Beneath the Bark created for the SAQA 2023 Spotlight Auction. Rust and indigo dyed cotton with hand stitched detailing. 5″x 7″, March 2023.
Crib size quilt in cotton flannel. Welcoming Julius to the world. February, 2023.
This beautiful cow was captured on a fall walk on the K&P trail. During the big snow storm of Christmas 2022, I sat snug in my new atelier and started to piece together Bessie. A combination of indigo dyed, flat dyed and commercial fabrics were used for the background, with eco dyed pieces for the trees and Bessie. The pasture was free-motion stitched and then, hand stitching defined the sky and shrubs. 15″x 22″, Winter, 2023.
hand embroidery
The central piece is wool blanketing that was eco dyed with Queen Anne’s Lace. Definition was added with free motion stitching and hand embroidery. Borders of commercial, embroidered silk were added as a finish and the cream silk was hand stitched around the commercial stitching to give more depth. Evolve 22″ x 25″, Fall, 2022.
This piece was so fun to make! The base was wet felted. Definition was added to the rocky background and the grasses with free motion machine stitching–the felted wool moved like smooth butter beneath the needle. Hand embellishment with pearl cotton finished it off and it is mounted on a background of gray felt for grounding. 13″x 14″, Summer 2022.
Free form collage. No plan, just fun fabric play. Cutting, snipping, arranging and rearranging pulls out a picture. Looks like I was starting a theme of oversized flowers! Not surprising given my love of flowers. Both collages were finished with hand stitching to hold down the pieces and add definition. Fabric Collage Play 12″ x 12″ Fall, 2022.
Boro stitching project turned into a great bag, just the right size for an iPad. Winter, 2023.
Snack Interrupted. This cow was enjoying a summer snack when a pesky blue-assed fly came along. Trying to flick, ended in a lick. The cow was carved and block printed, background was rust dyed and both machine free motion and hand embroidery embellished. 12″x 16″, June, 2023.
Photo printing on canvas (Spoonflower), free motion machine stitched for texture. 5″x 7″ and 8″x 10″, Spring, 2023.
My first art quilt, and just like that, I was hooked! Sunset, meadows and sea. 12″x 16″, 2021.
Teabag Peonies 13″ x 14.5″ (January 2024)
Peonies are my favorite flowers. Their fat, heavy blossoms burst with
shades of pink and burgundy as they appear in early June to usher in the oncoming summer. Each year, peonies fill my garden and my house, giving renewed energy and beauty after a long Ontario winter.
Technique: Recycled raspberry teabags, emptied, dried and ironed; pole-dyed cotton; pieced background, rough edge applique, free motion machine stitching, hand stitched embellishment
A New Summer Day 19.5″ x 25.5″ (Winter 2024)
On an early summer morning I sit on our dock watching. The sun rises over the distant woods and their reflection lights up the calm and quiet lake. Onshore, the wind begins to stir, and the waves become active, signaling it is time to start a new day.
Technique: Flat dyed cotton, free motion machine quilted with hand embroidery embellishment
Morning Kaleidoscope 17.5″ x 20″ (Spring 2024)
When backlit by the brilliant glow of a morning sunrise, naked, skeletal tree limbs become magical. This backyard image, captured and replicated, has become an intricate kaleidoscope.
Techniques*
Original photograph manipulated with mirror imaging, commercially printed on cotton, free motion machine quilted
Bursting Spring 25″ x 27″ (Spring 2024)
In early spring we alter our clocks to save daylight, trying to control the summer sun to suit our lifestyle. Nature absorbs the sun’s energy, using it to create the blossoms and buds of spring. The cold dark earth is warmed and coaxed to split open, releasing the first purples and blues of crocus and scilla. The landscape comes alive with a bounty of colour as blooms and foliage burst forth, oblivious to the time on our clocks.
Techniques: Woolen cloth overlaid with wool and synthetic yarns, hand embroidered with dyed cotton thread. Cotton lawn dyed, pieced and free motion machine stitched. Embellished by hand with wool yarn and cotton threads.
Peacock Feathers 29″ x 17.5″ (Summer 2024)
Is there anything more beautiful than a full display of peacock feathers? When photographed and manipulated with repeated inverse imagery, feathers come to life in an orderly pattern that highlights their precision. Rayon threads mimic the lustrous sheen, each feather seems identical, yet each has its own unique beauty.
Techniques: inverted and replicated digital photograph printed on whole cloth cotton (Zazzle), layered with batting and backed with felt, free-motion machine quilting and hand stitched embroidery
Nature’s Haven 12″ x 12″ (Winter 2024)
In the stillness of November, the skies can be dark and the temperatures chilly, but I revel in the solitude of long walks on well-worn paths. The trails take me past wetlands guarded by walls of tall reeds that provide refuge for waterfowl staying to brave the winter.
This piece uses one of my favorite photos taken as I headed out along the marsh. The somber sky is brightened by the early snow. The grasses nod their heads silently in the breeze as I pass by. I smile and nod back with my respect.
Medium / Media: cotton flat dyed with Procion MX dye, cotton printed photo, black walnut dyed linen, cotton scrim and threads