All my quilts are made with hand stitches. The exception might be to sew a border to the quilt piece, using a machine. I have made full and queen size quilts all with hand stitching. Now my quilt projects are intended to combine color and design to create wall art for the home. In lieu of a painting or picture, a quilted wall piece can be designed to match room colors and themes and be the source of much visual pleasure.
My preference is to use appliqué to create expression in my work. The art of appliqué involves overlaying pieces of fabric to form a shape, such as a flower. By combining colors and shapes to a background, a picture emerges. Appliqué allows me free expression for my ideas.
Once the appliquéd picture is complete, the piece is assembled using a complimentary or contrasting backing, with a thin layer of batting between. I use a batting of 100% soft polyester that is made from recycled plastic bottles. Not only am I creating a work of art, but I am using up those plastic water bottles.
Once assembled, the hand quilting process begins. This entails using tiny hand stitches to outline the shapes and to provide a background design to the overall project. The quilted stitches add interest and composition to the overall project.
All my fabrics are pre-washed and pre-shrunk so that if cleaning is necessary, their owners don’t have to worry about a piece becoming dis-formed or dis-colored, if using gentle care.