Influenced by the beauty of the natural scenery around me, I have arranged simple shapes of fabric to create complex landscape designs in a wash of color. The quilts are embellished and quilted by hand in the traditional manner or are completed with innovative hand-guided machine stitchery.

Purple Rhododendrons - 2005, 72” x 84”
Collection of David and Linda Dickirson

The creative process begins as a pencil sketch which must then be translated into a grid of two-inch fabric squares and triangles to depict a natural scene. The swatches of colored fabric are selected from my large fabric collection then placed and moved around on a design wall in the way an impressionistic painter uses dots of colored paint. I have learned to manipulate the color values to enhance the natural shapes in the landscape and impart some perspective and atmosphere to the scene.

When I’m satisfied with the arrangement, the pieces are sewn into a quilt and details such as trees, flowers and leaves are added with hand stitching. Quilting designs also enhance the natural shapes in the landscape.