quilting Arts magazine.

For sale: $500

The Gift

White cotton fabric, acrylic textile paint, cotton threads, wool/polyester batting. Thread sketched and free-motion machine quilted. Nearly every day, I walk my dog through my neighborhood, and I take my camera to seek out the beauty around me, as a way of keeping myself sane, balanced and happy. One day in October, this was my gift: a single, spectacular leaf on the sidewalk.

Not for sale

Gazing Globe

White cotton fabric, acrylic textile paint, cotton threads, wool/polyester batting. Free-motion machine quilted. This piece was made for the Dinner at Eight Artists’ “Reflections” exhibition, and was shown at International Quilt Festival 2014 in Houston.

For sale: $2000

New Zealand Chook #4

White cotton fabric, acrylic textile paint, cotton threads, wool/polyester batting. Thread sketched and free-motion machine quilted. This piece is based on a photo I took in New Zealand of a cocky rooster. Chickens are often called “chooks” in New Zealand. Included in the 2015-2016 exhibition “From Insects to Elephants” at the Wisconsin Museum of Quilts & Fiber Arts.

Not for sale

Never Enough

Cotton fabric, acrylic textile paint, cotton threads, wool/polyester batting. Free-motion machine quilted.

For sale: $300

Suffolk Sheep #4

White cotton fabric, acrylic textile paint, cotton threads, wool/polyester batting. Thread sketched and free-motion machine quilted. This piece is based on a photo I took in England of a Suffolk ewe. Included in the 2015-2016 exhibition “From Insects to Elephants” at the Wisconsin Museum of Quilts & Fiber Arts.

Not for sale

Red-Spotted Purple

Batik fabrics, fusible adhesive, cotton threads, wool/polyester batting. Thread sketched and free-motion machine quilted. This butterfly’s name comes from its purple-blue color, and the distinctive red spots on its front wings. Based on an original photo.

Not for sale

Fall Color

Batiks and hand-dyed cottons, fusible web, cotton threads, wool/polyester batting. Thread sketched and free-motion machine quilted. This piece is based on a photo I took of leaves in the street, after a rainfall. Featured in American Quilter magazine September 2013, and in Quilt Festival/Quilt Scene 2015. Won first place in the Small Wallhanging category at MQX – Pacific Northwest 2013.

Not for sale

Cosmic Cosmos

15" x 11" (2013)

White cotton fabric, acrylic textile paint, cotton threads, wool/polyester batting. Thread sketched and free-motion machine quilted. This piece is based on a photo I took on one of my morning walks.

Sold: Collection of Carolyn Johnson

First Snow

Batiks and hand-dyed cottons, fusible web, cotton threads, acrylic textile paint, cotton batting. Thread sketched and free-motion machine quilted. This piece was created for the 2013 Dinner at Eight Artists’ exhibition “An Exquisite Moment.” It is based on several photographs I took many years ago of my daughters enjoying the first snowfall of the season. The exhibition premiered at International Quilt Festival – Long Beach in the summer of 2013, and was displayed at International Quilt Festival – Houston in October-November 2013.

Not for sale

Bonnie & Clyde

White cotton fabric, acrylic textile paint, cotton threads, wool/acrylic batting. Thread sketched and free-motion machine quilted. This is a commission piece for Alex Anderson, who wanted a piece featuring her son-in-law’s beloved cats, Bonnie and Clyde, to give to him. The quilt in the background is one of Alex’s original designs.

SOLD: The collection of Alex Anderson

First Green

Batik and hand-dyed cotton fabric, cotton threads, wool/acrylic batting. Machine pieced, hand appliquéd, and free-motion machine quilted. This piece was a donation to the Alzheimer Art Quilt Initiative, an organization that has raised nearly $1 million dollars for Alzheimer's research.

The name comes from the poem by Robert Frost “Nothing Gold Can Stay,” which speaks eloquently to the impermanence of youth, and the eventual decline of life.

SOLD: The collection of Janet Ramsey

Uncle Albert’s Reverie

White cotton fabric, images printed on paper, gel medium, acrylic textile paint, cotton thread, wool/polyester batting, cotton thread. Collaged paper and paint on fabric, free-motion quilted. Started in a class taught by Judy Coates Perez. This piece features old physiology illustrations similar to those in a textbook written by my great-great uncle Dr. Albert Philson Brubaker. This piece was on the cover of the January 2013 issue of the magazine Genetics in Medicine.

FOR SALE: $2000

Friso

White fabric, acrylic textile paint, cotton thread, cotton batting. Wholecloth painted, free-motion machine thread sketched. A portrait of my friend Lya’s wonderfully friendly and much beloved cat, Friso.

Collection of Lya Geven

Heirloom Pumpkins

Cotton fabric, cotton threads, wool/polyester batting. Free-motion thread sketched and machine quilted. Perhaps it is because I was born on Halloween, but I really love pumpkins; this is the fifth piece I’ve created that features them! This piece is based on a photograph I took at a local farm stand several Octobers ago. This piece was featured on the cover of Quilting Arts magazine’s October/November 2014 issue.

Not for sale

Passion Flower

15" x 19-1/4" (2012)

Cotton fabric, cotton threads, wool/polyester batting. Free-motion thread sketched and machine quilted. The passion flower comes in many varieties, but all have many small radial filaments (the squiggly little things that radiate out from the area in the center (which contains 3 stigmas and 5 anthers). It is very dramatic in appearance.

Not for sale

I See The Moon

White cotton fabric, acrylic textile paints, acrylic ink, cotton threads, wool/polyester batting, commercial batik backing). Wholecloth painted, free-motion machine quilted. My parents used to sing me a bedtime song called “I See the Moon.” It is a ritual I repeated with my own children. This piece was part of the “Rituals” exhibition by Dinner at Eight Artists shown at International Quilt Festival – Long Beach 2012, Houston 2012, and Cincinnati 2013.

SOLD: The International Quilt Festival Collection/Karey Bresenhan

Purple Pansy

White cotton fabric, acrylic textile paints, cotton threads, cotton batting. Free-motion machine quilted.

Not for sale

Up and Away!

White cotton fabric, acrylic textile paint, batik fabrics, cotton threads, wool/polyester batting. Three-dimensional butterfly. Thread sketched and free-motion machine quilted. Part of the exhibition “An Invitational Flutter of Butterfly Art Quilts” at the Texas Quilt Museum in La Grange, TX, April 3-June 29, 2014. Featured in the German magazine Patchwork Professional March 2013.

Not for sale

Little Green Butterfly

White cotton fabric, acrylic textile paint, cotton threads, wool/polyester batting. Thread sketched and free-motion machine quilted. Based on the same photograph as my earlier piece, Papillon.

SOLD: The collection of M. Kay Myers

Psychedelic Peacock

Cotton fabric, fusible adhesive, interfacing, cotton threads, wool/ polyester batting. Thread sketched and free-motion machine quilted.

SOLD: The collection of Susan Schwarcz

Still Life with Cherries

White cotton fabric, acrylic textile paint, cotton threads, wool/polyester batting. Wholecloth painted, free-motion thread sketched and machine quilted.

Not for sale

Synchronized Synchronous Fireflies

Hand-dyed and batik cotton fabric, fusible adhesive, Angelina, Crystalina, cotton threads, wool/polyester batting. Thread sketched and free-motion machine quilted. This piece celebrates a phenomenon observed in the Great Smoky Mountains where certain species of fireflies (also called lightning bugs) light up and turn off at the same time during a few weeks each summer. This got me thinking about synchronized swimmers, and I decided to make a piece with fireflies that were both synchronous and synchronized.

FOR SALE: $1,000

Fall Farm Stand

White cotton fabric, acrylic textile paint, melted Tyvek, cotton threads, wool/polyester batting. Wholecloth painted, free-motion thread sketched and machine quilted.

SOLD: The collection of Janet and Ron Zick

Trouble in the Pumpkin Patch

White cotton fabric, acrylic textile paint, cotton threads, wool/polyester batting. Thread sketched and free-motion machine quilted. This piece is featured in the 2012 Quilting Arts calendar for the month of October. It features my cat, Trouble.

Not for sale

Nestled

Cotton fabric, fusible adhesive, cotton threads, cotton batting. Free-motion machine quilted. I made this piece to demonstrate my technique of starting from a photograph and using fusible appliqué on a 2011 episode of TheQuiltShow.com with Alex Anderson and Ricky Tims.

For sale: $500

Hope is the Thing

Cotton fabric, acrylic textile paint, cotton threads, cotton batting. Free-motion machine quilted.

I started this piece the morning my mother died, and it has come to represent the space between us now that she is gone. It reminds me of one of my mother’s favorite poems by Emily Dickinson that begins, “Hope is the thing with feathers…” Featured in “The Space Between,” an exhibition by Dinner at Eight Artists. Exhibited at International Quilt Festival – Long Beach 2011, International Quilt Festival – Houston 2011, and International Quilt Festival – Cincinnati 2012.

SOLD: The International Quilt Festival Collection/Karey Bresenhan

Agave Grande

Cotton fabric, fusible adhesive, cotton threads, cotton batting. Free-motion thread sketched and machine quilted. The pattern for this piece is in my book, Point, Click, Quilt! Turn Your Photos into Fabulous Fabric Art.

Not for sale

Indian Corn 2

Cotton fabric, fusible adhesive, cotton threads, cotton batting. Free-motion thread sketched and machine quilted. The pattern for this piece is in my book, Point, Click, Quilt! Turn Your Photos into Fabulous Fabric Art.

Not for sale

Papillon

Cotton fabric, fusible adhesive, cotton threads, cotton batting. Free-motion thread sketched and machine quilted. The pattern for this piece is in my book, Point, Click, Quilt! Turn Your Photos into Fabulous Fabric Art.

Not for sale

Rusty Chevys

Cotton fabric, fusible adhesive, cotton threads, cotton batting. Free-motion thread sketched and machine quilted. The pattern for this piece is in my book, Point, Click, Quilt! Turn Your Photos into Fabulous Fabric Art.

For sale: $1000

African Beads

Cotton fabric, acrylic textile paint, cotton threads, cotton batting. Wholecloth painted, free-motion thread sketched and machine quilted. The pattern for this piece is in my book, Point, Click, Quilt! Turn Your Photos into Fabulous Fabric Art.

For sale: $300

Blue Feathers

Cotton fabric, tulle, fusible adhesive, cotton threads, cotton batting. Free-motion machine quilted. The pattern for this piece is in my book, Point, Click, Quilt! Turn Your Photos into Fabulous Fabric Art.

Sold: The collection of Nancy G. Cook

Buttons

Cotton fabric, fusible adhesive, cotton threads, cotton batting. Free-motion machine quilted. The pattern for this piece is in my book, Point, Click, Quilt! Turn Your Photos into Fabulous Fabric Art.

For sale: $200

Cylindrical

Cotton fabric, fusible adhesive, cotton threads, cotton batting. Free-motion machine quilted. The pattern for this piece is in my book, Point, Click, Quilt! Turn Your Photos into Fabulous Fabric Art.

For sale: $300

Smoky Mountain Autumn

Cotton fabric, fusible adhesive, cotton threads, cotton batting. Thread sketched and free-motion machine quilted. Based on a photo of a beautiful restored barn at Dollywood amusement park. The pattern for this piece is in my book, Point, Click, Quilt! Turn Your Photos into Fabulous Fabric Art.

For sale: $1000

Gourds

Cotton fabric, acrylic textile paint, Tyvek, cotton threads, cotton batting. Free-motion thread sketched and machine quilted. The pattern for this piece is in my book, Point, Click, Quilt! Turn Your Photos into Fabulous Fabric Art.

For sale: $1000

Pink Coneflowers

Cotton fabric, fusible adhesive, cotton threads, cotton batting. Free-motion thread sketched and machine quilted. The pattern for this piece is in my book, Point, Click, Quilt! Turn Your Photos into Fabulous Fabric Art.

Not for sale

Spiderweb

Cotton fabric, foil, foil adhesive, cotton threads, cotton batting. Free-motion machine quilted. The pattern for this piece is in my book, Point, Click, Quilt! Turn Your Photos into Fabulous Fabric Art.

For sale: $1000

Parrot Peek-a-Boo

Cotton fabric, fusible adhesive, cotton threads, cotton batting. Thread sketched and free-motion machine quilted. Included in the 2015-2016 exhibition “From Insects to Elephants” at the Wisconsin Museum of Quilts & Fiber Arts. The pattern for this piece is in my book, Point, Click, Quilt! Turn Your Photos into Fabulous Fabric Art.

Not for sale

Exotic Beauties

Cotton fabric, fusible adhesive, cotton threads, cotton batting. Thread sketched and free-motion machine quilted. The pattern for this piece is in my book, Point, Click, Quilt! Turn Your Photos into Fabulous Fabric Art.

Sold: The collection of Susan and Chris Sigmon

Snow Shadows

Cotton fabric, Angelina fibers, fusible adhesive, cotton threads, cotton batting. Free-motion machine quilted. The pattern for this piece is in my book, Point, Click, Quilt! Turn Your Photos into Fabulous Fabric Art.

For sale: $500

Snow Squall

Cotton fabric, cotton threads, acrylic textile paint, interfacing, cotton batting. Thread sketched, free-motion machine quilted. This is a study in creating movement with thread sketching. The wind swirls were stitched and lightly painted with metallic paint so they shimmer. The snowflakes are almost entirely thread, with a few touches of paint. I created this piece as a sample for an article I wrote for the December 2010/January 2011 issue of Quilting Arts magazine called “Thread Sketching 101, Lesson 6: Focus on Movement.”

Not for sale

Windswept

Cotton fabric, cotton threads, acrylic textile paint, interfacing, cotton batting. Thread sketched, free-motion machine quilted. This piece is based on a photo I took at Bald Head Island, a spectacular barrier island off the coast of North Carolina. I created it as a sample for an article I wrote for the December 2010/January 2011 issue of Quilting Arts magazine called “Thread Sketching 101, Lesson 6: Focus on Movement.”

For sale: $300

Detritus

Cotton fabric, fusible adhesive, cotton threads, cotton batting. Fusible appliqué, free-motion machine quilted. The pattern for this piece is in my book, Point, Click, Quilt! Turn Your Photos into Fabulous Fabric Art.

SOLD: The collection of June Bronsen

Petri Dish Promenade

Cotton and cotton-silk fabric, threads, commercial and hand-dyed cotton and silk embroidery flosses and threads. The central panel was soy-wax batiked, then hand embroidered before it was reverse appliquéd into the hand-dyed cotton-silk border. After additional hand embroidery, the entire piece was free-motion machine quilted.

Not for sale

Rivers of Red

White cotton fabric, acrylic textile paint, cotton threads, interfacing, wool/polyester batting. Wholecloth painted, free-motion machine quilted. This piece is based on an original photo of a coleus leaf.

Sold: The collection of Kelly Jackson

I Didn’t Know Roses Had Hips

Cotton fabric, cotton threads, fusible web, interfacing, cotton batting. Thread sketched, free-motion machine quilted. This is a study, based on an original photo, in using thread to add dimension. All of the pieces were fused down on the dark green background fabric, then thread sketched. The name is a comment from my 10-year-old daughter upon viewing the finished piece and asking, “What are those red things supposed to be?” I created this piece as a sample for an article I wrote for the August/September 2010 issue of Quilting Arts magazine called “Thread Sketching 101, Lesson 4: Focus on Dimension.”

Sold: The collection of Lya Geven

Prepared for Takeoff

Cotton fabric, fusible adhesive, cotton threads, interfacing, cotton batting. Thread sketched, free-motion machine quilted. I created this piece, based on an original photo, as a sample for my second Quilting Arts workshop DVD, “Master Machine Stitching: Thread Sketching Beyond the Basics.”

FOR SALE: $1000

Cripps Pink

Cotton fabric, fusible adhesive, cotton threads, interfacing, cotton batting. Thread sketched, free-motion machine quilted. I created this piece, based on an original photo, as a sample for my second Quilting Arts workshop DVD, “Master Machine Stitching: Thread Sketching Beyond the Basics.”

Not for sale

Maximum Cat Nap

White cotton fabric, acrylic textile paint, cotton threads, interfacing, cotton batting. Thread sketched, free-motion machine quilted. This is a study in texture with thread on a painted fabric surface. I created realistic fur by paying close attention to the direction and coarseness of the different kinds of fur on our cat, Max. I created this piece as a sample for an article I wrote for the June/July issue of Quilting Arts magazine called “Thread Sketching 101, Lesson 3: Focus on Texture.”

The collection of Lea Knapp

Wool Yarn

Cotton fabric, water soluble crayons, cotton threads, interfacing, cotton batting. Thread sketched, free-motion machine quilted. This is a study in texture with thread. The yarn balls and knitting needles are fabric, with details done with thread, and some coloring and shading added with water soluble crayons. I created this piece as a sample for an article I wrote for the June/July issue of Quilting Arts magazine called “Thread Sketching 101, Lesson 3: Focus on Texture.”

SOLD: The collection of Christina Cunningham

Wooden Spools

Cotton fabric, cotton threads, fusible web, interfacing, cotton batting, acrylic paint. Thread sketched, free-motion machine quilted. This is a study in using thread to add dimension. The spools were created with fused fabric, and the thread adds detail, shadows and highlights. After I stitched this piece, I painted the upper part of the background a darker pink with acrylic paint. I created this piece as a sample for an article I wrote for the August/September 2010 issue of Quilting Arts magazine called “Thread Sketching 101, Lesson 4: Focus on Dimension.”

SOLD: The collection of Elizabeth McNabb

Cooped

Cotton fabric, cotton threads, acrylic textile paint, interfacing, cotton batting. Thread sketched, free-motion machine quilted. In this piece, based on an original photo, I worked on creating pattern using thread. The chickens and coop were painted on white fabric, then thread sketched and quilted. I created this piece as a sample for an article I wrote for the October/November 2010 issue of Quilting Arts magazine called “Thread Sketching 101, Lesson 4: Focus on Pattern.”

SOLD: The collection of Ann Marsh

Seafoam

Hand-dyed cotton fabric, cotton threads, interfacing, cotton batting. Thread sketched, free-motion machine quilted. This piece is an exercise on creating pattern using thread. It is based on a photo I took on a beach of seafoam that had drifted onto the sand. I created this piece as a sample for an article I wrote for the October/November 2010 issue of Quilting Arts magazine called “Thread Sketching 101, Lesson 4: Focus on Pattern.”

Not for sale

Raindrops

Hand-dyed and batik cotton fabric, fusible adhesive, cotton threads, cotton batting. Thread sketched and free-motion machine quilted. I created this piece for one of my thread sketching classes.

Not for sale

Painted Sunflower

White cotton fabric, acrylic textile paint, cotton threads, interfacing, cotton batting. Free-motion machine quilted. This piece was created as a sample for my Wholecloth Painting Workshop. It is based on an original photo.

Not for sale

Croton

White cotton fabric, acrylic textile paint, cotton threads, interfacing, cotton batting. Wholecloth painted, free-motion machine quilted. This piece was created as a sample for my Wholecloth Painting Workshop. It is based on an original photo.

Not for sale

Hibiscus

White cotton fabric, acrylic textile paint, cotton threads, interfacing, cotton batting. Wholecloth painted, free-motion machine quilted. This piece was created as a sample for my Wholecloth Painting Workshop. It is based on an original photo.

Not for sale

Red Coleus

11.75" x 11.75" (Copyright 2010).
White cotton fabric, acrylic fabric paint, cotton threads, wool/polyester batting. Wholecloth painted, machine quilted. This piece was auctioned through Studio Art Quilt Associates’ (SAQA) 2010 Benefit Auction.

SOLD: The collection of Suzanne Kistler

Pink Phalaenopsis

White and black cotton fabrics, cotton threads, cotton batting, acrylic fabric paint. Wholecloth painted orchid hand appliquéd to a black background, free-motion machine thread sketched and quilted. This is part of a series of pieces I did on orchids for an exhibition by a group of fiber artists in Charlotte, NC, Fiber Art Options. The exhibition debuted at Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden, near Charlotte, in February 2010.

For sale: $400

Freckles

White cotton fabric, acrylic fabric paint, cotton threads, wool/polyester batting. Wholecloth painted, free-motion machine quilted. This is part of a series of pieces I did on orchids for an exhibition by a group of fiber artists in Charlotte, NC, Fiber Art Options. The exhibition debuted at Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden, near Charlotte, in February 2010.

Not for sale

Purple Phalaenopsis

White cotton fabric, acrylic fabric paint, cotton threads, wool/polyester batting. Wholecloth painted, machine quilted. This is part of a series of pieces I did on orchids for an exhibition by a group of fiber artists in Charlotte, NC, Fiber Art Options. The exhibition debuted at Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden, near Charlotte, in February 2010.

For sale: $2,000

Ruffles

White cotton fabric, acrylic fabric paint, cotton threads, wool/polyester batting. Wholecloth painted, machine quilted. This is part of a series of pieces I did on orchids for an exhibition by a group of fiber artists in Charlotte, NC, Fiber Art Options. The exhibition debuted at Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden, near Charlotte, in February 2010.

SOLD: The collection of Susan and Chris Sigmon

Pink Rose

White cotton fabric, acrylic fabric paint, cotton threads, cotton batting. Wholecloth painted, machine quilted. I made this little quilted piece for Virginia Spiegel’s ToteTuesday fundraiser for the American Cancer Society. I participated in honor of my mother, a breast cancer survivor. It went up for auction on February 23, 2010, and sold in the first four minutes, raising $350. The purchaser, artist and collector Tomme Fent, purchased it “in honor of Virginia Spiegel for her dedication and creativity in raising funds through FiberArt For a Cause.”

SOLD: The collection of Tomme Fent

Hidden Identity

White cotton fabric, cotton threads, interfacing, cotton batting. Thread sketched, free-motion machine quilted. This is a study in creating lines with different characteristics. Note the contrast between the organic lines in the fingerprint and the mechanical grid in the background. I created this piece as a sample for an article I wrote for the April/May issue of Quilting Arts magazine, called “Thread Sketching 101, Lesson 2: Focus on Line.”

For sale: $1000

Candy Corn

White cotton fabric, acrylic textile paint, cotton threads, interfacing, cotton batting. Free-motion thread sketched, free-motion machine quilted. This piece was featured in the 2011 Quilting Arts Calendar for the month of October.

SOLD: The collection of Susan Williams Beltz

Vanity

White cotton fabric, acrylic textile paint, cotton threads, interfacing, cotton batting. Thread sketched, free-motion machine quilted. This piece explores the lines in a peacock feather, using only black thread on a painted cotton surface. It was created for an article I wrote for the April/May issue of Quilting Arts magazine, called “Thread Sketching 101, Lesson 2: Focus on Line,” and was featured on the cover!

SOLD: The collection of Kelly Jackson

Ten Years

White cotton fabric, acrylic textile paint, cotton thread, cotton batting. Wholecloth painted,
free-motion machine quilted. I made this piece to celebrate the tenth anniversary of Pokey Bolton’s creation of Quilting Arts magazine.

Collection of Quilting Arts Magazine

Hosta

Cotton fabric, cotton and rayon threads, cotton batting; acrylic paint. Free motion machine thread sketched and quilted. This piece is based on my photograph of a hosta leaf starting to show the effects of disease and decay, and the normal decline brought on by fall.

Not for sale

Coleus

White cotton fabric, cotton threads, cotton batting, acrylic fabric paint. Free-motion machine thread sketched and quilted. This piece is based on a photograph I took at the North Carolina Botanical Garden in Asheville, NC. After I named it, a nice botanist contacted me to tell me it was actually a Purple Knight plant, but by then, it was too late! I made this piece for Episode 513 of “Quilting Arts TV.” Coleus was juried into the Studio Art Quilt Associates’ exhibition “SAQA Frontiers: Art Meets Science.”

Not for sale

Postcard from Glacier National Park: Avalanche Lake

Cotton fabrics, cotton threads, fusible web, interfacing, cotton batting. Free-motion thread sketched, and machine quilted. Created for an article I wrote for the February/March issue of Quilting Arts magazine, called “Thread Sketching 101, Lesson 1: Focus on Color.” Only five fabrics were used in this piece (the sky, the water, the hill, the mountains, and the bank of the lake). The color variations and details were all created with thread.

SOLD: The collection of DeLane Rosenau

A New Box

White cotton fabric, cotton threads, interfacing, cotton batting. Free-motion thread sketched and machine quilted. Created for an article I wrote for the February/March issue of Quilting Arts magazine, called “Thread Sketching 101, Lesson 1: Focus on Color.” I started with a base of plain white fabric, because I wanted to demonstrate how much color is added to an art quilt with thread alone.

Not for sale

Lepidoptera

Cotton fabric, cotton threads, fabric paint, wool/polyester batting. Wholecloth painted, free-motion machine quilted. Named after the order of insects that includes butterflies and moths. Won a Merit Award for Outstanding Use of Color at the 2009 Asheville Quilt Show, and Best Machine Quilting at the 2009 Lake Norman Quilters’ show. Juried into the Studio Art Quilt Associates’ exhibition “SAQA Frontiers: Art Meets Science,” which debuted at the Festival of Quilts in Birmingham, England, Aug. 19-22, 2010. Featured in the Dec. 2010/Jan. 2011 issue of Quilters Newsletter.

For sale: $3,200

Sunflower I

11" x 9" (Copyright 2009)
Cotton fabrics, cotton threads, fusible web, interfacing, cotton batting. Fusible appliqué, free-motion machine thread sketched and quilted. I created this piece to use while demonstrating thread sketching in my Quilting Arts Workshop DVD “Master Machine Quilting: Free-motion Stitching and Thread Sketching.”

Not for sale

Bodie Island Lighthouse

Cotton fabric, cotton threads, cotton batting; fusible web, Angelina. Fusible appliqué, free-motion machine thread sketched and quilted. This piece is based on a photo I took of the Bodie Island Lighthouse on North Carolina’s Outer Banks. I made this piece for Episode 501 of “Quilting Arts TV.”

For sale: $200

Indian Corn

Muslin, cotton thread, cotton batting, acrylic paint, acrylic ink, watercolor pencils. Stamped, free-motion machine thread sketched and quilted.

Not for sale

Citrus Slices

Hand-dyed cotton fabrics, cotton and rayon threads, Angelina, water-soluble crayons, cotton batting. Free-motion machine thread sketched and quilted. I made this piece for the 2010 Quilting Arts Calendar competition. The theme was “Fresh Picked.” Each slice was constructed separately before it was sewn to the background. Some of the lemon slices were drawn directly onto the white background, and then free-motion stitched. It was chosen for the calendar’s cover.

The collection of Julia Knapp

Autumn’s Bounty

Hand-dyed and commercial cotton print fabrics, cotton and rayon threads, water-soluble crayons, cotton batting. Free-motion machine thread sketched and quilted. Made for the 2010 Quilting Arts Calendar competition. The theme was “Fresh Picked.” It is based on a photo I took of mini-pumpkins at my local farm market. Each pumpkin was constructed separately before it was sewn to the background. Extra batting was added behind some of the pumpkins to give them extra dimension. I used water-soluble crayons to add some details and shading. It was chosen for the month of October.

Not for sale

Serendipity I

Cotton fabrics, cotton threads, water-soluble artists crayons, cotton batting, polymer clay embellishments. Machine thread painted and quilted, hand embroidered. Started out as a screen print I made in an open-mesh screen printing workshop taught by Janet A. Lasher.

Sold

House Rules 2

Cotton fabric, cotton batting, cotton threads, Angelina, perle cotton, Pigma ink, water soluble pencils. Needleturn appliqué, free-motion quilted. This piece is similar to “House Rules,” which I created in 2008, but includes the whole family.

Not for sale

Running Deep

Cotton fabrics, cotton and rayon threads, fabric paint, cotton batting. Free-motion machine thread sketched and quilted. Juried into the exhibit “Journal Quilt Project II: Elements – Earth, Water, Air, and Fire.” Venues included International Quilt Market and Festival in Houston, Tex., Oct. 25-Nov. 2, 2008; International Quilt Festival in Chicago, Illinois, April 17-19, 2009; and International Quilt Festival in Long Beach, California, July 24-26, 2009.

Not for sale

Home Planet

Cotton fabrics, cotton and rayon threads, fabric paint, Angelina fibers, water-soluble wax pastels, Tyvek, cotton batting. Free-motion machine thread sketched and quilted. This quilt appears in the 2009 Quilting Arts Calendar. The competition had the theme “Celebrating Home.” No matter where we live, we all share the same home: Earth. This quilt celebrates the beauty and fragility of our lovely blue-and-green planet and the miracle and diversity of life here, surrounded by the vast emptiness of space. Humanity is our family; Earth is our home.

The collection of Michael Thier

Rusted I

Rusted cotton fabric, cotton batiks, cotton threads, Shiva paintstiks, EcoCraft batting. Machine quilted. Created with fabric I rusted using old bottlecaps.

The collection of Julia Knapp

House Rules

Cotton fabric, fusible web, cotton batting, nonfusible interfacing. Cotton threads, fabric dye, Angelina, perle cotton, Pigma ink, water soluble crayons and pencils. Hand stitched, free-motion quilted. When my children were young, I kept a list of rules posted on the refrigerator, and then decided that it would be more charming as a quilt.

Not for sale

Communion

Cotton fabrics, cotton and rayon threads, fabric paint, water-soluble wax pastels, cotton batting. Fusible appliqué, free-motion machine thread sketched and quilted. This is my panel from “Motherhood,” a group quilt by The Pandoras, a group of art quilters. I loved nursing my children, and felt it to be a true communion on many levels: as an act of sharing, as a spiritual fellowship, and as a holy moment.

For sale: $1,350

Ferns

Cotton batiks, hand-dyed cottons, fusible web, cotton batting, fabric dyes and paints, cotton thread. Machine thread sketched and quilted. My section of a group piece by The Pandoras. We all chose a 4x6" photo, blew it up by 400% to approximately 16x24", and then cut it into four pieces about the same size (in my case, 6x16"). Each person in the group got a different piece, and was sent home to recreate that section of the photo using whatever fabrics, materials and techniques she wanted to explore.

Not for sale

Magic Beans

Hand-dyed and batik cotton fabric, cotton & rayon threads, water soluble wax pastels, cotton batting. Fusible appliqué, free-motion machine thread sketched and machine quilted.

Sold

November Leaves

Tyvek, metallic textile paints, hand-painted fabric, batik fabric, rayon threads, cotton batting. Free-motion machine quilted. I love the way leaves look when they have started to disintegrate in late fall, forming lacy patterns along their veins. Some of October's color still remains, but they become delicate skeletons. Created for my November Leaves class.

Not for sale

The Bluest Eye

Batiks, hand-dyed cottons, fusible web. Cotton and rayon threads. Fusible appliqué, free-motion thread sketched and machine quilted. Created for the 2008 Quilting Arts Calendar competition. It was awarded a “Judges’ Choice” award, and appears in the August/September 2007 issue of Quilting Arts. The competition had the theme “A Novel Idea;” artists were asked to create quilts about their favorite books. Mine is based on Toni Morrison’s novel about an African-American girl’s descent into madness, and her dream to have blue eyes like Shirley Temple so she would be accepted and loved.

SOLD: The collection of Susan and Chris Sigmon

Harbinger’s Hope

Batiks, hand-dyed cottons, fusible web, nonfusible interfacing, cotton and rayon threads, perle cotton. Featured quilt in “The Last Stitch” in the February/March 2009 issue of Quilt magazine. 2008 Charlotte Quilters Guild Show – Best of Show – Large Quilt; Best Use of Color; and first place in the “Professional Art Quilt” category. 2007 Pennsylvania National Quilt Extravaganza XIV – Honorable mention in the “Innovative” category. 2007 Asheville Quilt Show – Third place in the “Other Techniques” category. 2007 Lake Norman Quilters’ Show – Best of Show; Best Amateur Machine Quilting; and first place in the “Art/Pictorial” category.

Not for sale

Round Red Barn

Cotton fabric, cotton thread, interfacing, cotton batting. Fusible appliqué, free-motion machine thread sketched and quilted. Based on my photo of the round barn at the Shelburne Museum in Vermont. Created for my Round Red Barn class on fusible appliqué and thread sketching.

Not for sale

Gossamer

Batik fabric, cotton thread, beads, fusible adhesive, cotton batting. Fusible appliqué, beaded, free-motion thread sketched and quilted. Three-dimensional butterfly. This quilt won third place in the 2006 “Art of the Quilt” contest exhibited at the American Sewing Expo.

For sale: $2,000

Celtic Crown

Hand-dyed cotton fabrics, Tyvek, cotton and rayon threads, fabric paint, cotton batting, glass and metal beads. Tyvek was painted and heated, then stitched down to the background. Beaded, free-motion machine thread sketched and quilted.

Not for sale

Varigated

Cotton fabric, fusible web, cotton batting, nonfusible interfacing, cotton threads, fabric dye, water soluble wax pastels. Fusible appliqué, free-motion thread sketched and quilted. Fabric pieces were cut, fused to the background and thread painted. Fabric dye and water soluble wax pastels were used to add highlights and shadow to make the balls of yarn look more three-dimensional. This piece was auctioned in November 2008 through the Studio Art Quilt Associates “One-Foot Square Auction.”

Sold: The Schroder Collection

Teach Me to Hear Mermaids Singing

Batiks, hand-dyed cottons, tulle, cotton and rayon threads, cotton batting. Fusible appliqué, free-motion thread sketched and machine quilted. I started this quilt after painting the face during a class taught by Bonnie McCaffery (www.bonniemccaffery.com). Selected as one of 50 finalists in the 2006 Husqvarna Viking competition “MasterPieces: Imagine That!” Exhibited at 2006 International Quilt Market and Festival in Houston; 2009 International Quilt Festival/Long Beach; Denmark; Australia: Finland: International Quilt Festival/Chicago; Sweden; and 2007 Festival of Quilts/Birmingham, England.

The collection of Lea Knapp

Red-Eyed Tree Frog

Cotton fabric, cotton threads, tulle, interfacing, cotton batting. Fusible appliqué, free-motion thread sketched and machine quilted.

SOLD: The collection of Kelly Jackson (purchased by Mr. McSteamy)

Dragonflies

Cotton batiks, hand-dyed cottons, cotton batting, cotton thread. Mounted on artists’ canvas stretchers. Fusible appliqué, free-motion thread sketched and machine quilted.

For sale: $1,500