Improvisational Quilting

My quilting process is improvisational accidental piecing which is based on indigenous rural agricultural traditions of making color with flowers, nuts and plants and using any and all available fibers. I create quilt tops using hand dyed or over-dyed cotton fabric because according to my great-grandfather, it make the cloth sacred by connecting me with my ancestors.  Indigo is the dominate color in my dye practice and represents 1) the waters of the Pamlico and Atlantic Ocean surrounding the Outer Banks; 2) the ever changing Carolina blue sky that still manages to take my breath away by its brilliance; and 3) The Blues and growing up on The Blues Trail in Eastern North Carolina  One of my grandmothers told me a truth that sums up life, "You Don't Know What Love Is Until You Know The Meaning Of The Blues."  I grew up in a musical family, where singing and piano playing was gospel and the Blues depending on the day of the week. ​

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