Judith Phelps - Name That Tune

Original design is based on the book: my grandmother asked me to tell you she’s sorry by Fredrik Backman. 

I loved the fairy tale land that the writer described in the book and designed my quilt from it.  To get to this land one rode in on cloud animals.  The six kingdoms or towns and are represented by different color combinations and of course there are always castles, warriors and dragons in fairy tales.

Warriors by  Imagine Dragons lyrics for ‘Name that Tune’ theme:

“We are the warriors that built this town 

From dust

Will come 

When you will have to rise

Above the best and prove yourself 

Your spirit never dies”

The lyrics of this song represented what I was trying to portray in the quilt, and it doesn’t hurt that my grandson loves Imagine Dragons music. 

Techniques: fused raw edge appliqué stitched with invisible thread,  mountains, man, guardian dogs (wurses), and river were hand painted on another fabric and appliquéd on, sky and water were painted on the quilt top.

 42" x 48"

I took a class from Dianne Kane (great teacher) to learn to make the pieced kaleidoscope circles and decided to applique them on a white quilted circle background. The pieced circles resemble what a carousel might look like if you were looking down on it. You never can tell where it begins or ends.

I love the carousel reference in The Circle Game lyrics:

“And the seasons, they go round and round

And the painted ponies go up and down 

We’re captive on the carousel of time…….

And go round and round and round, in the circle game”

Original design made on a domestic machine

24" x 40"

“Black birds singing in the dead of night….

Blackbird fly, black bird fly

Into the light of a dark black night….

You were only waiting for this moment to arise”

Original design made on a domestic machine.

Techniques: pieced, painted, fused raw edge appliqué machine stitched

39" x 41"

This quilt was made for two challenges:  Storyteller’s - Seeing Red and Thread Tales – The Nightingale (Kristin Hannah).

The story takes place in France during World War Two.  A young woman ties three red ribbons to an apple tree in her front yard:  Antoine – taken as prisoner of war, Rachel – a Jewish best friend loaded onto a cattle car and Sarah - a young Jewish girl shot and killed. The stone wall around the apple tree had been torn down by the Germans.  The ribbons represent a promise to never forget!

Original design, painted and thread painted three-layer quilt. 

45" x 50"

This quilt started with painting negative backgrounds with the white tree being the focus.  The positive- the trees are individually quilted.

Two challenges:  Storytellers - Trees

Art Group -  Improv Quilting

24" x 29"

This quilt was started in a Susan Brubaker Knapp class a couple of years ago and was finally completed this year. based on a photo of Susan’s, it was painted and then the thread was added to enhance the painting.

17" x 19"

Love the beauty that roosters often display.  ‘Mr. Wilson’ seemed to suit this one for a name. The flowers and leaves in the border are the same flowers and leaves that created Mr. Wilson in collage.

Original design, fusible raw edge appliqué.

53" x 43"

Quilt made for two challenges:  Storyteller’s – Seeing Red, Thread Tales – The Snow Child, (Eowyn Ivey)

A child’s red winter scarf had disappeared. 

“Ravens….and other wild birds had been known to snatch things.”  This is the sentence that I designed this quilt from.

Appliqué, some paint and thread painting, scarf 3D, original design.

42" x 41"

Quilt made for two challenges:  Storyteller’s – Trees,  Book – All the Light We Cannot See (Anthony Doerr)

Marie-Laure lost her eyesight at the age of six but in her imagination and dreams everything has color.  Trees in her imagination are shimmering kaleidoscopes full of light.

Original design, completely thread painted.  The quilt was made to be viewed from both sides.

39" x 41"