My Version of Christmas

My Version of Christmas
© 2008 Mark Patro
15"x18"

The Maryland State Fair is just around the corner and I have decided to put two quilts in the show. I started "Man-Sized Girly Quilt" toward the end of July last year and completed sometime during the first week of November. This quilt qualifies for the "First Quilt" category. I am also going to enter, "My Version of Christmas" in the "Christmas" category. The Fair ends on Labor Day and runs for a week plus. Hope to see you there.

Swirl Quilt Complete

Its been a while since I've posted anything. I've been busy with summer, but that hasn't kept me from sewing. Shown is the "Swirl Quilt", so named for the over-stitched S-spiral patterns. It took me about four, two-hour sessions to complete the long arm stitching. I'm happy with it. And as you can see its on the bed. We slept under it last night for the first time. Actually this is the first time we have slept under any of the few quilts I'm made myself.

I also wanted to mention the "Rosie Lee Tompkins" show at the National Museum of Women (on New York Ave) in Washington, DC. Her work is a celebration of color and texture, made mostly of velvet fabrics. Treat yourself. This show is running until September 21, 2008.

Blue Diagonal Grid Quilt

This top is finally finished. Its kept me busy while I have been long-arming the Swirl Quilt (Long Arm Project No. 2), which I expect to finish this week.


Blue Diagonal Grid
Quilt
93"x93"

Something Bold Something New Something Brilliant Something Blue

All I wanna be is Kaffe Fassett when I grow up! Well...I'll settle for his skill. I am greatly attracted to his palette. This is my second major quilt using his fabrics. The first is pictured on my very first post, way back when.


I think this one is gonna have to be square.

Long Arm Project No. 2

This is a quilt top that someone else started, to which I added a border. This week I stated to quilt it. This is the beginning of my effort.

I saw an art quilt blog last week, written by Denise Aumick
She has a purple piece on her blog which is freehand quilted and it inspired me. So here is my version of her style.


The purple side is the back.

Something Different Today

I have pieced my own design with Girly Man Quilt, I've pieced and painted my own design with Star No. 1. Today I decided to work on a collaboration with an unknown artist. And she does not know ("she" I am assuming). For all I know she is dead. I recently bought a quilt top on a popular auction web site. I was thinking of Bed by Robert Rauschenberg. He, of course, was the first to paint on a quilt on purpose. Well, the first I know of.

So, with ground broken, I've decide to appropriate a quilt top that had never been quilted. I am calling this a collaboration for semantic purposes.

This quilt was pieced in the 1940's according to the seller.

After I decided to alter its attitude, my question was: how?

My work is far more colorful than this top is. It needed a fresh look. I am imagining gasps of horror... "How would you like it if someone painted on your work long after your death?"

That is a strong question. But I live in the present. And it is now mine, and it needs more color. Color is good! Ask Peter Max, ask Vincent Van Gogh. There are any number of artists you can ask. (Yeah, I know Van Gogh is dead. I guess you can't ask him.)

So I have moved on. My aesthetic is different than those who came before me. I suppose those after me will say the same.

So I painted on it for better or worse. Does anyone have an opinion?


There is more to paint, and then it will need to be quilted.

Star No. 1 is finished