Flowers in Winter

One of my crafting loves is making realistic Flower Quilts. I began making them in 2003 as part of the Journal Quilt Project. I made a small flower quilt each month for six months.
This Mountain Laurel from June 2003 is one of my very favorites:

The devil is in the details, and in this quilt the details are machine embroidered (hand guided, not programed).  

Tiger lily is another of my flower quilts, done on a larger scale. 

I begin my flower quilts with a photo. 

Then work with the photo to make a line drawing, and finally, use a special applique method that I call Upside-Down Applique to construct the quilt. Once all the fabric is in place, I add embroidered details and quilting to complete the work. 

I use a number of techniques in addition to applique to create my realistic flower quilts. I emphasize light and shadow, or stated a different way, value and contrast. Contrast can elevate and define our work. The use of value can create an illusion of depth and the skillful use of contrast can take our textiles from folk art into the realm of fine art.

 

I teach my methods at the Academy of Quilting in a class called Flower Power. Many of my students have created spectacular quilts using these methods. You can see them in this Student Gallery. Join me.