Pairskate

Posted on May 18, 2026 by Carolyn

*Beneath the spectacle of graceful athleticism, a pair of skaters share an intense connection and absolute trust.*

The pairs skating events at the recent Milan Olympics mesmerized me with the breathtaking beauty of their intense connection, effortless grace, and absolute trust. This piece attempts to express the awe I felt watching the skaters move perfectly synchronously with speed, power and unspoken communication. I used intense colors to contrast the cool of the ice with the pure fiery energy of the athletes.

Hand-dyed cotton fabric, machine-pieced, needle-turn hand appliquéd, layered, and free-motion quilted.

20″ x 28″

Conversations

Posted on November 4, 2025 by Carolyn

The pieces in my series, “Conversation”, capture the fleeting dialog between clouds and waves at twilight, where reflected color and mirrored forms reveal a quiet exchange of light and motion. The rectilinear forms suggest a desire to capture the moment as it slips away toward night.

These art quilts are composed of hand-dyed white cotton fabric. I used arashi shibori dying techniques with fiber reactive dyes to achieve the rippled designs, sometimes over dying 2 or 3 times to apply several colors. Various sections are raw-edge appliqued in an overlapping pattern, layered with cotton batting and backing, and machine free-motion quilted.

Above: “Conversation I”, 45″x26″

Fabric Bowl

Posted on November 17, 2024 by Carolyn

This fabric bowl was made as a host/ess gift for some dear friends. I learned the technique from a friend who learned it from Hilde Morin. Darts are cut into the perimeter of a sturdy canvas circle fused over with base fabric as ground. Zigzag stiches close the darts and pull the sides of the bowl into life. Additional fused fabric pieces add design elements. Machine quilting secures everything and provides an additional element of design.

Frank

Posted on December 1, 2019 by Carolyn

Frank is my nephew and niece’s blue whippet. I did his portrait as their wedding gift. Based on a photograph taken by my niece, it is constucted of fused raw-edge applique in monochromatic kona cottons. Approximately 48″ x 48″

Process

*Inspiration photo. Credit: Kellie Zinn*

*Posterized to 5 shades of grey, using photo editing software.*

Auburn CA – a Map Quilt

Posted on October 29, 2018 by Carolyn

I made this quilt for a dear friend who recently relocated to a small town in the Sierra foothills northwest of Sacramento. It’s approximately 12″ x 12″.

I started with a base of varied rectangular pieced of hand-dyed cotton. I fused sheer silk organza over three areas that would eventually represent the urban areas.

Ribbons become highways and river. Foothills are drawn in with Inktense pencils.

Roads, buildings and other features are next.

Place names are hand-embrodered onto sheer organza to be fused in place.

A final touch is the hand-embroidered compass rose is sewn onto the lower right.

Spiral Goddess

Posted on September 10, 2018 by Carolyn

This art cloth was created in reponse to a call for entry. I was honored to have it selected for inclusion in the special exhibit, Power of Women, curated by Jamie Fingal and Jane Dunnewold for the 2018 International Quilt Festival in Houston.

This piece celebrates the divine feminine by drawing from the ancient pagan symbol of the spiral goddess. The spiral represents the creative power within and the cycles of life and nature. The vibrant color palette and luminous silk material provide warmth and life energy to the composition.

Whole cloth 5mm silk habotai, resist painted in the serti method using Jacquard Green Label silk dyes. 24″ x 96″

There she is hanging in the *Power of Women* exhibit! Photo credit: Jamie Fingal.

Work in Progress, Lakeside Stitching

Posted on May 25, 2018 by Carolyn

Hand stitching projects are perfect to bring along on vacation. Here I am working on embroidering this composition of hand-dyed silk hexagons (hand pieced using the english paper piecing technique). Carrie’s Threads hand-dyed silk floss lend gorgeous color to my hand quilting.

A Portrait of Despair

Posted on April 15, 2018 by Carolyn

This is the second self-portrait in s series. Like “Hope”, it is a study in values and was constructed in the same way, each block individually pieced before being sewn together as in traditional quilt construction.

Hand-dyed cottons, 18″ x 24″