Baltimore Sonnets

In May, I was commissioned by the Baltimore Museum of Art to design and construct three books as part of the Gee's Bend Community project. Each custom-made book contains quilt blocks created by program participants during the BMA Violet Hour: Gee's Bend Quilting Bee on March 31, 2021. 228 quilt blocks were sewn by 164 community members from the United States and Canada. The final community quilt, constructed and quilted by AAQB master quilter Catherine Wooten, contains 63 blocks and is 7ft by 9ft. The remaining quilt blocks are carefully bound in the books. The quilts and the books are currently on display at the BMA until September 12, 2021. Many thanks to the quilting community for your wonderful and inspiring quilt blocks.  

 Finalizing the pages of my textile book.    I still have a lot of embroidery and sewing to do, but it is with joy that I complete this portion of the series, "Love Sonnets from Shakespeare to Baltimore."

linocut on textile by Suzanne Coley from her series Love Sonnets from Shakespeare to Baltimore, 2021 Be not afeard; the isle is full of noises, Sounds and sweet airs, that give delight, and hurt not. Sometimes a thousand twangling instruments Will hum about mine ears; and sometime voices, That, if I then had waked after long sleep, Will make me sleep again: and then, in dreaming, The clouds methought would open, and show riches Ready to drop upon me; that, when I waked, I cried to dream again.    ~ Caliban, The Tempest         William Shakespeare

 In Process: Final layer of embroidered design of book cover #12 From my Love Sonnets from Shakespeare to Baltimore  fine art book series.  

Hand embroidery for my books: Painstaking, but rewarding process. 

I posted this embroidered page of one of my books on my IG account @Baltimoresonnets  I am looking forward to showing the fifteen finished books in the Love Sonnets from Shakespeare to Baltimore series in September 2021.

Books made with paper are our friends.  Books made with fabric are our souls.   ~ Suzanne Coley Linocut and silkscreened Shakespeare Sonnet VI on hand dyed wedding dress fabrics by Suzanne Coley