Elegant Simplicity, 2000
This memory quilt contains pictures of my mother, Marie Virginia Donovan Neilson, as a child, Marie and Paul at their wedding, Marie with the firstborn child (me), as well as pictures of me with my three siblings, Karl, Marsha and Lea. The variety of doilies on the batik fabric squares reminds me of Mother’s appreciation for fine textiles.
The single black glove is tribute to her simple elegance. The diagonal line of the glove helps to recreate a new rhythm for the viewer’s eye. I drew heavily on my vintage textile collection for the doily and the crocheted lace trim on Elegant Simplicity. All the photos are carefully documented on the back of the quilt.
Elegant Simplicity was pieced on my 1946 Singer Featherweight and I hand quilted and then machine quilted some sections on my 1971 White Sewing Machine. The fabric mostly came from Quilt Your Heart Out. Not for sale. 38”x 43”
This memory quilt contains pictures of my mother, Marie Virginia Donovan Neilson, as a child, Marie and Paul at their wedding, Marie with the firstborn child (me), as well as pictures of me with my three siblings, Karl, Marsha and Lea. The variety of doilies on the batik fabric squares reminds me of Mother’s appreciation for fine textiles.
The single black glove is tribute to her simple elegance. The diagonal line of the glove helps to recreate a new rhythm for the viewer’s eye. I drew heavily on my vintage textile collection for the doily and the crocheted lace trim on Elegant Simplicity. All the photos are carefully documented on the back of the quilt.
Elegant Simplicity was pieced on my 1946 Singer Featherweight and I hand quilted and then machine quilted some sections on my 1971 White Sewing Machine. The fabric mostly came from Quilt Your Heart Out. Not for sale. 38”x 43”
