Ira and one of her quilts

This is a photo of my dear friend Ira. Right now she and another friend, Tata, are having an exhibit of their work in Tbilisi, Georgia. I am so sad that I cannot be there to see them and their work. Ira loves to collaborate. The growth in her work is truly amazing. I am also fortunate enough to have been given this quilt which hangs in my bedroom so I go to sleep each night looking at it and wake each morning to this mysterious woman and the love of a dear friend. Who could ask for anything more?

Chistina's Quilt

I love Christina's love of movement and attention to detail. She loves to layer. I'm trying to find her a sewing machine so that she can work at home too. Her talent is amazing and I cannot wait to see what she creates next. Enjoy!

Beatriz's Quilt

I think the piecing of the background, which did take forever, helped Beatriz decide to do a lot of handwork with this piece. I am so proud of her. She has caught the quilting bug in a big and wonderful way. She stays very focused in class and I cannot wait to see what she does next.

Detail of "Journey"

Here is a detail shot of my newest quilt. I'm calling it "Journey" for many reasons. First the piece of fabric was given to me by my friend Elizabeth Cherry Owen who lives in Maine. For me, it is not so much about the end product, or the destination that is important to me. Rather, it is the process, rich with the unexpected that excites me. I did not plan what I was going to do. I simply let the piece and memories speak to me. The portals were inspired by a monastery that was carved into a mountain in Georgia in 1185. The monastery was constructed as protection from the Mongols and at one time more than 6,000 "apartments" in a 13 story complex. An earthquake destroyed 2/3 of the city in 1283. An amazing place to visit.

Anyway, it is all hand stitched using pearl cotton. I want to explore more handwork like this. Enjoy!

Maria H's Quilt

Maria started with one idea and after some thought changed direction. She has really embraced process and letting the piece speak to her. I love her thoughtful approach. Her machine quilting has improved too. She has done a great job quilting the black background (done after this photo was taken). Enjoy!

Martha's Quilt

Martha decided that this time she would do her quilt by hand. She also plans to do lots of embellishing. I love the green eye make up. I love that Martha has decided to challenge herself and try something totally new to her. I can't wait to see the finished quilt. Unfortunately for me she is going to Mexico for the months of July and August so I'm going to have to be patient. However, I am so happy for Martha. She needed a vacation.

Maria's New Quilt

This is Marie's second quilt and once again showcases her love of embroidery. Remember all of these quilts are dealing with the rape, torture and murder of the women of Juarez, Mexico. Not an easy subject matter to express and yet they are all doing a great job.

Soccoro's New Quilt

I have the great privilege to spend time with an amazing group of women twice a month at the National Museum of Mexican Art. Our exhibit "Quilt Me A Story" was taken down on June 1. The great news is Socorro's quilt sold! We have begun making new quilts based on the "Women of Juarez." I thought I would spend the next few days sharing some of the works in progress from the group starting with the now famous and wonderful Socorro. Salute!

"Memories"

This is the final collage in this series basically because I am out of all the handmade paper I created. Guess it's back to creating materials before more work can be created. I love manipulating old National Geographic's pages for this type of collage so that there is no copyright issues. Enjoy!

"Love"

Here is another one of my polymer collages as promised. I use Golden polymer medium and an iron to create these pieces. It takes patience and an iron to create. I used coffee grounds some polymer medium on a coffee filter to create some texture. Enjoy!