Choosing Calm
39"H x 40"W (2023)
This whole cloth quilt was created with seven different shades of perle cotton thread to produce an ombré effect. Using a fly stitch, I began quilting in the center with the lightest pink thread, and then added a band of a slightly darker pink on either side, moving outward until I reached deep maroon in the outer bands. Because holding the quilt in my lap, I quilted vertical lines, I always assumed it would hang vertically, but when it was complete, I turned it sideways. The new orientation immediately appealed to me. I asked for reactions on social media and several people noted that the horizontal orientation created a calm feeling while the vertical one was more energetic. Despite many, many hours of viewing it the other way, I opted for horizontal, choosing calm.
Choosing Calm was shown at Quiltcon 2024 in the minimalism category and travelled as part of Selections from Quiltcon 2024. It also was shown in Spaces in Between, an exhibit co-sponsored the Surface Design Association and Florida Craft Gallery (2025) and Drawn to Lines, a SAQA virtual exhibit (2025).
