I make cloth assemblages.
Using small bits of hand-dyed cloth and deconstructed clothing, I endeavor to stitch together something new that honors the history of the original cloth or depicts a moment in time. I especially like to stitch words into cloth, the better to tell a story or express a hope. And as I go, I document the making and thinking behind each piece in the form of blog posts at I’m Going to Texas.
Many of my cloth assemblages are quite practical, ranging from bed and pillow covers to hand bags and kitchen towels, with the occasional visible mending job thrown in for good measure …
Triangulation and Analogous Red (pillow covers)
My Heart’s Compass (bed cover, work in progress)
Bagstories with India Flint
P’s Coverlet and E’s coverlet
Kitchen Towel Series and Mending (socks, jeans, etc.)
That said, several of my cloth assemblages found their way into becoming cloth books …
Moon Myth
Close Your Eyes
Close Your Eyes Too
Where is Ellis?
Others were peace projects, often done in collaboration with folks around the world …
The Solace Project (organized by India Flint)
The Peace Pin Project (inspired by the peace work of Fiona Dempster and Barry Smith)
Hearts for Charleston (led by Dee Mallon)
I Dream of a World Where Love is the Answer (gathered by Mo Orkiszwski)
Boots for the Blanco (a fundraising response to the Wimberley Flood in 2015)
Peace Flags (currently underway)
And then there are those that might best be called Art Quilts as they were made to be looked at …
Land of Flood and Drought 2015 (wall hanging juried into the Fiber Artists of San Antonio annual show in 2017)
Land of Flood and Drought 2016 (wall hanging)
Georgia’s Window (bojagi window hanging)
US II (wall hanging)
Remember 2016 (patchplay)
Remember 2021 (patchplay)
The Land as the Crow Flies (woven cloth wall hanging)
I do sometimes send my cloth assemblages out into the world as gifts to friends, family, and those I call my kindred spirits in cloth, but most remain in our home as memory keepers. The only compensation I seek is joy in the process of making and that has always been more than enough.
I'm Going to Texas (version 2.0) 