Crafty Cat Studio
2014 - 2021
Crafty Cat Studio was an art quilting company I created to represent my artistic endeavors. It was named for my three cats that are always ever present and assisting in my studio. Throughout the years, I created quilt patterns, taught art quilting classes, experimented with, lectured on, and blogged about the latest quilting products and techniques, and successfully competed in national competitions.
As this was a brand new company, I researched the market, audience, and current styles to draw inspiration while creating the company’s logo and design elements. The style chosen incorporated a mix of quilting elements and a clean modern feel. For example, there are nods to applique techniques in the design of the cat and the batting like cloud elements. These elements were then used throughout on business cards, the company website and online store, quilt patterns, and more.
Quilt Projects of Note
Cherrywood Challenge Quilts
Each year since 2014, Cherrywood Fabrics makes a special bundle of fabric and challenges quilters to create a 20” square art quilt with only that bundle of fabric. The themes and fabric bundle change yearly. I participated in the 2017 Van Gogh Challenge and the 2019 Bob Ros Challenge and succeeded in winning a spot in each of those traveling collections. For at least a year after being accepted the quilts are scheduled and shown at events and museums around the world. The Bob Ross Collection is still travelling at this time and will be shown at the Bob Ross Experience in Muncie, Indiana on March 12-September 18th, 2022.
Coloring Quilts
In 2015, I discovered a process of creating art quilts that combined my love of photography, colored pencils, and quilting. I developed this technique into an award winning style and even taught the process to other quilters.
The first quilt made with this process was Gazania. Every year I plant gazanias in my front garden because I love the intense colors and how that color shifts over the life of the bloom. This piece was created with free motion quilting, colored pencils and alcohol inks. A little bit of summer to enjoy year round.
GAZANIA
August 2015, Art Quilt, 12 1/2" x 9 1/2"
Awards: Division Champion and 1st place in the Alaska State Fair
Mini Quilts
Enjoying a challenge, I’m often drawn to creating mini quilts which require an extra level of precision and patience. In classic blue and white fabric, Time Flies features the disappearing hourglass block in the smallest size possible. To make this block, you have to create a normal quilt block, cut it apart, and sew it back together again. After reducing it to a certain size, elements of the design become lost. In my final design, the smallest triangles are about a 1/4” across which is the smallest element possible.
TIME FLIES
December 2015, Art Quilt, 15 1/2"x15 1/2"
Hand Sewing
Always trying new things and enjoying taking art on the go, I enjoy hand quilting and sashiko. I designed First Snow to be a portable project for a vacation in California. Each hexagon is a separate unit that was completed and then joined to the whole to create the snowflake design. I finished it with quilted feathers and hand sewn beads that reminded me of frozen water.
FIRST SNOW
2013, Art Quilt, 18 1/2" diameter
Awards: 3rd place in the AK State Fair