Books are Magic

Patterns and Designs

My last post showed a variation of the log cabin quilt pattern. A pattern that I grew up using and have come to love. When I first saw the beautiful variety of fabric scraps, with their vast range of vibrant golds, glittering silvers and muted plaids, I thought the log cabin pattern would work well.

However, by the time I created the third page I realized the log cabin pattern wasn't the best choice for these fabrics. I didn't like the way the fabrics "read."

Another quilt design I used as a child was the string pattern. It is great for combining disparate fabric textures, styles, and colors. It involves cutting every fabric into 1" to 2" strips and then sewing these strips together to create a square. After making four squares, I combine them to form a diamond shape. The beautiful metallic and gold fabrics mixed with the plaids create a very pleasing design.

*Coronavirus Disease 2019:

Update in Maryland- 8/23/2020

104,102 confirmed cases

3,691 deaths 6,047 recovered

Update in New York State - 8/23/2020

429,737 confirmed cases

32,883 deaths 74,640 recovered

Total in United States: 5,693,879 confirmed cases, 176,756 deaths

Total Worldwide: 23,309,597 confirmed cases, 806,543 deaths

* All numbers are taken from Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center

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Born of Love, Shakespeare's Sonnet 151

Over the summer I worked on new artwork, Born of Love , inspired by Shakespeare's Sonnet 151. The book offers a translation of the sonnet to the language of textiles and embroidery. Working on this book allowed me to explore the beauty of textiles from four continents. Its construction is inspired by the poetic structure within the sonnet. This book, along with two other of my art pieces, will be on exhibit at the Folger Shakespeare Library from 16 Sept 2024 - 9 Feb 2025.

Flowers For Mistress Overdone, 2024

Coded Threads: Translating Shakespeare Through Art The following is a page from Flowers For Mistress Overdone , the first of two books that I presented at the Folger Shakespeare Library on Nov 16. The pages for the books are created with textiles from 5 continents (Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe and North America). The textiles were collaged and sewn into various designs. The fabric on the left is a collage of American and Tanzanian fabrics that I combined with one of my linocuts. The fabric on the right was an original mid century modern English quilt top I purchased at London's Antique Quilt Company during my summer in the UK researching Shakespeare's texts. The owner, Christopher, sources the highest quality textiles and it was truly a joy to transform this quilt into pages of my books inspired by Shakespeare's Measure For Measure. It was wonderful to present a few of my original artworks and embroidered books during my talk at the Folger Shakespeare Library....

Flower Power, 2024

2024 was a productive year. I created several different book series of embroidered and embellished books during my 1.5 years as a Folger Institute Fellow. These three flower books are in response to Shakespeare's Sonnet 54. During my artist talk at the Folger on 16 November 2024, I mentioned the power of flowers. "The act of giving flowers is a timeless gesture of deep appreciation, love, or praise. Beyond their symbolic value, flowers serve as visually striking design elements, drawing the eye and creating inviting focal points. Even after a fresh bouquet fades, the memory of the gesture endures, lending a poignant resonance to these artistic choices." /Suzanne Coley, 'Coded Threads,' November 2024

Baltimore Sonnets

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