Poppies
34″ x 14″
– “Poppies” won an Honorable Mention in the NJ State Quilt Guild 2004 show, Edison, NJ, in the Art Quilt/Innovative category.
Hand-painted cotton (center piece and pink borders), machine pieced borders, free-motion quilting, beads.
I was experimenting with fabric paints after taking a class taught by Michele Scott. The idea for the poppies quilt was inspired by a test piece of fabric I painted that took on the color of poppies. I used Setacolor transparent paints (including a hint of their shimmer metallic gold which adds a wonderful sparkle to the colors), and a bit of Jacquard opaque in places. The fabric is 100% cotton PFD.
I was striving for a really loose, watercolor effect, similar to what you’d get when painting on silk. Controlling the wetness of the fabric and dilution of the paints is really key, because these paints tend to dry alot lighter than you’d think if you use too much water. Here’s a photo of the piece when wet to give an example of this, and a closeup of some of the detail. I went back the next day to paint more fabric for the side borders, and was happy I was able to match the colors and tone! Time to make more floral quilts!
Picture of a very surprised me here when I got to the NJ State Quilt Guild’s 2004 show, and saw the Honorable Mention next to my piece!
