Textiles
I began doing patchwork when I was teaching at Kenyon College, a class on art by women. All the students made their own textile work and talked while sitting together, discussing women's issues in the 1980's. One of the students eventually wrote her PhD about the class. When I had to teach painting I stopped stitching and only took it up intermittently while focusing primarily on oil painting, wtercolor/colored pencils, and drawing. In the stay-at-home COVID time, I found myself wanting to stitch patches together again, for healing, for myself and the soul of the world, as the old Bangladeshi women in the 19th century did. It's actually making my painting better when I do go back to it.
Many of these are still for sale. Inquire about prices (see contacts.)
<< View All Galleries
Patchwork 27x33' 1935
This quilt was done after a residency in Finland in the town where my ancestors left to come to America. The cemetery in Alajarvi has a lot of very old ornate wrought iron headstones with the name Koskenmaki
and there is a road leading to their farm called Koskenmaentie. This is my homage to our ancestors who left home to find a better life.
12x12' inkodye and embroidery 2019 I have used this image of a laughing dog in several pieces: a painting, a woodblock print, and this one, an embroidery on printed textile. It cheers me up!
12x12" patchwork
2020
embroidery on painted fabric 17x17''
1998
10x10'' embroidery on painted fabric
about 1990
private collection
11x14" patchwork
2020
private collection
patchwork and embroidery on an old stitchery
2020
The earliest attempt at stitchery, inspired by the women of Bangladesh in the 19th century, who believed their stitching together of old fabrics helped to heal the soul of the world.
The title is from a French song about beggars marching.
This piece burned in our house fire in 1977.
6x6'' embroidery on fabric
1990
38x40' patchwork, embroidery and crocheted center
about 1990
About 10 years after our house burned I used imagery like this in my paintings and textiles for about 3 years.
10x8'' patchwork
2020
12x12" patchwork
2020
11x14" patchwork and applique
2020 on top of old patchwork
10x10'' embroidery and applique on painted fabric
2020
collection of Christine Attalai
12x12" patchwork
2020
abou 40x40'
an early work, about 1985
Private collection of Birgitta Ralston, Cambridge, Mass.
16x18'' patchwork
2018