Unexpected Finds

My name is Teresa, a baby boomer at large, now residing in Charlotte, NC, calling it home…. Originally from way out West., from a large nuclear family with relative extensions reaching far and wide and coast to coast.

I started very young sewing, which seemed to have come naturally to me. Remaking clothes, which Mom bought me or, from my 2 older sisters’ hand me downs, which I didn’t like, as well as doll clothes to play with or sale. I then got enthralled with quilts…. old and new.

Over 15 years ago I began a rather large quilt, too large for a beginner, ( it’s not the type which I decided to be my type to create. ) it became so time consuming that I lost interest while working on it. Then after I moved, I uncovered the quilt, which was rolled up and stashed in the corner of my closet, I was finally able to finsih it, about 5 years later… So long, way too long.

I started quailing doing picture quilts for friends and family. I used pictures from their lives, scanned onto fabric, then quilted the photos and used colors which reminded me of that person, or family member.

This is how I created a “memory” quilt for my Mother with images of my Grandmother, who passed away. I went through all our old photos of her as an infant, in the arms of her Dad, going to school, brothers and sisters and her Mother and Father in their teens and twenties. I took all of these photos, scanned them onto fabric and quilted them together, then added fabrics and colors that reminded me of Grandmother, who we all knew as “Big Momma” but her real name was Violet. So fabrics of violet hues or prints of violet flowers became part of my Mothers quilt.

I love Story Telling Quilts. I’m currently recreating photos, or paintings which inspire me creatively in fabric. I quilt them into what then appears to be a giant version of that photo or painting. Also, my brother, the talented artist, is painting fabric for me which I then quilt into creative works of art.