It Feels Good To Be Back

Someone Found has been a great journey , I enjoyed everything about this quilt.
She started because I wanted to paint a semi nude again , luckily I have this beautiful inside and out Daughter that is willing to pose for me .
I began by designing block squares with different motifs ... I then tranferred the designs on to different types of cotton fabric ... and began painting the blocks, 10 in all. One of the peices of cotton is from Ricky Tims collection. The center piece of fabric is a piece of Ricky's as well. I then pieced everything together in the sequence I wanted . With a pastil pencil I drew in my Daughter's figure , then painted her image...
The IQA Quilt Show in Houston TX this year has a theme ( 175th year of Independence), I happened to show a friend in Houston 2010 a photo of what I had done so far , she mentioned kidnapped children in Texas by the Comanche...I went and did some research and was captivated by Cynthia Ann Parker's story .
I printed up what I had done on a 8 1/2 X11" piece of paper in colour, the image of what I had done so far...placed a piece of tracing paper over top and drew in the additions to the quilt where I wanted them . I then took the tracing paper drawing and used that to draw with pastel pencil again the additional story data.

 I showed my quilt to my Sister Helen Godden and she gave me some excellent suggestions to bring the quilt together alittle better, which I added and completed the painting... ironed everything really well on the back side ... threw both the top and dyed and stencilled back in the washing machine then dryer .............I LOVE ANGEL PAINTS, ironed them both again ...then came the tuscany wool batting. Pinned the three layers and began quilting 3 1/2 months later I have resurfaced. The binding is again Ricky Tims fabric...probably the label too.........
Cynthia Ann Parker from Scottish/Irish decent ...came from Illinois to Texas in 1833 the Parker family and friends built a 12' pole fort on Comanche land . In 1836 Cynthia and others were kidnapped by Indians. Cynthia was adopted by the Comanche and was renamed Naduah ( Someone Found). She had three children, her eldest Quanah Parker is called The Great Chief of the Comanche. Naduah lived with her Indian family for 24 years ...

The quilt is about the blending and contrast of two traditional cultures...

Oh, a few weeks ago I had the opportunity to teach in Fortuna CA at Dixie McBride's Quilter's Retreat ... One of the best weeks of my life and I have been saying that alot lately .........AWESOME time FABULOUS friends and WONDERFUL Sisters found and rediscovered...sharing my space with Sharon Schamber FANTASTIC...miss her every day...
Magical place .... Magical space ... thank you
So now it is to get some yardwork done ...in-between the rain... housework and say Hi to all my friends ...illustrating and designing is calling