Starting Point

Hi, this is Gina and I want to start by saying that this is all quite exciting, to join in this upcoming series of textile challenges with such talented and diverse ladies. Many thanks to Diane from 12x12 for creating this group.

I am a Home Economist turned potter and I am now finding time to return to my first love, textiles. About six years ago I picked up a copy of "Quilting Arts" in the bookstore and found it fascinating. Wow, had quilts changed! I had made a couple traditional quilts many years ago and had enjoyed making small crazy quilts for awhile but had abandoned quilting when teaching and other sewing took up my time. Then I discovered clay and time became even more scarce. When I was reading my first copy of "Quilting Arts" I was working on my final assignment for a graphic design class. My professor encouraged me to incorporate my clay in this final project and I was thrilled to finally combine my two creative loves of clay and fiber into one piece. I took the idea of using Solvron, a product I had never heard of before, to create what I started calling fiber studies. I layered fabric, yarns, seeds, petals, under netting and over the solvron. These studies were attached to slabs of clay. I didn't know it then but this was the start of my journey into art quilting.

 

My goal has continued to combine my clay with fiber and use a variety of natural materials such as seeds and petals but I have been finding time to explore the world of art quilts/art cloth and hope this challenge group will push me to find my voice in that world. Above is a small quilt including petals and seeds, stitched into a clay box. What I make for our upcoming challenges won't be stitched into a clay box!