the family crow

OK... Many of you have already seen this because I've put it up on my Facebook and you have seen it in real life, but I've been waiting to put these pictures up until I had detail shots. I am REALLY proud of this piece. I'm always pleased with what I make, not out of arrogance, but the pure joy I get from making things and sometimes I love what I make and sometimes I don't, but this one, this one is special to me. I've never made a quilt the way I made this one before. I've never started with barely a drawing and just rolled with it. When Jason and I finished the drawing of the tree he was worried. I just kept saying, please don't worry, I know what I'm going to do and as it evolved, he continued to worry that I wouldn't get the shading right or that I would regret the way I was going about it, but I never did. When I finished and we stood back together, he was excited at what I had managed to do. It is really hard to create movement with fabric - especially fabric that is printed fabric and not hand dyed or batik. I love the challenge of making what I have work - and then there are times I really like to just get exactly what I need. I did buy a good bit of gray and silver for this piece, but I chose fabrics with prints for the challenge... I have e-mailed the photo to Quilting Arts Magazine in hopes of them liking it and contacting me. I really have no expectation of it, but Jason made the suggestion and I sent it in. With the book coming out in the next few months, I figured Why Not? Thank you all for supporting me and encouraging me to follow my creative voice and THANK YOU HUBB for loving me and helping me to FIND my creative voice and not minding that I shout from the rooftops how happy I am that I have found it! I might never have without the encouragement you continue to give me. I love you and you help make my art happen by continuing to inspire me and filling my life with the best love a woman could ask for.

So, without Further Ado...

The family Crow! (It was a commission for Marci and Justin Manglitz)


The feather look is created by couching down eyelash yarn...




The nest is many types of yarns couched down over each other and the egg was made from the fabric Marci's wedding dress was made of! (Perfect because they had their first baby this year! Sweet little Hilda!)