The work that I am now focusing on combines my love of history and modern quilts. The first three galleries focus on quilt images from my “Baltimore Goes Modern” series. In the series I take details from Album quilts from Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Connecticut and convert them into Modern quilts. I use large blocks, modern fabric colors, deconstructed blocks, and graphic quilting to achieve a modern look.
This gallery is part of my Baltimore Goes Modern series. The quilts in this gallery are inspired by a block called Laurel Leaf. The Laurel leaf block is found in many variations on album quilts.. I chose to use enlarged blocks, modern colors, and graphic quilting to capture a modern day feel.
Laurel Leaf 52”w x 52”h
Top by Cathy Erickson, Quilting by Cathy Erickson and Lorraine Kennedy Williams
Autumn Splendor 32”w x 48”h Wool Quilt
Sweet Dreams 23.5”w x 24”h
The small pieces in this gallery range from 10” square to 8” x 11” in size. They all started as projects to practice modern stitching combinations. The inspiration for each piece was shapes commonly found on Baltimore Album quilts such as flowers, hearts, birds, and butterflies. While a butterfly was rarely found as an entire block, it was common to see it as a detail used to add complexity.
This gallery is part of my Baltimore Goes Modern Series. Flower blocks were an integral part of Baltimore Album Quilts. They show up as clusters of flowers and in baskets and wreaths. The Friendship Flower in this gallery used a Heart in a Hand shape, also found in Baltimore Albums.
“B” is for Baltimore Basket 49”w x 40”h
Welcome to My Garden 57”w x 41” h
Friendship Flower 68”w x 60” h
Along with a love of modern quilts, I also collect antique quilts. In this gallery I have included some details that can be found on my antique quilts. My primary focus is on 19th century quilts. I also love to spend time researching the stories behind my antique quilts.
In the 1940’s over 120,000 Japanese Americans were imprisoned in internment camps. From the newborn baby to the aging grandfather, all their lives were changed dramatically. Now only photos, stories, and rock rubble remain of that time. The art quilts in this series try to capture the spirit of what remains over 70 years later. Ten of the art quilts have poems by Margaret Chula that accompany each piece.
This series was worked on from 2002 to the present time. I have only included a sampling of my quilts in this series. The work has focused on the hardships faced during and after World War II. Photographs, letters, and historical documents were used as background information in addition to visiting with people who took part in this piece of American History. Margaret Chula and I published a book together called “What Remains: Japanese Americans in Internment Camps” that featured our inspirations, poetry, and quilts.
Bunny Dreams 20”w x 49”h
Remembering Tradition 18”w x 29”h
Voices Behind the Shoji Door 34”w x 60”h
Radiance 44” w x 22.5”h
Carpenter’s Quilt 32” w x 14” h Wood quilt made with nails, paper, sandpaper, and a planer tool.
A Girl’s Lace Blouse 10”w x 8”h
Dragonfly Moon Kimono 48”w x 48”h
Falling Blossoms 10”w x 8”h
STEPS 48” x 40”h
Top by Cathy Erickson, Quilting by Cathy Erickson and Mary Arnold
Photograph of the the stone steps that lead into the hospital garden at Manzanar.
Yukimi Lantern 20”w x 34”h
Stepping Stones 24”w x 36”h
Dancing in the Fifties 25”w x 70”h
The focus of these quilts is micro-quilting. The space between quilt lines is less than a 1/16th of an inch. I use 100 wt silk thread. Some of the fill stitches require a magnifying glass due to the precision needed for each stitch. Due to the small size of the pieces I often put collections of miniatures together and sew them to a black background. This approach gives the impact of a larger piece. In all I have over made over 60 miniatures. I am only including a few of my favorites on this page.
Summer Delight 10”w x 10”h
Tree of Life 20”w x 20”h
Falling Blossoms 10”w x 8”h
This gallery features images of my modern quilts around my home and garden.
