African Stripes
71" x 48"

I kept the design simple just to enjoy the prints.  There’s something about African fabrics that really speaks to me.  I know that the registration isn’t always on target, and the dyes can be a little problematic from time to time, but the primitive, genuine, and passionate quality of the color and design more than makes up for it.  While the piece gets its feel from the African prints, there are also some others from my stash that help with transitions in spots.  Kaffe prints mingle happily, as do batiks and even a few fairly staid and traditional prints.

The quilting started with freehand adrinka patterns scattered about.  I filled in the remaining space with lots of free motion fill - various patterns in various variegated threads - and then added a few cowrie shells. 

It’s interesting to watch people react to this quilt.  They either look at it and then do sort of a double take and then come back to it and keep noticing more and more about it, or they’re just disturbed by - I don’t know, its messiness? - and they politely hurry away.