don't worry

a small quilt, this is really just a picture
I made it because I needed a personal break.
12" h x 17' w
pieced and embroidered with stem stitch, then quilted

2015

In 2017 I sewed it onto a velvet pillow for my grand daughter's big girl bed when she became a big sister - It became something soft for her to touch and something happy for her to look at.

quilt number 104

the white quilt

I was excited about the 'quilt as you go' technique when I made this quilt in 1987.  I made two other pieces using the same technique during that year.  (The same year our youngest child was born)

For this piece, I used scraps left over from sewing and a few of my own embroidered blouses.  I wanted a light palette with very few accents of dark.  The technique of creating one-step blocks (construction and quilting at the same time) with sewing machine stitch and flip was in vogue. Georgia Bonesteel's book Lap Quilting (1982) was influential.

I thought that this quilt was lost, but just yesterday I found it.  It is in one of our museums here on Manitoulin, the curator had purchased it at a farm auction in the late 90's.  If you look carefully, you can glimpse it folded up on the end of this museum bed.

Number 103

metaphysical thinking

Artist/curator  Lise Melhorn Boe invited me to participate in A Book Arts Mosaic, a collection of 38 Canadian book artists.  Each artist was to create an original edition of 25 books so that boxes of books could then go into libraries and collections across the country.  There were 25 such boxes, each containing 26 books.

I made 30 scrolls so that I could keep five for myself.  (I have now given all but one of those away.)

Transferred text asking questions such as 'who am I?', 'what is real?' or phrases such as 'the idea of self' , and 'think'...accompany images of thoughtful women gleaned from magazines that year.  The most important marks however are the hand stitches in the flannel fabric.

I regret that I don't have better photos of this series.

2005

number 102

Blessings

The Blessing of Mary upon this house
Ever upon it

velvet, found fabrics, wool, cotton threads, hand stitched

 detail of the blessing of Mary

The blessing of the SPIRIT upon this house, on man and woman
velvet, wool, found cloth, cotton threads, hand stitched

All the blessings measure about 8 inches wide, 22 inches long
All are in private collection

There are eight in the series.
They were made in 2004.
I had an exhibit  that year in Guelph Ontario at the Greenwood Quiltery where they were shown.  The gallery part of Greenwood changed into workshop space for the amazing fabric and yarn store donstairs.  The shop closed early 2017.

I will never forget the date of the exhibition because it was shortly after my father in law died.  Many family members were in Toronto for the funeral, and came with me to the opening of the exhibition the following day.

The text is from the Hogmany Blessing
A celtic new year's eve traditional prayer.

number 101

snow quilt

The fabric for this piece was purchased in Thunder Bay and I remember working on it before we moved to Kenora in 1982.

 It's a whole cloth quilt - these figures and the circles snowing down on them were pre-printed.  I thought that the colour and design was magical and did not change anything.  This is the only time that I have ever worked from a pre-printed piece of cloth.   The embroidered signature and date say J Martin 1983.

This is the 100th quilt!!  But I have several more I am sure.  To see the pieces in chronological order, click on the date in the side bar.  Thank you for visiting. xx

number 100

red hands

This is a small quilt that was made as a gift for Martha.
It\s sari silk piecwork and cotton embroidery.

Several of us made small pieces that were to be put into a book.  I wonder what that book looks like? Maybe I will see it some day hint hint.

I believe the date was around 1999.  I'll check and make an edit if this is incorrect.

number 99

Lake

 Lake  2014   indigo dye, reclaimed linen damask table cloth, silk hemp fabric, paste resist, cotton threads, hand embroidery, hand quilting 66" h x 53" w

 entirely hand stitched, the seam that joins the two large pieces of fabric that make up the top, is a tuck.  It reads as a horizon line.

Lake, side b.  indigo dye, stitch resist, wool, hand stitched.
2014
exhibited in quilts=art=quilts in 2015
number 98

baskets

Basket

One of many baby quilts I made in the 80's when my friends were having babies.
1984

number 97